Cell phones may be the most useful, yet annoying pieces of technology out there. I have a Blackberry and while downloading an update last week, it froze, reset, and I lost all my numbers and everything. Thankfully, I backed up all my contacts in December so I got most of them back. The only major difference after the update seemed to be Verizon adding a bunch of spam-like programs to my phone. Thanks a lot RIM and Verizon…So if you gave me your number since I moved to Florida, I probably lost it. Sorry.
Anyways, I had an awesome weekend. Conor Dwyer’s family has a beach house near Tampa and he invited a bunch of us there for the weekend. It was definitely a good time. The beach was perfect, the food was awesome, and it was a nice escape from the pool. I even got near some dolphins on a stand-up paddleboard, which was a cool experience. We also went out to an amazing sushi restaurant on Saturday night.
View of the Gulf from the house
Natalie Coughlin recently wrote a blog post in which I can definitely relate. Check it out. Also, check out Lochte’s relatively new site.
Read moreIt’s starting to get really hot here. I nearly burned the bottom of my feet on the pool deck the other day. April? I’m gonna die when summer really hits…Yesterday we ran the football stadium and I think I set a personal best in perspiration. Good stuff though…
Last weekend in Ann Arbor was great. I swam pretty well for the most part, and even had a best time in the 400 IM (because I haven’t swam it in years!). It was really nice to see friends, family, and former coaches at the meet. I was able to hit most of the good restaurants too. One of the highlights was seeing Klete Keller, his wife, and their week old twins.
Yesterday I went to the Tom Jones Memorial track competition and watched some really fast running. Right when I arrived, the top heat of the men’s 200 was about to go off. Those guys can really move…I haven’t seen anyone run that fast since I watched in Beijing. I also got to see some of the Michigan women’s team compete. They are the only reason I knew the competition was even happening…I nearly crashed my scooter because I saw them warming up in Michigan gear on the sidewalk near the pool. I don’t see a whole lot of block M’s down here so I had to go and watch. Florida has some really fast runners too.
I may have a few inches on these girls, but they could undoubtedly kick my ass in a running race of any distance
Last night a bunch of the post grads were treated to dinner by Ryan Lochte. We had a really fun time at the restaurant. Being down here with Ryan is pretty awesome. He’s a hard worker, very generous, and a good friend. I’m really excited for the future of the swimmers training here.
Read moreOur team went to Ft. Lauderdale last weekend for the Southern Sectionals Competition. It was held at the International Swimming Hall of Fame pool, which I hadn’t been to since the summer of 2002.
The pool is surrounded by enormous, expensive yachts, docked in the waters of the inter coastal.
For us this wasn’t a serious competition, but more of an opportunity to race while continuing our training. This meet tested everyone’s ability to focus though…This was the view from my hotel room:
We were right on the beach, the weather was perfect, and spring break was in full swing…not a good combination for trying to focus on a swim meet. We did have the green light to spend as much time at the beach as we wanted, so I’m definitely content with my swims. It was nice to see my Grandma too. By the way, the boardwalk in Ft. Lauderdale has to contend with some of the best people watching spots in America.
I’m excited to head up to the Eric Namesnik Memorial Grand Prix in Ann Arbor in 2 weeks. It will be nice to see everyone back home and hit the good eating spots in Ann Arbor. Right now my short list includes Grizzly Peak, Zingermann’s, Frita Batidos, Maize n’ Blue, and Dibellas. If you live, or have lived in AA, you know what I’m talking about!
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Special shout out to Mark Hill, who must have known that the skills he taught me in the Colorado Springs weight room would be used today. Ryan, Ben and I had an interesting weight lifting workout this morning. We flipped 650 lb tires, pulled a 450 lb chain down a street, amongst other activities. It was kind of like a strongman competition, except not nearly the weight that those guys can move around. After the session, it looked like we had been working in a blacksmith’s shop. I’m going to be sore…
I went to the Indianapolis Grand Prix this past weekend. My swims weren’t exactly world class, but I’m content with where I am right now. We’ve been working really hard and I had to grind those times out, which is good because when I finally rest, I’ll feel like a million bucks. The best part of the trip was dinner with my parents and former club coach at a place called St. Elmos Steakhouse. If you’re ever in Indy and want a really good meal, go there. I think it’s my favorite steakhouse in the world…great food, great service, great atmosphere.
On Monday I jetted up to Michigan to meet David Arluck for a speech at the Livingston Economic Club in Howell. David and I talked about sports and business, so that was fun. Then I was able to catch an earlier flight back to Gainesvegas, which was pure luck.
This week I’m flying to NYC on Friday for a Speedo appearance, and then to San Diego from there for a USA Swimming athlete partnership summit. Then back to Gainesville for a day before heading to Ft. Lauderdale for another competition. I’m gonna have a lot of laundry to do after the next two weeks…
Read moreI haven’t updated lately because there hasn’t been much to write about, which isn’t always a bad thing. Training is going well, it is starting to get much warmer here, and we have a competition in Orlando this weekend. I feel like I’ve finally settled into a solid groove here and I understand how the training cycles work. I also had a friend visit, which was a lot of fun.
Speaking of fun, Florida hosted the SEC Championships this past weekend. It was really exciting to feel the atmosphere and it brought back a lot of emotions from my college swimming days. There were some awesome performances, most notably from Conor Dwyer, who broke a few SEC records. Conor will be a post-grad after NCAA’s and I’m looking forward to training together for World Championships.
Hopefully something noteworthy will happen so I can update soon.
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