We finished the race!!

Hi Friends,

I know I'm very late in writing my last post but the race took it out of me :) The good news? WE FINISHED! Even better? We finished in 5 hours and 45 minutes! I would love to give you all the crazy details, but the race took it's toll on my body and my right hand/arm super sore at the moment. However, as soon as it heals I'll be posting all the details and pictures. THANK YOU all for your support and generous donations!

Be back in a flash...

3 Days!

Hi Friends!

One day of work
One flight to LA (to pick up little brother Andy)
One flight to Miami
One flight to KEY WEST

I'll be in Key West at 9AM tomorrow morning. Can't wait! I'll start posting pictures ASAP. Have a great day!

Six Days!

Hi friends!

SIX DAYS. Whoa. Only six more days until the race! What am I doing until then? Swimming, swimming, running, relaxing, working, flying, RACING! Yay. Can't wait!!

Two Weeks!

Hi Friends!

I can't believe the SAKW is only two weeks away! I'm settling into San Francisco and joined the Embarcadero YMCA swim team this week. My swim work outs will focus on long swims with bursts of speed built in while my out-of-the-water routine will be filled with short runs and multiple sets of light weights. 

I had a perfect Saturday morning that started with a long swim at the Y and then a walk around the HUGE farmer's market at the Ferry Building. I couldn't believe all the fresh produce, flowers, bread, cakes and coffee!

I picked up some things that will help in my strict race diet of whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies and lean meat. Thank goodness for San Francisco's love of fresh, local food! Crunch time! Ahh!!

San Francisco!

Hi Friends!

I made it to San Francisco! I landed in SF and my dad picked me up from the airport, we drove straight into the city, checked out my sublet for the summer in Nob Hill (awesome!), then headed down to Fisherman's Warf for some seafood (yum!). On Sunday we picked up some things at Target then made our way to Half Moon Bay and enjoyed a nice sunny day at the beach.

Then I made my way to my friend Jen's place where I'm crashing until I can move into my sublet (thanks Jen!). Today I joined the Embarcadero YMCA which has an awesome 25 meter pool which I took a nice long swim in. I can't believe the race is so close and I'm definitely going to be doing two-a-day practices from here on out! Tomorrow my real life in SF starts with my first day of work! Ahhhh!

Changes

Hi Friends!

Goodness. LOTS of changes going on right now. GOOD changes. One week from today I will be moving to San Francisco to embark on a very exciting new opportunity! Woohoo! It's all very exciting and because of the tight timing I'm trying to take care of all the details in a pretty short amount of time. I'm trying my best to stay positive and not get too overwhelmed because I know this is a very good thing. It's still so crazy!!

But, have no fear, my #1 priority right now is training. A new $20/month (for real!) gym just opened down the street from my and since I'm not working, my daily routine has been gym, pool, pack, sleep, repeat. If you live in the Allston/Brighton area, check out GymIt.

 

Thanks for reading!

ONE MONTH!

Hi Friends!

Only one month until the big race! I'm feeling strong and ready to go and I have to thank everyone who has donated to such a great cause. I have my tie-dyed suit, mirrored goggles, and hot pink cap..I'm ready to go!! Can't wait!

37 Days

Whoa. It just hit me as I paid for the kayak...ONE MONTH (plus a few days) until the swim. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

The Making of an Open Water Swimmer. A great story on the USMS website.

And more amazing performances from the Academy of Country Music's "Girls Night Out":

40 Days

Hi Friends!

40 days until the big race. On Friday I did my first double practice, one of which included an hour long swim. I averaged about 26 minutes a mile at about a 75% pace. If I factor in waves and currents, I'm looking at about 30 minutes a mile. Therefore, my new goal is to finish the race in about 6.25 hours.  I'm finally in the home stretch and am SUPER excited to head down to Florida in just over a month.

On another note, inspiration has been coming to me in many ways recently. CBS just hosted a Country "Girls Night Out" where Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill (two of my favorites) sang "How Great Thou Art" (one of my favorite songs of all time) and it's absolutely bone chilling and inspiring. Have a listen...

Fuel

Hi Friends!

It's getting closer and closer to race time and kayaker and I have begun to map out my "fuel" breaks along the race course. My goal is to briefly stop every hour to down some fluids and fuel. Since I'll only have a brief moment (hopefully under 30 seconds) to do this, gel packs and water bottles are my options of choice. I hadn't tried gel packs since my teenage swimming days when gatorade first came out with them and in testing I found out they haven't changed much...at least as far as taste is concerned. Yuck.

GU Energy is the brand I'm going with. Their "Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Gel" has been tested on elite athletes around the world. If it's good enough for them, it's surely good enough for me. What's it made of you ask? Pure power.

"We start with original GU's superior mix of complex and simple carbohydrates that provide quick and sustained energy, electrolytes for replenishment and caffeine to tap more power and diminish pain.

From there we increase the amount of histidine, an essential amino acid, to act as a buffer and slow the energy-sapping acid build-up in muscles. 

We mix in higher levels of citrates (potassium citrate, sodium citrate, and citric acid) to help speed the conversion of carbohydrates into energy molecules and, like histidine, help mitigate acid build-up. 

We also add more of the branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) leucine, valine and isoleucine to serve as another fuel source, aid in recovery and help maintain mental focus and reduce fatigue by limiting the central nervous system's production of serotonin.

Finally, we add a new ingredient, the amino acid complex Ornithine Alpha-Ketoglutarate (OKG) which limits the body's tendency to break down muscle protein tissue during extremely hard training and racing days. OKG keeps you going longer and promotes a speedier recovery."

Inspiration

Hi Friends!

The 2011 Boston Marathon is happening outside of my office window right now. The finish line is about a half block away and the stream of runners hasn't stopped since 10:30AM this morning. Between the wheelchair racers, Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai breaking a Marathon record and Marines crossing the finish line in full gear and packs; it's safe to say this day has been nothing short of amazing and inspiring. 47 days until the swim!!

Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai crossing the finish line. Breaking not only a Boston Marathon record but a world record as well.

Kenyan fans celebrating their win!

Check out the marines on the right crossing the finish line in full gear and packs!

51

Hi Friends!

I went to morning practice today...and was the only person to show up. I guess I should start checking my e-mail before heading to practice. Only after I returned home at 5:40AM did I notice the cancellation e-mail come through. Oh well, a morning of yoga and kettle bell it was. I read a great story this morning about getting back into the water after taking time off. If you need a quick reading break, check it out here.

The Boston Marathon is on Monday. My window faces the finish line and workers are busy jack hammering away and setting up bleachers. If you look close you can see them through the dirt on my window.

When I tell people that I'm competing in the SAKW, they sometimes look at me like I'm crazy for swimming 12.5 miles. Well, when people tell me they are running a marathon, I look at them like they are crazy for running 26.2 miles. I can't even fathom running more than a half marathon. Needless to say, it will be fun to watch the runners finish through my window on Monday.

Thanks for reading!

52 Days!

Hi Friends!

52 Days until the race. My shoulder is better, my knee is getting better and I'm feeling pretty good! However, my nerves are starting to freak out a bit which is unusual for me because I don't usually get nervous. Maybe its because I've been getting e-mails with clips about thousands of sharks off the coast of Florida (thanks, Monica!) or about giant 300 lb eagle rays attacking women on boats! Thanks friends and family, but I'm just going to think about the pretty fish and maybe the lone nurse shark I'll see during the swim :)

Injured List

Hi Friends!

I'm still on the injured list do to some issues with the IT band in my left knee so I had to take another day off of swimming and running. Getting back in the water tonight after a couple of days off should feel great.

On another note, check out this awesome video of a new baby giraffe at the Cincinnati Zoo! My love of giraffes might be a bit obsessive but this is just awesome. (Disclaimer: The video contains footage of the actual birth so if that's not your thing, fast forward a bit.)

Thanks for reading!

Goodbye Winter

Hi Friends! This weekend was gorgeous! Kayaker and I went for one last day of NE skiing at Ragged Mountain. We enjoyed some warmer weather, pond skimming and a few beers by the outdoor fire pit. I finished the season with two black runs! Proof below...

 

 

I've been experiencing a bit of tendinitis in my left shoulder so I'm taking the weekend off from the pool. The sun is still out so it's time for a run!  Two months and one day until the race.

Thanks for reading!

I need your help!

Hi Friends!

First, a little progress update. My goal at practice last night was to get another timed mile in to see how I'm progressing. Last month my mile (1,650 yards) time was 24.30. Last night my mile time was 22:30. This is at about a 70% exertion rate. Yes! Progress! Here is the general thinking about how pool mile times relate to the SAKW:

- If you can swim a pool mile in 20 minutes, you can probably finish the SAKW in 4 hours
- If you can swim a pool mile in 25 minutes, you can probably finish the SAKW in 5 hours
- If you can swim a pool mile in 30 minutes, you can probably finish the SAKW in 6 hours

Since my goal is to finish this race in 5 hours, I'm pretty psyched that I continue to stay under 25 minutes per mile. However, swimming one mile is MUCH different than swimming 12.5 miles so I'm continuing to press on in, and out, of the water.

On another note, I really need your help in fundraising. When I'm having a bad practice, I always think back to the reason I'm swimming this race. Every person I know has been affected or knows someone  who has been affected by cancer. Please help me to raise money to fight women's cancers. Every little donation counts and all donations are tax deductible. I deeply appreciate your help. To donate, please visit this site: http://do.eifoundation.org/goto/jennybrumm. 


Thanks for reading!

Marcos Diaz

Hi Friends! I found a video of the 2009 SAKW winner, Marcos Diaz, finishing the race and then discussing the course and his training leading up to it. I definitely got some good tips!

Marcos is an "ultra swimmer" from the Dominican Republic who has competed in a number of open water swims. Check out his website here. 2 months and 5 days to go!!

Thanks for reading!

The Wave of the Future

I got the latest issue of "Swimmer Magazine" this week entitled "Open Water Swimming: The Wave of the Future". It had a fantastic article about legendary open water swimmer Lynne Cox.

It was super motivating issue but has me feeling pretty guilty about skipping morning practice today :( (But I did ride my bike into work!). Time to hit the Brookline pool tonight. Only one month until two-a-day practices start. Yippee!

On another note, The Head and the Heart is my new favorite band out of Seattle. Check out "Lost in My Mind"...

Flip-Turns

I stink at them. I slow down going into the wall and I'm usually too lazy to dolphin kick off of the wall. I found this video of Natalie Coughlin doing it correctly and I'm going to try my hardest at practice tonight to follow her lead. Accelerate off the wall, tight streamline and strong dolphin kicks. Check out the video here.

On another note, only 73 more days until the race. Crazy. Crack down time is now. Flights, hotel and kayak are booked. Zinc Oxide still needs to be ordered and fuel during the race still needs to be planned. The time is flying by! Can't wait!!

Almost Spring

Hi Friends! It was pretty warm in Boston yesterday so I decided to go for my first run in months. Then I decided to follow that up with some Kettle Bell exercises with the KB that Kayaker and I just bought. And then I thought it would be a good idea to mellow out with some yoga and meditation. Uff da. I should have just stuck with the running part. Sore today, but strangely, it feels good! The warmth also made me ready for the summer! Maybe I'll even get out to Santa Monica to see my bro (pictured below on family vaca in Virginia Beach) to play in the sand!

Cross-Training

Hi Friends! Kayaker and I picked up some new running shoes this weekend. I had been doing a little research into the minimalist shoe movement (a.k.a. those funny five toe Vibram shoes you see people running around in) and was intrigued. For anyone who has bad knees like me, this was supposed to be a saving grace. So, we went over to City Sports, talked to the sales clerk (who just happened to be the Harvard Rowing coach and quite an athlete himself) and ended up buying the New Balance Minimus Road shoe, or the "middle of the road" minimalist running shoe. All the reading we did said to ease into it so I haven't busted them out on a run yet, but I'm looking forward to improving my running. Which, in return, I'm hoping will improve my swimming :) Have a great day!

Inspiring Swims

Hi Friends! I hope you had a great weekend! In lieu of a training update I want to share one of my favorite inspiring swims. This one of Ryan Lochte winning the 400 IM at the 2009 FINA Champs in Rome. Enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

The Thorpedo is back!

Hi Friends! The Thorpedo is back! Ian Thorpe held a press conference last month to announce his return to swimming and his quest to compete in the 2012 Olympics. I'm guessing the media is going to concoct some crazy rivalry between Thorpe and Phelps. Check out the article here. Speaking from experience, getting back into the game is hard. Good luck buddy; Michael Phelps just broke two records at the Indy Grand Prix yesterday.

P.S. I'm totally jealous of his goggle tan.

Thanks for reading!

Indy Grand Prix

Hi Friends! The Indianapolis Grand Prix starts today! This means lots of great match-ups like Phelps vs. Lochte in the world famous Indy pool. It's going to be an exciting meet and you can watch it on-line here. Check out some more information here.

On a personal note, I'm headed to the Brookline pool tonight to time a mile so I know which heat I should be in for the SAKW. I'm hoping to finish in about 25 minutes so I have a good chance at medaling in the race, but we'll see. I'll let you know how it goes!

Thanks for reading!

Sleepy

Hi Friends! Since my kayaker and I are heading up to NH early tomorrow morning for a weekend full of friends and snow, I decided to go to morning practice with CMSC. It was SUPPOSED to be a sprint practice, but there were way to many 600s, 400s and 300s for my liking. Now I'm at work (so is Yoshi!) and I feel like doing exactly what's he's doing right now.

Have a great weekend! Thanks for reading!

Getting Better

Hi Friends! CMSC practice got cancelled tonight so I had the choice of A) Swimming at the Brookline Pool, B) Going to Yoga or C) Doing nothing at all. After work, option "C" sounded like the best option. But, after a pretty long fight with myself, option "A" won out. See? I have proof!

My willpower is finally improving! AND, I did those 8x100s on the 1:20 and held 1:15s. Yes!

Thanks for reading!

Ouch. And a Birthday!

So, I hopped back in the pool this morning after a week of not practicing due to illness. Ouch. Again I realize how easy it is to fall out of shape when it comes to swimming. And, I need a moment to vent, it's REALLY frustrating. You see, this morning our main set was 10x100 on the fastest interval you could hold. My lane did the first 5 on the 1:30 and the second 5 on the 1:25. I was barely holding 1:20s.  Miserable. To give a little context to my frustration, in college I could easily do 10x100s on the 1:05 and hold sub-1:00. Again, FRUSTRATING. But then I had to remind myself that I'm not 18 anymore and all I can do is just keep chugging along. Practice makes perfect. Less than a month until Champs!

Now I've had my Wired Puppy coffee and I'm ready for a productive day of work!

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my super amazing and wonderful kayaker, Erik! The big 2-8! Radical.

Thanks for reading!

Gossip

Hi Friends! Still down for the count and unable to practice. It's driving me CRAZY so I've been spending my nights catching up on "The Wire" and my swimming gossip. ]

• A swimming video game courtesy of Microsoft. Sweet!
• Amanda Beard is penning a memoir titled "In the Water They Can't See You Cry". Yeah, it must be rough being a one in a million Olympic swimmer, posing for playboy and being recently engaged. Tough life. Bleh.
• A non-profit swimming organization in NYC dedicated to the health improvement of children and adults through swimming. Why didn't I know about this when I lived there? Bummer.
• The Missouri Grand Prix Meet starts in two days (2/18-2/21). All the stars are coming out for this one. Watch the webcast here. World Records get broken at this meet. Check out this clip from 2007:

Thanks for reading!

Sharon Montrose

Hi Friends! I'm a little bit (or a lot) under the weather so no swimming updates today. In my hours on the couch today I found this lovely gem about my favorite animal photographer, Sharon Montrose.

How cool is she? I have that giraffe print hanging in my (our) bathroom. I wish I could buy every print in her shop. Especially the baby deer, lion, baby white tiger and cow. Love!

Thanks for reading!

I am not an IM-er

Hi Friends! So, I've never been much of an IM-er (Individual Medley a.k.a. all-four-strokes) and last night was IM night. Ouch. Not only can I barely move my arms above my head because of all the butterfly we did but my knees are also sore from all of the breaststroke kick. Am I getting old or am I just meant to be a freestyler for life? I choose freestyler for life.  However, since two practices a week are focused on IM, I'm going to catch up on some film watching from the pros: Misty Hyman and Michael Phelps.

On a side note, I would like to thank the lovely barista at Wired Puppy Coffee on Newbury Street who gave me my medium skim mocha this morning even after I realized I left my wallet in my swim bag last night. Who does that these days? So nice.

Thanks for reading!

SAKW Preview Clip

Hi Friends! Some new info came out about the Swim Around Key West including this video. For some reason I don't remember the waves looking so big and the currents being so fast when I swam this 14 years ago....115 days to go!

Swimming Through Breast Cancer

Hi Friends! Every month I get an e-newsletter from the United States Masters Swimming organization. It usually contains interesting articles about what other masters (a.k.a. old) swimmers are up to and some helpful training tips. I opened up this month's issue and the first story was entitled "Swimming Through Breast Cancer" by Liz Pittinger. Wow. Please take the time to read her amazing story here. Stories like this are why I'm doing what I'm doing.

Thanks for reading!

Falling Off the Bandwagon

Hi Friends! I hope you had a fabulous weekend. Did you watch the Superbowl? As a life long Vikings fan I could never bring myself to root for the Packers, but I was happy to see Aaron Rogers take the win because he just seems so...nice and normal. I headed up to Wachusett Mountain on Sunday morning to get some skiing in before the game and accomplished Winter Goal #1: Ski a Black Diamond! See, here's proof:

I want to switch over to another topic quickly as my very dear friend Mrs. Rachel LDW jumped back into something she loves; the clarinet! Like me, she dedicated most of her life to being a musician and then, well, real life got in the way when she started teaching a few years ago. She stopped practicing and focused on her j-o-b. Sound familiar? Yeah, we're going through the same thing. But, while it's scary, it feels so good to get back to something you know so well. So, Rachel, I wish you nothing but the best and I (and so many others) are here to support you 110%! xoxo

Thanks for reading!

A big, giant, giraffe-sized THANK YOU!

Hi Friends! I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to my AMAZING friends and family who have supported me thus far. I have received some absolutely wonderful heartfelt notes that have made me cry (good tears) and have truly touched my heart. Not to mention that I'm almost half way to my goal of raising $1,000 for Women's Cancer Research and it's only February. Woohoo! I'm so glad that I have been able to inspire some of you and I'm so grateful for the support you have given me. I'm very, very thankful for all of you.

Again, thanks for reading!

Uff Da! It's been a while...

It's been a while since my last post and I have to say, I haven't been as good about training as I had hoped I would be by now. However, I signed up for the New England Short Course Championships Meet which is at the Harvard pool on March 12-13. I'm swimming the 50 free, 200 free and 500 free. Woohoo! Totally psyched to be racing again and I'm going to work my butt off until then so I don't embarrass myself :)

Whenever I need some inspiration, I watch this race. The men's 4x100 Freestyle Relay from he '08 Olympics in Beijing. France was talking smack before this relay and BAM...Jason Lezak has the swim of a life time and wins it for the U.S. Just awesome.

Thanks for reading!

"11 Endurance Events to Do in 2011"

Look what made Active.com's "11 Endurance Events to Do in 2011"!  Woohoo!

128 Days and Flip-Turns

Hi Friends! Last night was mid-distance freestyle night at Cambridge Masters Swim Club (CMSC from here on out). Here was our work out:

Warm Up - 400, 4x100, 4x50
200 kick - build
200 pull - build
3x300 - 125, 5 sec. rest, 75, 5 sec. rest, 100 - focus on flip turns (6 dolphin  kicks) - all on the 4:45
100 kick easy
200 All Out
50 easy
200 All out
200 warm down
Total Yardage = 3,250

The workout was great but things have changed in the last 5 years that I've been out of competitive swimming. Like, now all freestylers dolphin kick off of their flip turns. As I was never good at dolphin kick, I thought it would just slow me down. But after working on it during the middle set, I found it actually got me a good 10 yards past the flags. Excellent. To see what I'm talking about, watch a pro (All-Star Olympian, Natalie Coughlin) do it here.

Thanks for reading!

Uff Dah

Hi Friends! Last night I headed to master's practice for "Distance Night". I figured it was better than watching the Packers win their way into the Superbowl and maybe it would loosen me up after a day of skiing on Saturday. The first thing the coach said to me was, "Be warned, I'm  known for my tough workouts".  Here was our all-freestyle practice:

500 warm up
8x75 Odds kick/swim/pull, Evens Swim
5x500 Straight, 2x250 slow fast, 4x125 build, 5x100 on the 1:40, 10x50 on the 40
2x300 Slow/Fast
500 Warm down
Total = 4x200 yards in an hour and a half

I have to give thanks to my lane-mate Ken for cheering me along on my first Distance practice. It was tough, but I made it through. Even though I can't lift my arms today, it was worth it. And...I'm spent.

Thanks for reading!

Pyramid Set and Saturday Fun.

Hi Friends! Last night I went to open swim at the Brookline pool and did my first 3,500 yard workout in yeeeeeeears. The main set was one of my favorites (and I'm putting in my interval times so I can look back later and laugh at how slow they are :) )

8x50 on the :50
4x100 on the 1:40
2x200 on the 3:20
4x100 on the 1:40
8x50 on the :50

Phew. I felt like I had just raced a mile after that set but it felt so great to be able to stick to the intervals. I really feel like I'm getting my "swimming legs" back and it's exciting.

This morning, Erik, our friend Travis and I headed up to Mt. Sunapee in NH to do a little "cross-training" a.k.a. skiing. It was a little chilly in the morning but after lunch the sun came out it turned into an absolutely beautiful and fun day. And I only fell twice! I hope to get a lot more days like today in this winter.

Thanks for reading!

Morning Practice. And More Memories.

Hi Friends! So, I decided to go to my first Cambridge Masters morning practice this morning. Uff da, my 4:30AM wake up call came early. I made it to the Harvard pool (gorgeous facility), met a bunch of the team (awesome people) and waited for the coach who never showed. I give myself an A+ for effort and will try the morning practice thing again on Friday.

On another note, I pulled together a couple of old photos. The first photo is of young swimmer Jenny. I was six or seven years old competing on the Brandermill, VA Swim Team. Go Makos! The second photo is on Wagner Swimming's 2005 training trip in Key West. This photo is of some of the senior girls and we were celebrating our last training trip ever at Ricks. Please note, I fully intend upon celebrating finishing the SAKW race at Ricks as well. Great times.

 

 

Thanks for reading!

Oh, the memories...

Hi Friends! I swam at the Brookline pool again tonight and got up to 3,000 yards. I even timed a 500 and came out at 7:02. Considering my best race time is 5:02, I was feeling pretty good! After practice I busted out my new bottle of Ultra Swim Shampoo and the young swimming memories came flooding back to me. Two-a-day swim practices before and after school at the Rec Center (Thanks, Mom!), weekend swim meets, ultimate frisbee (cross-training, duh) and Bruegger's Bagels after practice to carbo-load. Yum. Good times. Great childhood.

Good Friends and a Great Cause

Hi Friends! Happy Monday! As I write this I'm drinking Starbucks Hot Chocolate (it's coooold here in Boston) and trying to wake up from a super fun weekend filled with bachelorette festivities and catching up with good friends. Take a look at the gorgeous bachelorette, Kerstin and my friend Mahmood and Erin's adorable dog, Belle.

I also thought that it was time I write about the great cause I'm swimming for. Although I'm sad I won't be able to participate in the actual walk in NYC this year, I'm glad I'm still able to support the cause. Here are some facts:

WHAT: A 5K Run and 5K Walk, Health Expo and Finish Line Festivities
WHEN: Saturday, April 30, 2011 - One Week before Mother's Day Weekend
WHERE: Begins in Times Square and finishes in Central Park
WHO: 20,000 dedicated men, women and children
WHY: To raise awareness and critical funds for women's cancers research, treatment, counseling and outreach programs.
BACKGROUND: Created in 1993 through the committed and collective efforts of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, Lilly Tartikoff and Ronald O. Perelman, the EIF REVLON Run/Walk For Women has grown to become one of the nation's largest 5K fundraising events. To date, the Run/Walks (in Los Angeles and New York) have distributed over $60 million dollars for cancer research, treatment, counseling and outreach programs. Thanks in part to these funds, new treatments are being developed and lives are being saved.


If you are in NYC and would like to participate in the walk, register here. If you are not able to participate but would still like to donate to this amazing cause, please click on the "donate now" button on the top right of my page. 


Thanks for reading!

141 Days and Inspiration

Took another night off from swimming and went to Yoga. Kristi kicked my butt! I could really feel my swimming muscles lengthening and burning at the same time. Great combination :) Taking this weekend off to head down to NYC for some bachelorette festivities and brunch with great friends. Can't wait. Back to the pool in a big way next week.

On another note, I was blown away and completely inspired by ultra-athlete Jamie's blog. This guy has competed in 12 Ironman Races, 1 Triple Ironman and 1 Ultraman (if you don't know what it is, check it out here, I guarantee you will be blown away as well). In August of 2010, Jamie was the first person to complete a double-crossing of Lake Tahoe (44 miles) and in July of 2011 he is preparing to swim from Africa to Italy. That's 88 miles people! Amazing stuff.

Thanks for reading!

A Little Open Water Swimming History

Brrr! Boston got dumped on yesterday and the city basically shut down due to all the snow. Swim practices were cancelled so that meant no more yardage for me. Instead, I did a little research on open water swimming. Did you know that an open water race over 5k wasn't added to the Olympics until Beijing in 2008? Crazy. Check out an interesting timeline here.

Stay warm and thanks for reading!

Namaste

I'm taking the day off from writing about swimming to talk about Yoga, a.k.a. my new obsession. My college swim coach made my teammates and I take a few classes for cross-training purposes in college but it never really stuck. I didn't feel like I was getting a work out and I didn't see the advantages of it. Then, a couple of years ago when I started to come up to Boston to visit Erik I started going to the Baptiste Power Yoga studio in Cambridge. It is AMAZING. Baron Baptiste has created a fantastic program that practices hot (90+ degrees) power vinyasa yoga that leaves you feeling cleansed and totally new after each class. Now I can not only touch my toes (without bending my knees) but I can put my palms under my feet! This is huge coming from a girl who always failed the flexibility test in gym class. Since moving to Boston, I've switched to the Brookline Baptiste Yoga Studio and try to go at least once a week. It's not only given me improved flexibility but has forced me to focus on my inner self and has taught me how to create a calm peace of mind. I'm thinking this will come in very handle on mile 10 of the Swim Around Key West (SAKW from here on out). It's a perfect compliment to any training program and I highly recommend it. Even Dara Torres practices power vinyasa yoga (See picture above, the average inside pool air temp is at least 80 degrees. Perfect power yoga conditions.). If you'd like to learn more about Baron Baptiste, click here.

Thanks for reading!

The "Donate Now!" Button is Working!

Hi Everyone! Just a quick note that the "Donate Now!" button to your right is now working. Click on the link and it will take you to the Revlon Run/Walk page where you can make a tax deductible donation. Any little bit helps! Thanks guys!

143 - 4,500 yards down. Thousands to go!

143 Days to go! Isn't the pool above amazing? Since I don't belong to a gym, much less a gym with a pool, I needed to find a place to train that didn't require membership. Luckily, my friend and old MN teammate, Lauren Asay (thanks Lauren!), told me about the Evelyn Kirrane pool in her neighborhood in Brookline. You can pay-per-swim and the facility is fantastic (complete with little kids swim lessons in the wading pool, which I LOVE. Seeing little kids dunk under water for the first time is great)! Erik and I checked it out on Saturday and we both swam a mile and left feeling tired but good. Being back in the water was so exhilarating that I decided to head back on Sunday for another 2,500 yards. 

Also, check out the amazing feat that the Swim Around Key West race director, Bill Welzien, completed. Now that's hardcore. Congrats, Bill!

Thanks for reading!

144

Hi Friends! Welcome to the blog about my journey to competing in the 35th Annual Swim Around Key West race on June 4th, 2011. Only 144 days to go! Why am I doing this? Here are some answers:

A) I competed in this race as one leg of a three person relay when I was 14. If I can swim 4 miles at age 14, I can swim 12.5 miles at age 28. Right?
B) I no longer want to say, "I WAS a competitive athlete... back in the day". I want to BE a competitive athlete. Today, and every day until my body won't let me compete anymore.
C) Open water swimming isn't something I'm especially good at. I would like to be GREAT at it.
D) I genuinely miss swimming. The early morning practices, the constant smell of chlorine, singing songs in my head during 2 hour long sets, and the camaraderie between athletes who like participating in an individual sport but will also yell their hearts out on the sidelines getting you through that last 25 yards of your 500 yard race. Basically, swimmers are the best.

Another major part of the motivation behind training for this race will be knowing that I am raising money for an amazing cause. Since I moved from NYC to Boston in October, I will not be able to participate in the Revlon Run/Walk for Women's Cancers like I have the past four years. Please help me in raising money to fund cancer research by staying tuned to this site for a "Donate Now!" button that will be added soon. After my $150 event registration fee is paid for (which benefits a charity of the Swim Around Key West's Board choosing), 100% of the proceeds raised will benefit women's cancer research.  For exact beneficiaries, please see the following link: http://tinyurl.com/6xh74p5.

On that note, this post is getting long so I'm going to say see you later for now. In future posts, expect to see training tips, links as to what is going on in the world of competitive swimming (because you can't find that on ESPN except during the Olympics) and other random tidbits and photos from my journey that you will hopefully find interesting.

Thanks for reading!