Austin Grand Prix and PACEPAL!

This past weekend our team went to Austin, TX for the Grand Prix held there.  I may have said this last year, but the best part about going to Austin is the food.  The BBQ and Tex-Mex is hard to beat.  I didn’t win a race, but I’m inclined to say that I may have won the crown for “most brisket eaten,” which is obviously the next best thing.  In all seriousness, I was pretty pleased with my swims considering where I am in my training right now.  We’ve been cranking pretty hard in workout, so I was a little bit surprised to go as fast as I did.  That’s always a pleasant surprise. Now we enter a 6 week training cycle to carry us through until our next competition.

On a totally separate note, I’m pleased to introduce a new sponsor, PACEPAL.

PACEPAL is a portable underwater clock specifically designed for swimming.  I’m really excited about promoting this product because I am a big believer in it’s benefits.  PACEPAL’s founder, Larry Day, is a longtime swimming enthusiast.   He created a product that I have always desired: a clock that you can see while swimming.  As a distance swimmer myself, I am the type that feeds off positive momentum in practice.  For years, I’ve looked up and checked my times at the running clock on deck, sacrificing speed and more importantly, sound technique, to see how fast I’m going.   Not anymore!  With this product, I can easily check my pace during a set while actually promoting good technique, like keeping my head down on the turns.  This is just one example of many that makes the PACEPAL a valuable training asset.  Recently in training, I set a personal best practice time for a timed 1500 freestyle using PACEPAL.  It kept me right on pace and motivated me to stay on pace.  Teammates also noted how the set goes by faster when you’re concentrating on keeping pace.  I believe that PACEPAL is a great tool for everyone who enjoys swimming, from those who compete at the world-class level, to those who simply swim for exercise and enjoyment.  Thanks PACEPAL, for making me a better swimmer, especially in this Olympic year!

The Holidays

This last month has been a whirlwind for me.  It started with US Nationals, where I had to grind out a few days of competition with no rest.  Then came Christmas training and the Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool.  This was an amazing setup for a competition:

Unfortunately, this meet came directly after our hardest training cycle of the year.  I wasn’t much of a factor in terms of scoring points for the team, but I also recognize that no Olympic medals are won at this meet.  I had a lot of fun though and enjoyed the experience.  Congrats to former UM teammate, Davis Tarwater, who set the American Record in the 200 fly!  Our final team dinner was held at the Aquarium in Atlanta, which is awesome.  I got this sweet picture of one of the whale sharks.  I also had the chance to visit with former teammate, Ben Michaelson, who is getting married and shipping out to Afghanistan in the Spring.

A few days after the Duel, I headed home to Michigan for Christmas, and to train with my club team, the Oakland Live Y’ers.  In the ATL airport, I saw the “Turtleman,” who is most widely famous for his Youtube video.   It was awesome to go home and see my family and friends.  I really had a good time and it was a nice break from the normal grind.

Bros and swim buddies

The day after Christmas, my family went downtown to the Boll YMCA where my bros and I helped with a swim clinic for some kids in the area.   A good time was had by all.  There are definitely some talented kids in Detroit and I hope they stick with swimming.  A special thanks to Speedo and USA Swimming for donating suits for the Swim Detroit Initiative.  Also, a big thank you to the great folks at the Boll YMCA for all the great work they do for kids in the community.

My friend Isaiah, who attend the event

I flew back to Florida yesterday from Detroit.  My mom convinced me to take one of the summer sausages that came from the deer my dad shot this year during hunting season.  It was frozen and in my carry-on bag.  Needless to say, I was stopped at security because something in my bag looked suspicious.  The kind gentleman working security, opened my bag and gave me a weird look, in which I replied, “It’s just food.”  Apparently the guy at the computer thought is was a water bottle…

Anyways, I’m back to the normal schedule now and getting ready for 2012!

Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanks to everyone who voted for me for the Perseverance award.  I had a really nice time in LA and the event was fun.  Backstage, I was able to get a picture with Louis Zamperini, who co-presented my award.  If you haven’t heard of Louis, you should check out his book, Unbroken, because it’s an amazing story.

Yesterday Christian and I ran in the Turkey Trot.  It was pretty crowded but a lot of fun.  I’m just glad I was able to out-run some of the dogs that were running alongside their owners.  One particular beagle was hard to shake…

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving day and enjoyed some turkey.  If you’re venturing out for Black Friday shopping today, good luck…

I’m Still Alive….

I apologize to those who check the site and have been waiting for an update.  I am still alive if you were worried…

Last weekend I raced for the first time since Nats.  Have you ever left your car in the the driveway for months and tried to start it, only to cringe as it barely turns over?   That was me this past weekend.  Not only have I not raced in awhile, but I’ve been beat down by some pretty hard training recently.  Some of my races weren’t too bad, but a few of them were horrendous.  Luckily I’ll have a few days rest for Nats in ATL so I won’t be nearly as tired.

This weekend I’m heading to LA for Golden Goggles.  It should be a fun trip, minus the plane ride.  Then I leave to go home for Thanksgiving.  Christian and I (the only two in my family tough enough, yes, I said it) signed up for the Turkey Trot early Thursday morning in downtown Detroit.  That will count as my workout for the day, justifying the 8 million calories I will consume thereafter.  If you live in the area and want to join the run, I think you can still sign up, even the morning of…Don’t let staying out til 2am on the biggest bar night of the year deter you.

Special props to my mom who raised $1200 for swimsuits for kids in Detroit.  She has collected over 250 suits so far…Thanks to everyone who has helped her!

The Worst Time of Year for Productivity…

If you’re like me and you’re a sports fan, this time of year is probably the least productive in terms of getting stuff done.  For me, I feel like if something can afford to be put off, it’s going to be put off.  Especially since all my favorite teams are doing well.  It’s the heart of the college football season and Michigan is undefeated.  The Lions are undefeated to this point for the first time in my life.  The Tigers are in the playoffs and the Red Wings season has begun.  Now I’m not a couch potato who sits around all day watching sports, but I do follow the teams.  I really can’t ask for more without being greedy…Hopefully this post doesn’t jinx the magic thus far!

This weekend I’m heading to the Bay area for some Fitter and Faster Swim Tour events.  The following weekend I will be in NJ and PA for Breakout Swim Clinics.  These are pretty much my last travel weekends sans the holidays.  Unless the Tigers make the World Series, in which case I’ll sell a kidney for a ticket!