Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Fetch!

So I am in love with Somers as a spot to practice. Yesterday I met a Missoulian Photographer (my newspaper streak continues with an article on the swim in Thursday's Missoulian) to take some photos and then I swam a little. I only swam for about 30 minutes (the photo taking took a little longer than I expected), but I swam around three tiny little islands which had little tiny cabins on them. Someday, maybe I will have a cabin on an island!

Today, I returned to my Somers swim spot with my puppy Dixie, my co-worker Katie and Katie's dog Scout (who is also Dixie favorite dog to play with---she is also a lab). So Dixie isn't much of a swimming buddy yet, she will swim but she gets tired easily and won't go out far. But Scout is full grown and loves her toys being thrown WAY out and then swimming to retrieve them. So I came up with an alternate training regime this evening. Katie would throw the toy (at least 40 yards I'd say), then Scout and I would race to try and get it first. I was laughing so hard becuase Scout was cut-throat about getting to the toy first and she can swim pretty fast! We must have done this at least 30-40 times and Scout didn't seem to tire. I wasn't wearing my wetsuit today, nor was I wearing goggles or a cap (I thought that would be cheating), but I got an hour and a half of swimming in and I was laughing the whole time!

July is here tomorrow...and that means the countdown begins! 17 more days!

Monday, June 28, 2010

Exhausted!

It was a LONG weekend! I swam early Saturday morning in Foys Lake. I was the only one in the Lake and it felt fantastic. I swam for about an hour. Beautiful morning for a swim!

Then I packed up the car and my puppy and I headed to CDA, ID for the Ironman on Sunday. If you've never watched an Ironman before, I highly suggest it. I love it becuase you see such raw emotions. There are the wonderful moments of watching people cross the finish line after in some cases 15 plus hours of racing, but also the disappointing ones like athletes getting pulled off the course due to exceeding time limits. The half a dozen athletes I was there to watch all had exceptional races. After a 15 hour day cheering on my friends in the hot sun, I drove back to Kalispell, getting home about 1am.

Then I had to be at work at 8, and since I don't like coffee, my only caffiene choice this morning was Chai tea. But even with that, I was very tired all day!

So now, despite the fact that the weather is perfect, I am severely sleep deprived and planning on going to sleep at 7pm! This is a key week for long practices, and I don't want to start a hard week off feeling this tired!

Oh and I was in the Daily Interlake on the FRONT PAGE yesterday! Here's the link:
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_7607e366-818f-11df-91c3-001cc4c002e0.html

The article indicated that there would be a donation location at Glacier Bank, but its looking like they won't be able to do that. Still looking for a donation location up in Kalispell. But donations can still be sent to my Missoula PO box: 3601 Missoula MT 59803; and there is a Missoula Federal Account named: 50K Benefit for Karmyn.

Friday, June 25, 2010

The things we want

"We do not get unlimited chances to have the things we want...nothing is worse than missing an opportunity that could have changed your life."

I had a busy week. A good week, but gosh am I exhausted. I heard this quote on tv today...and I liked it a lot. I want crazy things, I set big goals and I tend to just go for it. I think this swim is an opportunity that may change my life. I love big goals...goals that make you know yourself better, goals that test your limits. Find big goals and go for it! : )

Last night I took a quick dip in Foys...only about a 30 min. swim, but the evening got away from me and that was all the time I had. Then this morning, I got up bright and early at 5am and went down to Somers (right were I will be starting the swim on the 17th) and swam for another brief swim (30 min. ish). I want to start getting used to getting up and going from the nice-cozy-I-just-got-out-of-bed-feel to THIS-LAKE-IS-KINDA-COLD. I was pleasantly surprised when I got in this morning and it didn't feel cold to me AT ALL!!! I would guess it was around 64-66 degrees--which is all I asked for! : )

My only complaint about the early am swim was that there apparently were mosquitoes that were crosses between bugs and elephants...they were huge and I have 4 of the biggest mosquito bites I have ever had! So, note to self...add bugspray to the list!

Tomorrow, depending on the weather I am either going to swim in Foys for a bit in the morning, or I will swim inside at the Wave. Then I am heading CDA, ID to watch the Ironman! My good friends Savannah, George, Tom, Shandor and Randy are all racing! I love watching people race, especially big races like this--watching dreams coming true, goals accomplished--there is nothing better!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Time is FLYING by!

Three and a half weeks til my swim! I'm getting excited-nervous....more excited than anything else. I am overwhelmed by the support I have been getting...so much from people that hardly know me!

Yesterday I swam in Foys lake for an hour and 15 min. with my good friend Savannah. It was a wonderful night for a swim--it had been cloudy most of the day, but the evening was sunny with hardly a cloud in the sky.

Today I am going to try and get the boat secured for the 17th!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Cover Girl

So I am pretty excited about this! I just got a donation from someone who said they saw an article about me in the latest Montana Lawyer Magazine....I hadn't yet recieved the latest magazine, so I looked it up on line and my swim is the COVER STORY!!!! Holy cow, right? Here's the link: http://www.montanabar.org/associations/7121/June%202010%20mt%20lawyer.pdf

They didn't give photo credit in the magazine, but my very talented brother Paul took both the shots they used in the magazine. : ) Thanks Paully!

I haven't written since the Duck incident, sorry if anyone was worried about a possible head injury from Daffy...but it was just a REALLY busy week last week. Had a training out of town that kept me out of the pool Tuesday through Friday.

I took a little dip in Flathead Lake on Saturday (this was supposed to be an actual swim, but my swimmers didn't show up...and you all remember the promise I made ot my dad about not swimming alone). But the temp. in Flathead Lake is showing some promise despite the CONSTANT rain we've had in the last week. It's up to about 59-60 degrees, which is dooable, but please, for my sake, keep your fingers crossed for at least 64 degrees by July 17th!

Today, I swam for 4 hours at the Wave. I did the following:
500 swim 500 pull 100 kick 400 swim 400 pull 100 kick
4000 swim
200 kick
3000 swim
200 kick
2000 swim
200 kick
1000 swim

I was VERY tired after that practice (and VERY hungry)...but I didn't let myself take a nap this afternoon, as I am trying to work on getting to bed super early so I can start getting used to early am's and afternoon naps to nothing to help that!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Duck tails

So yesterday I got hit by a duck...but we'll get to that in a minute...

Last Thursday and Friday I took off. Saturday I did a tiny little 2000 yard swim (400 SKIPS), and Sunday I did 2800 yards in 50 minutes at the outdoor pool (short swim becuase they only have short lap swims here--I guess NO ONE here lap swims!).

Yesterday though...I swam in Foys and rocked it--except for the duck. The water was about 64 degrees--which is PERFECT! Savannah and I swam for about 45 minutes.

While swimming, a duck was initiating duck-take-off-mode and I had my head in the water swimming. My spotting pattern has me breathing typically to my right side, so I didn't see the duck start the take off to the left and it hit me in the head! I was laughing SO hard....that has never happened before.

I felt really great after that swim...I am positive I could handle 64 degrees for at least 15 hours and I feel pretty confident that Flathead will be at least that warm in 4 and a half weeks!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Feeling GREAT today

After taking yesterday off (becuase I was EXHAUSTED) and getting a good night's sleep, I had a wonderful swim today! Once again, I had the pool to myself. I did a 1200 warmup (every 4th 100 IM), then 4 x 200 free, 400 IM, 3 x 200 free, 600 pull, 2 x 200 free, 800 pull, 200 easy. Total was 5000 yards in about an hour and 15 minutes. The whole time I felt really smooth and relaxed (which was a nice change after how tight my shoulders were feeling yesterday).

I don't have the energy to write much more than that...gotta get to bed!

Monday, June 7, 2010

Oh Monday, monday monday!

Here's a little bit of how my day went:

Slept TERRIBLY! Probably feel asleep around midnight--ughhh

4:30 am alarm goes off...I promptly turn it off in a manner that may or may not have resembled throwing it across the room. Thus, I did not get in my planned 6000 yard swim this morning.

6:10 am--second alarm goes off, hit snooze til 6:30. Played with puppy in the yard until 7, hoping I could tire her out (was unsuccesful, but I did tire myself out).

8-12 work

Lunchbreak spent contemplating whether or not to make up my missed swim in the evening or try for another 4:30 am wake-up on Tuesday.

1-5 work

5-6...another hour spent trying to tire the puppy, before heading to the pool

6:15-7:55--6,000 yards in 1 hour and 40 min! It was SUCH a struggle to get to the pool today, but once I got there, the yards came easily. I had the whole pool to myself, which again is my favorite thing ever! : )

But now...since most of my day was spent away from puppy...I must go run a little with her to burn up her endless supply of puppy energy! I am quite sure I will sleep well tonight!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Along came a spider...

I first have a confession to make...sometimes I'm lazy. I was lazy Thursday AND Friday....and didn't swim at all those days! Booooo----I know. BUT, this morning I got up bright and early and swam 11,000 yards in 3 hours and 10 min.! That's a little over 6 and a half miles! I did the following: 2 x 1000, 2 x 900, 2 x 800, 2 x 700, 2 x 600, 2 x 500, 2 x 500, 2 x 400, 2 x 300, 2 x 200, 2 x 100. I pulled any of the odd number distances. I thought I would get bored somewhere in the middle (which is what usually happens on longer swim attempts), but I didn't!

I had a distraction though...

There was a SPIDER in my lane. Yes, it was dead, but it was a spider and I HATE spiders. It kept getting WAY too close to my face for my comfort. At one point, I thought it got sucked into the gutter (I had kept seeing it at a certain spot in the pool), and just when I started getting concerned that I had swallowed it or something it ALL of a SUDDEN was at the other end of the pool. That makes me think it hitched a ride on me....ugghhhh. Now, there are probably two things you are thinking 1) I should have scooped it out and 2) there will probably be at least one dead spider in the lake (among other things). Well, to that I say, 1) I could not scoop it out, I might have accidently touched it and 2) in the lake I won't be able to SEE it!

Well, regardless, the spider distracted me enough that not once did I contemplate reducing my workout, and THAT earned me a smoothie after my swim!

Six weeks til July 17th! : )

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Good day!

My day today began at 6 am, when I tried to tire out the puppy before going to work for the first 8-5 work day that I have had in years. : ) I had a wonderful day, but was only able to fit in about an hour swim. I did 3100 yards and had the pool to myself virtually the whole time. I love that....it quiet and all tht surrounds me is water and pool noises. The only thing that would have made it better is if they would have turned out the pool lights (which they do for the last hour, but I finished my swim before the lights out swim started--maybe next time).

Tomorrow I close on my house after work, but I am hoping I can get in an 8000 yard practice after that! And then its almost Friday! : )

Next week I've got to start going to bed earlier so that I can get into a swim before work schedule...but that involves a 4:30am wake up!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Short story today

So I didn't end up doing the IM set today. Instead I did a workout that consisted of mostly 800s. I did about 5100 yards today in about 1 hour and a half. I had a lot to get done today because the new job starts tomorrow! : )