Swim Around Key West

This past weekend the masters team the fighting manatees took me with them to Key West to do the Swim around Key West. Mark was still on vacation so he couldn't come to the swim with me. I had a great time and it was lots of fun. I even ran into one of the guys that I swim with in New York. The fighting manatees took 3 teams of 6 people down. My team, team 2, got third place and it took us about 6 hours. we beat team one by about 4 min. There was a small rivalry between team 1 and 2 and because both teams were so close for the entire 6 hours it made the swim even more fun. Team one consisted of Bob Rich a billionaire who owns Rich foods and is one of the biggest donors for the swim team but the big threat on the team,Gary Hall Sr. is who we were worried about. Then Bob Rich flew his niece down from collage to swim on the team as well as one of his friends that was training for the Iron man. Team wasn't worried, even when Gary Hall Sr. showed up in a laser suit for the event. One of video on YouTube is of Jon Olson the Olympian on our team grabbing Gary's legs during the second leg of the race. There is a link to the map of where I swam. The swim is done as a relay so I swam a 30 min leg, then a 20 min leg, then a series of 5-8 min sprint swims. we had the slower swimmers doing anything from 5-2 min. I swam the first mile and a half for my first swim and then somewhere around mile 4 for my second big swim. I think I was in the water about 2 hours and I got to start and finish the race. I had a great time. Then I was even in the paper this past week! For participating in the event I got a Medal and for getting third I received a Conch Shell!!!

After the first 30 min leg.

http://www.fkccswimaroundkeywest.com/Images/bigmap.jpg The Map of the Key West Swim

Some videos on YouTube: ( there is a link to pictures on the right as well)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0JBKwNQqnk Eliza Swimming http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5kZWXwzIm4 Beth Swimming http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO787UzCw48 Jon Mooning the Cruise ship http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bje6hteqG2I Dual in the Ocean http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH8zPErIWmE Jon Swimming http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYn9oxSC40o Taste of the gay pride parade that happened the same weekend

Linneah came down to see me for the weekend. Mark and Jess were out of town so Linneah, Addy and I did some touristy things that Mark and Jess have exhausted. We went snorkeling in Harry Harris park. This meant that we walked out of marks house and then walked right into the ocean. Then we took advantage of the nice day and laid out on the fake beach in the park. After getting our fill of sun we came back to the house for a nap and then got ready to go to dinner. We wanted to try and watch the sunset while we ate so we to a restaurant on the water. However the Florida weather had different plans so instead we got to see a lightning storm over the water instead of a sunset. Then we went out to one of the local bars to drink, dance, and people watch. There were some incredibly bad dancing that made the night even more entertaining. After we got our fill of dancing we bar hoped so we could play some photo hunt. Our timing was impeccable, we left the first outside bar and en route to the following bar that was inside the sky's opened up and we all got soaked while running from the car into the bar.
The following morning, the three of us went to the Bird sanctuary. Brunch bay side was an experience. All we wanted was breakfast. However, the two restaurants we went to stopped serving breakfast at noon. So we had to settle for Lunch. Then we to an small artist community that had some very cute souvenirs that we didn't buy. The community was also the home to a Giant Lobster which we had to pose with. Then we decided we had to try the Famous Mr. C's ice cream. It was delicious. We were all happy that we had eaten our way through the keys and Linneah and I had a fun visit.

The time I did a 2k kick set with 12 yr olds

After talking to one of the faster girls on the swim team. I had a brilliant idea: why don't I swim in practice to help push the kids. The swimmer had complained that she didn't have any girls to challenge her during workout and she was frustrated just racing boys. So while driving to practice Mark and I decided that I would jump in for the main set. The main set was all kicking. Please note that I am a horrible kicker.

The workout:
2x:
4 x 25 from a dive fast breakout
then :20 push off the bottom in a streamline and :20 kick arms and shoulders out of the water x 4
4 x 25 kick 20m underwater fast
in 10 second intervals: push off the bottom in a streamline, kicking, and hold your breath

first round with ankle weights
second round no equipment
.....
6 x 50 best average with fins on 1:00
.....
200 kick free, fly,brst,free all on your back down with your arms over your head, back in a streamline all on your back

2 x
6 x 50 from a dive 3 strokes break out and the rest kick underwater from both walls

100 kick 10 beat kick all out from a dive

second round with fins
.....
6 x 50 best average with fins on 1:00

then warm down


I am not sure I remember ever doing a 2k kick set. my legs still hurt the next day. I wasn't able to provide a challenge on the 6 x 50's best average but I held my own for the rest of workout. Awesome so as a 27 yr old I was able to train with some of South Florida's fastest 12 yr olds. It sounds very similar to Sr. Mets swim meet, just a different state. I told the 9-10 age group that I was going to do there workout next. I think they are more my speed. The side motivation for swimming a workout is I am trying to get in shape for the Swim around Key West. I am trying to get in shape for that swim so I don't die mid ocean. That swim is in 2 weeks. http://www.swimaroundkeywest.com/course.htm

Key Fish Swim Team

The first session of The learn to swim program is over. The second session starts up a week from today. Until then I am going to be helping with all of the age groupers not just the 12 and ups. I had a great time with all the kids from the first session. I took my underwater camera out for the last day to take some pictures so I could give them to the parents. I had a great time coaching the kids and coaching little kids was such a nice stress free working environment and I got a free tan. Don't worry I had on SPF 30, a hat, SPF 95 on my face and a rash guard with SPF.

There is a link to the picture on the swim team web page. http://www.keysswimming.blogspot.com/

Lions & Tigers & Bears.. OH MY!

As a belated birthday present for Jess. The three of us went to the Miami Metro Zoo. Due to a poor forecast and because graduation weekends had started the Zoo was empty. We kept joking that Mark had rented out the Zoo for the day. We saw all types of animals among them panthers, elephants, & poisonous frogs. Jess was like a kid in a candy shop she fell in love with each animal that we passed and kept asking them if they wanted to come home with us. She did befriend a deer and was heartbroken when Mark and I told she was not allowed to keep it. The three of us had a lot of fun running around the zoo. My favorite part was when we got to feed the giraffes.

Another Amazing Day

I have been down in the Keys for a full 2 weeks. Life is great. Mark and I are trying to get in shape and have dedicated our selves to P90X. P90x is a work out tape that can be done at home. We are now both addicted and quote, Tony, the instructor endlessly. My typical day starts with a morning walk with the dogs. Then a quality hour of P90X. Followed with breakfast and some relaxing activity (ex. napping/e-mailing/ reading, watching swim videos). Take the dogs to the park. Then Mark and have some lunch together and lpay with the dogs some more and then head to the pool. We start lessons at 2:45 and coach till 7. When we return home, Jess has a delicious meal cooked for us. In exchange for a meal all I have to do is clean up the dinner dishes. Not a bad trade. After our meal we all hang out and then we are all in bed by 9:30-10 o'clock. Not bad. Sometimes we throw in some variations on the day just to mix things up. Basically life is great. We all workout, relax, hang out with 3-13 yr olds, not too bad. One of the kids was ecstatic because he figured out that if he looked through his goggles he could see me blow bubbles from the bottom of the pool and wave all at the same time. He couldn't believe it.This also the same little kid that refused to put his head in the water and insisted that he couldn't hold his breath. Now he doesn't want to take his head out of the water. Coaching the little kids has been so rewarding. After two weeks of the learn to swim clinc we are finnally drawing some attention. We have parents approach mark and I about there young kids swimming everyday. We are making a big impact in the Key Largo and Islamorada communitys and slowly making our way up to homestead. South Florida watch out!

The Keys

I have been down here in the Keys for a little over a week and life is great so far. I am starting to settle in to daily schedule a change from the past 4 months where about every day brought a different city or state and bed. I have slept in the same bed for over tens days. A new record this year. I work Mon, Tue,Thur, Fri teaching 3-8 year old and then after my lessons end I help out with the 12-14 year olds for an hour and a half. Wednesday, my day off, is private lesson day and just help out with the older kids. Then I have Sat and Sun off. Because Mark has early morning and Jess starts her day early as well. I have fallen into there daily routine of bed between 9:30 and 10. and Mornings start as early as 6am. I started swimming some of the Masters practices here as well. They are headed down to a ocean water swim in Key West in a couple of weeks and so they are trying to persuade me to join them. We did a practice open water swim in the bay last week. Basically it was snorkeling with goggles on instead of a snorkel and there were no waves. I tried to explain to the other masters swimmers that in a real open water swim there would be tons of people, waves and no one should focus on the coral or fish in the water.
In an effort to get into better shape Mark and just started a new workout routine called P90X. We are on day 2 and both dying already. We will have to see how we do in a week. It does make it easier to have a work out buddy.
Mark and Jess have 2 amazing little dogs. Lola and Marley. They are so cute. I am either playing with the puppies, exercising or working. I am exhausted thinking about my schedule. I got to see my first Florida Lightning storm last night. It was a excellent one. The sky was fillled with lightning bolts and flashes, nature put on quite a show. I will try and post some new pictures soon. This weekend I think we are going to try and go to the Bird Sanctuary and then just stay out of tourist populated place this weekend. It is supposed to be a mess down here for the weekend.