Rest week

It's a well deserved rest week. Ya know sleeping in, lounging around, eating lots of treats... Only it's not quite shaking out that way. First there is no way to sleep later than 5am in my house. If it isn't my son singing Frosty the Snowman at that ungodly hour (he tells me he is a fisherman and fishermen get up early - however I pointed out that they do not sing Frosty the Snowman, really they are very very quiet so they can surprise the fish, and he considered that seriously for a moment and then agreed with me so perhaps there is hope), then its my friend insomnia whose come to visit. Ugh!

As a result I swam anyways on Wednesday. I missed my swim friends. I missed the hot tub. I missed getting out of the house before the morning chaos ensued.

Today I'm sleeping in. Except it is 4:32am.

This is not right!

Meet Report: New England Short Course Meters Championships at BU

I know this can't keep happening. It cannot last. I do really know that. Change is a constant. And this weekend it just happened to be in my favor.

The BU pool was really spectacular. Clean and warm and spacious. Plenty of seating, all with good views. Friday night I drove down with Katie who was swimming the 800 free. It was a nice way for me to get in the right mindset for Saturday and Sunday and really fun to hand out with Katie. She did a great strong and steady 800 ad I was proud of her. We were out of the pool by 6:30 and on our way to dinner with Mary, the Iron Matron, in the burbs.

Saturday walking it I was greeted by 12 of my Lighthouse Masters teammates and more than 30 of our Maine Masters teammates. I think we are the most diverse team geographically with members from CT, MA, NH and ME. Our team is just fun, what can we say? I am really proud that my fellow workout teammates -- Jim, Gary, Claire, Ted, Katie, Julie, Liz, Jim B., and Peter -- all made it down for the meet (for many of them their first meet) along with Coach Kerry.

So it was hot, we had great conversation, many laughs, devoured juicy gossip, saw amazing swims... what we all look forward to at a Masters meet. I got to meet my current swim idol -- Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen, world record holder and swim goddess -- and even swim next to her in the 100 fly. She asked me what my goal was for that event just before we got on the blocks. Um... have fun, keep my eyes on your feet for as long as possible. She of course broke a world record right there next to me. For a moment I shared in the glory as if it was me who had broke the WR -- I mean I was right there in the same water and shook her hand after just like in the Olympics. Doesn't get much better than that, unless of course you are breaking the record.

On the blocks (me in white) with Karlyn (in pink).

Ready set go!

Me and my hero, WR holder Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen, after the 100 fly by the warm down pool.

Unexpectedly I did get taste of that later in the day. After I stalked Karlyn in the warm down pool and got my picture taken with her (yes I am a dork!) she gave me a brand new XTerra fast suit. It was tight as all get out. It took 15 minutes to put on and I nearly pulled 7 muscles getting it on. But once it was on, I didn't know the ride I was in for. My last event on Saturday was the 50 free. I didn't even get in the pool with the Xterra before the race. Right on the blocks. Coach was putting the pressure on all of us for this race. He wanted good times out of all of us since he had sat around all day (note of sarcasm). I was seeded in Lane 10. Kinda sucks but I decided I was gonna smoke it anyways. Karlyn was in the middle and another speedy MESC swimmer Jessica Knight was in the mix too. I just went gangbusters. I was in first at the turn!! I saw Gary, Ted and Jim cheering for me on the edge of the pool (benefit of Lane 10 I guess) and I just whipped my arms as hard as I could and kicked like I was shaking a rabid dog off my legs. Into the wall full speed.... 27.47!! (3rd place OA). I found out later it was also broke a NE Record set by swimming legend Jacki Hirsty in 1990. Jeez... I felt kinda bad when I met her afterwards. She is one amazing lady.

Other times..

100 meter fly 1:11.22

50 meter fly 29.85 (NE record)

100 meter free 1:02.49 (NE record)

100 meter IM 1:13.50

Now really what is best about these meets it having the team come together for relays.

I did three with fellow speedsters Jessica Knight, Son Nguyen, Anne Uecker, Cherly Kupan, Cheryl Daly and more. We got two more meet records out of those relays.

So all in all if I can keep swimming like this I am looking forward to turning 40 next year!

Thanks to my teammates for keeping it all real! You all are the best.

Go Blue Lobsters!

Oh yeah, we won the meet too :)

Mary and I: Check out the superhero suits!

NE SCM Champs Meet preview

The psych sheets are up!

I don't know how particularly "psyched" I am for this meet. Not sure how fast I will swim. But I did surprise myself in March at the SCY champs so I'll go in with the attitude that it will be fun to see friends and hang out in a steaming hot pool building all day waiting for my events. I mean, really, what could be more fun? I guess only for us die hard swimmers this is considered fun.

My seeds:

OA / AG

100 IM 41/6

200 free 13/3

100 fly 3/1

50 free 16/3

50 fly 6/2

100 free 13/3

I am very happy because we have 12 people from out workout group going including our coach. From Maine we have about 50+ people going which I think is a record for us. We usually win this meet but have to contend with the NY Red Tide team who are usually pretty well stacked.

Lottery opens today!

The 4.4 mile Chesapeake Great Bay Swim lottery opens today.

10 Maine swimmers going for it. If we get in we have the privledge

of paying $250 to swim the churning waters of the Bay on

June 13, 2010.

Are you in?

Register here.

Strength training

I have been getting to the pool early at 5:15 M W F for the last two months to do strength training. Before practice starts at 5:45 I get in as much strength training as I can. This has consisted of shoulder stabilization exercises, crunches on the ball, triceps, bicepts, lats (when my shoulders are okay), stroking with cords, fly on the ball... and when I have time leg curls and quads. I have mostly been focusing on the cord work but now that I have got a routine down I want to "kick it up a notch". In a word...

Plyometrics.

Time to work on explosive power and speed off the blocks and turns.

Plyometrics is practiced most often by runners but has become popular with swimmers too. The evidence for it significantly improving swim times is mixed. Dara Torres made a name for resistence stretching, but since I don't have a cadre of private stretchers and massage therapists I am going to try the plyometrics.

One of the most common plyometric exercises for swimmers involves jumping onto a wooden box while throwing a medicine ball up in the air. Other variations include jump squats (again with the medicine ball), dumbell squat jumps, and box jumps without the ball (see Swimming World, 12/09).

The other resources I will use as I plot my training regimen include the new book Swimming Anatomy (which is being heavily marketed to swimmers this holiday season) and Dr. Chu's website which has a good (albeit too long) plan already laid out.

Given that I don't think I'll get that much faster on technique alone and that all my competition seems to be taller and stronger than me already, it is time to get serious about strength!

National ranking!!

I was thrilled to discover last week that I have made the 35-39 AG Top 10 national times for 2009 in two events.

I am #9 in the 50 yards fly (27.8) and #9 in the 100 yards fly (1:02.53).

Now I may never have a national record or even a New England record, but if I can keep a national ranking year to year in at least one event I'll be plenty happy.

2009 Greater Portland Swimmers Riverton SCM Meet Report

Son and Simon after tying in the 200 breaststroke at 2:47.90 (Photo by Cheryl Daly)

Great meet to shake off the nerves and get used to 25 meters, which I have concluded is decidedly more difficult than 25 yards.

This was a small meet with about 30-35 Maine Masters (MESC) in attendance. That being said, people traveled from as far away as Rockland, New Hampshire and Connecticut to swim. We had national record holders in attendance and swimmers of all ages. Basically a typical MESC meet!

I had a little extra challenge to my focus and concentration this day though. As my husband was sick, my choice was not go to the meet OR bring all three cherubs along with me (ages 8, 6 and 4). My kids are always up for an adventure, so we packed up our backpacks with all manner of sundry play items and headed out at 9:30.

First up was a great swim clinic led by Mike Schmidt, President of MESC and Facebook phobe. In spite of that fact, he's a damn fast swimmer and had some interesting thoughts on flipturns. I've been following Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen's advice on turns and practicing her "weapons of destruction" by not curling up too tight and putting my feet shoulder width apart on the wall for a more stable push off. Mike suggested curling up a bit more compactly and keeping one's hands closer to the head. I am going to have to play around with this technique I think.

Doug Pride, the other leader of the clinic, is well known for his ability to swim more than 1/2 way down the pool underwater in fly events. At this meet I had the fortunate/unfortunate experience of swimming next to him for the 100 meter fly which he finished in 58 seconds -- I on the other hand finished in a very painful 1:12 with a most pathetic third turn and last 5 meters. Anywho... Doug made the astute observation that my legs are way apart on my entry off the blocks ... another thing to work on.

As for the events, I felt I did okay besides the fly fiasco. Never ever have I experienced such pain and exhaustion swimming. I could barely get my arms out of the water for that last 5 meters. I have newfound respect for all the 200 flyers out there.

100 meter free was next after about 10 minutes rest. 1:05 ... got a second wind on the last 25 meters and decided I had to beat the 60 year old guy next to me. I hope I am swimming that fast at 60!

50 meter fly... just not feeling it today in the fly but did okay with 32.17. Son was right there behind me at 33

50 free ... my son came up just as I stepped on the block saying "Mommy, mommy". Ummm not now son. Within 3 seconds the horn went off. 30.06 Later he told me he just wanted to tell me he'd cheer for me. So cute!

After I finished I let the kids get in the warm down lane and splash around. They had a ball.

This day made me truly appreciative of my kids who did such as great job entertaining themselves all day and all my teammates who didn't bat an eye with 3 kids running around and pitched in to help entertain them (thanks Jim and Roxy!)

By the time we showered and congratulated the 1650 competitiors it was 3:30. We were all exhausted and celebrated with a special dinner out in a yummy and cozy gourmet pizza place. Great finish to a memorable day. In bed by 6:30 ... got to love that!