GUEST

3 x 200 M (100 free, 50 breast, 50 back)
=========
600 M (didn't keep track of the tíme)

The lovely itsbean is visiting and we went to Værløse Svømmehal together.

Unfortunately we couldn't get a lane to ourselves but the guy sharing our lane was very polite.

Very nice to be back in the water.

UP EARLY AGAIN

5 X 200 M (100 free, 50 back, 50 breast)
50 M free
================
1050 M - approx 25 minutes

Another lovely early morning swim at the New Glarus Swimming Pool.

EARLY BIRD SWIMMING

5 X 200 M (100 free, 50 back, 50 breast)
100 M free
================
1100 M - approx 30 minutes

Friday July 15
3 X 100 M free
1 x 100 M breast
3 X 100 M free
1 x 100 M breast
2 x 100 M free
50 M free
================
1050 M - approx 30 minutes

New Glarus Swimming Pool.

I've been swimming at the New Glarus pool during their early morning swim. I'm still a bit jetlagged so if I'm up early I go down to the pool around 5:30 am. It's quite nice swimming in an outdoor pool as the sun rises.

There's a new bath house at the New Glarus pool and unfortunately it's a bit of a disappointment. The showers are fine but the use of space is odd. Just one big empty room with a single bench. No lockers or baskets, so you have to take yourself with you to the pool deck. Unfortunately some people just put their stuff on the bench and then there's no place to sit down while changing. The place needs at least one more bench and at least some shelves people can put their stuff on.

GLOSTRUP & THE SENSORY TUNNEL

5 X 200 M (100 free, 50 back, 50 breast)
==========
1000 M (25 minutes)

Went to Glostrup Swimming Pool today as I had a mid-morning appointment and it didn't make sense to drive in to work and then out to Glostrup.

Unfortunately only one lane line in the whole pool. 2 lanes were full of rambuctious boys and the remaining four were open for lap swimming. Luckily there weren't very many people swimming.

The swimming pool also has a long waterslide which snakes outside the building. They've called it a sensory tunnel, so I was expecting cool music and colored lights and got a bit of a surprise when it turned out to be pitch black and with only really minimal blinking white lights. I don't know if there was any music or not because I was a bit freaked out by the darkness.

50 Meters

5 X 200 M (100 free, 50 back, 50 breast)
1 x 200 M free
==========
1200 M

Our trainer didn't show up again, but luckily there was a lifeguard in the pool and the kayak club was no longer using the 50 M pool, so he let us use it.

Swimming in the 50 M pool was fabulous!

YOU SWIM AMAZINGLY WELL (for a fat lady)

4 x 200M (100 free, 50 back, 50 breast)
1 x 200M free
1 x 200M (100 free, 50 back, 50 breast)
================
1200M (30 minutes)

Went swimming this morning, as I had to work in the evening. Got a lane to myself and there was someone swimming in the lane next to me wearing a wetsuit and with pretty good speed. When 2 mothers arrived and parked their babies on the side and looked rather bewildered as to which lane they should swim in, I offered my lane and went over to the wetsuit lane.

At first I thought it was a woman swimming, but when I asked if we should divide the lane between us or swim in circles, I saw it was a man. Actually a host from the Danish version of dancing with the stars. I got a sense that he was competing a bit against me particularly when my breast stroke was as fast as his crawl. After I swam several hundred meters in his lane he said, "You swim amazingly well" and we spoke briefly. I was actually finished with swimming my planned kilometer when he said it, but so he didn't feel like he had embarassed me out of the pool I swam an additional 200 meters.

The funny thing is that although it is a compliment it also expresses the wonder that I could swim faster them him. If I had as little body fat as he does (which is probably why he swims in a wetsuit), I don't think he would have been so surprised that I was gliding past him, but my seal-like nature (taking half as many strokes as he does) took him by suprise.

IN THE NICK OF TIME

4 x 200 m (100 free, 50 back, 50 breast)
1 x 200 m Free (tempo)
========
1000 M (24 minutes)



Back from my evening swim which I nearly baled on. When I arrived in the
neighboring town where I swim I discovered that there was a high profile
soccer match at the stadium next to the swimming pool - thus no parking
spaces available in a very large radius. After driving around a bit, I drove
back to our town (which also has a pool, but no club times that suit me) and
managed to buy the last ticket of the day (5 minutes later and I couldn't
buy it). By the time I had showered and changed, I had 25 minutes left and
just managed to get my 1000 meters in without them ordering me out of the
pool.

BACK

5 x 200 m (100 free, 50 back, 50 breast)
========
1000 M (approx. 26 min.)

Missed last week's swim because my son is in the hospital. Generally exhausted, but it was good to get in the water.

NEARLY FORGOT

5 x 200 m (100 free, 50 back, 50 breast)
========
1000 M

Forget to blog this 2 weeks ago.

FA(S)T SWIMMERS

5x 200 M (100 Free, 50 Back, 50 Breast)
2 x 100M (medley)
50M cool down
=======
1250 M (approx. 35 minutes)

It's Easter vacation in my swim club, so I went swimming at Værløse Swimming Pool instead. I showed up 90 minutes before closing time and there was plenty of space giving me a lane of my own.

Usually the only people faster than me look like athletes and I'm faster than a lot of swimmers who look like athletes. Today however was different. There were numerous swimmers as fast or faster than me, and what was amazing was that they were also as fat or fatter than me.

As much as I like total domination in the pool, it pleases me to see a really *wide* range of fast swimmers. It's what I love about the sport. You can look really out of shape, but you can really make waves once you're in the pool.

CALM, COOL, COLLECTED

5x 200 M (100 Free, 50 Back, 50 Breast)
2 x 100M (medley)
50M cool down
=======
1250 M (approx. 35 minutes)

Nice and easy swim with only 3 swimmers in the whole pool. Fabulous!

1 KM

5x 200 M (100 Free, 50 Back, 50 Breast)
=======
1000 M (approx. 28 minutes)

Same 'ol program. Met our new trainer who was at a swim meet last week. His replacement was unfortunately sick and didn't know who to call resulting in last weeks chaos. Fine swim.

WHERE'S THE TRAINER?

25 M - crawl with rope
25 M - butterfly - no breathing
5x 200 M (100 Free, 50 Back, 50 Breast)
=======
1050 M (approx. 28 minutes)

Finally was back in the pool after a nasty cold/flu. However when I arrived there was no trainer. We tried to figure out what to do and while we waited to hear the status from a trainer from another club we decided to at least put the ropes into the pool. After doing so, we were told that we couldn't swim there as there was no lifeguard available, but we could use a single 25m lane in another pool. As there were 8 of us and we had already wasted 20 minutes, most of the people decided to just leave. But I stuck around as did the guy I normally share my lane with. Fine swim. I was very glad to be able to swim, when it looked like I would have to wait until next week.

LOCAL SWIM

6 x 200 m (100 free, 50 back, 50 breast)
==========
1200 m (around 35 minutes or so)

Due to winter vacation last week, I was unable to swim last Wednesday. Due to my husband's work plans I'll be unable to swim this Wednesday.

So I took a Monday evening swim at Værløse Swimming Pool just before closing time.

Was able to share the lane with one guy who swam only somewhat faster than me. Normally this would bring out the competitor in me, but not tonight. I just needed relaxation, so took it nice and easy and let him gradually pass me while I was swimming crawl and pass me rather quickly while I swam breast and back stroke. It was a nice view in any case. :-)

ONE HUNDRED METERS MORE

5 x 200 M 100 Free, 50 back, 50 breast (25 minutes)
2 x 25 M Free (using as few strokes as possible - 11 down, 10 back)
2 x 25 M Breast (using as few strokes as possible - 9 down, 8 back)
=====
1100 M (about 28 minutes)

Last week my coach told me that I should increase my swim by a little bit, so I swam 100 meters more than last week.

OK

5 x 200 M 100 Fri, 50 back, 50 breast
=====
1000 M (approx. 20 minutes or so)

Fine swim, not much else to say.

OUCH!

5 x 200 M 100 Fri, 50 back, 50 breast
=====
1000 M (approx. 20 minutes or so)

Went swimming for the 2nd time after finally getting my foot into decent shape (plantar fasciitis blues), upped my modest distance from 500M to 1000M no problems, no pain in the foot. I probably could have swum longer, but am being careful with the rehab of my foot.
Get out of the pool and shower (wearing shower sandals to avoid going barefoot and fucking my foot up) The moment I take off my sandals to put on my pants I end up stepping on something that hurts like HELL!!!!

Sit down and take a look at my foot and it's been pierced by an ugly heart earring - all of the way in. Pull it out and continue swearing all the way home and now here!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR......

(and on top of it all the white contrast stripes on the chest of the new swimsuit I bought that are supposed to give the illusion of an hourglass figure ended up being transparent!)

HEEL SPURRED

2 x 200m - 100 free, 50 back, 50 breast
100M free
=========
500M (about 12-15 minutes or so)

So as you can see from the abscence of updates on this blog, that something must have been wrong. Unfortunately I started having foot problems in September and it turns out that I had a heel spur/plantar fasciitis.

After several months of R&R my foot is doing much better, but unfortunately it has meant many changes - for example that I currently can't go barefoot. Since I didn't have any bath sandals and there's a long walk through the locker/shower rooms to the pool, this was one of the many reasons that kept me out of the water.

However on Wednesday, after purchasing some bright pink shower sandals, I was finally able to give swimming a try again. There was some minor discomfort in my arch, but otherwise the swim was fine. I decided to limit my swim to 500 meters the first time, but hopefully I'll be able to double it next time if I'm not experiencing any pain in my arch.

CHRISTIANSBORG RUNDT 2010

Canals of Copenhagen
2000 M - approx 52 minutes


This year the water temperature was only 16 degrees and there lots of jellyfish in the water. I decided that a shorty alone, wasn't going to cut it. So I took the advice of a friend and wore nylon stockings and a mesh shirt under my wetsuit. The organizers suggested wearing rubber gloves to avoid jellyfish stings so I decided to give it a try. I was a little apprehensive, but I figured I could use my watch and the bracelet with the timing chip to provide a good seal so they wouldn't fill up with water. You can easily spot me in this photo - I'm waving with the blue gloves wearing checkerboard stockings.


Hopping in to the water.


This year there were 80 people in a heat and a much smaller starting pier. There was a rope that was longer than the pier, and the swimmers were supposed to hold spread out and hold onto the rope at the start, but it was really pretty chaotic. I was one of the first ones in, so I was in the middle of the rush at the start. Look for the blue gloves.


This is after the first 500 meters. Already after about 200 meters the gloves had filled up with water and were really annoying, particularly my right hand. I took the glove off (with quite a bit of struggle because of my watch) and tucked it into the leg of my wetsuit (because I don't litter!)


Swimming by Holmens Kirke.


By this time, the left glove was also bothering me, so I took it off as well. And tucked it into the other leg of my wetsuit.



Gammel Strand. Here I saw several gloves floating in the water. It really wasn't a very good idea with the gloves, but people could at least take their garbage with them.


Swimming under Stormbroen. I like doing backstroke under the bridges. Feels less claustrophobic that way.


Obligatory photo taken from a bridge.


Frederiksholms Canal


Exiting the canals, entering the harbor. Only 300 meters left to swim.


Nearing the finish line. Note the feet position. I'm doing my traditional show off finish by swimming butterfly.


Finishing with a splash!


My teammates!


Silver medal this year. Everyone who has completed at least 4 times gets a silver medal rather than a bronze.

END OF SEASON

5 x 200 M (100 free, 50 back, 50 breast)
========
1000 M (not timed)

Swim season at my club ends tomorrow, but unfortunately I won't be able to swim. Luckily I was able to get a swim in today.

Took a nice easy swim.