Weekend Update

BOO! Happy Halloween!!
It's a little after noon on Sunday...and I've got a ton of stuff to cover!
Lets start on Thursday...Gators kicked butt in the pool against Georgia. The men won and the women lost (but that was to the top team in the nation...in season!). There were some GREAT swims...Ashley's 1000 free, sprinting the last 25 and getting her hand on the wall before 2 UGA girls...Leah's 200 back, 1:56 in season with out any competition...Dustin's 200 IM and 500 free, both best times and 3rd places...everyone else, just plain swimming fast and diving well.
Then there was the Friday meet...men only, UF versus Minnesota. Gators won (by 6 points)! The swimmer of the meet was Ryan...he lead off on the first relay (1st), swam the next event: 1000 free (2nd), got to rest during the 200 free, swam the next event: 100 back (1st), and a little later in the meet swam the 400 IM (1st)! damn!
Oh yeah...how about Dustin breaking 4 minutes in the 400 IM (3:58)!
After the meet, our family enjoyed a yummy dinner at the Swamp...thanks to mom winning a $25 gift certificate at the meet for cheering.
I loaded up all my camera equipment and drove home Friday night with the 'rents.
Saturday morning, after a nice 31 mile bike ride with a small group, I set out for the Drop Zone to get some more footage of the Majik Skydiving team for my documentary class project. The guys could not be more helpful...submitting themselves to in-depth interviews with me and my camera! Now it's time to start editing everything together for a decent grade in the class (reminder to self...I already dropped out of this class in the Spring semester...can't do that again).
Amount of space to describe the UF vs. UGA f-ball game on Saturday: it sucked...end of story.
How nice it was to wake up on Sunday morning at 9 am...and find out that it is actually 8 am! I love gaining an hour when we 'fall back'...why don't we do that EVERY day? I was a very good little pro athlete and did all of my morning workout...20 mile ride & 4 mile run. I think I should get a cookie for that...or a gold star...a pat on the back?
I'm preparing to pack up my car for a return trip to Gainesville. First I'm going to stop by the airport for a plane ride (in the skydiving plane) and lunch with some skydivers.

5th year Gator Girls modeling the EAT GEORGIA shirts...everyone LOVED them. We are so proud of all the Gator guys and girls who raced tough today! 

Colleen, Sara and Melanie after cheering for UF at the UF vs UGA swim meet (not much of my voice is left!!). 

Researching Dubai

So I'm heading to the Middle East in a few weeks, who wouldn't be a little nervous. Of course I was worrying about what women are allowed to wear and how safe it is to travel alone...so I sat down and did a little research.
First...where is this place? Where will I be swimming? What is it close to? TA-DA...I found a map. There was some questions about where the swims would be taking place and last I heard, we are going to be swimming in the Persian Gulf...not in the river that goes through Dubai.
Second...what is the water like? Are we going to be swimming in pollution? Garbage? Sewage? Well, if the picture below was not altered...this is going to be a beautiful swim. The only bad things I have heard so far...the water temp. is 80-81C (HOT) and there are a lot of sharks in the area. That should be no problem, the faster you swim, the faster you get out!
Third...I swim the 5k on November 27th and we don't leave until December 3rd. What am I going to be doing? After more research...I came up with some ideas: shopping, going to the beach, shopping, riding a camel, going to the water parks, shopping, and cheering for team USA! It looks like the exchange rate is great in the UAE and I've heard that the shopping is amazing...I think I'm going to need a bigger bag on the way home!

Take a ride on a camel...I'm gonna do it! 

There it is...the UAE. We will be in the Emirate of Dubai. The open water swims will be in the Persian Gulf. 

I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be swimming out there...not too bad, huh?!? The best part is the week after I swim I am still in the UAE...I can spend every moment here! 

White Tees

My printer deserves a 'good job'. It worked hard today. I designed and then printed a bunch of iron-on designs for the Florida - Georgia Dual meet on Thursday. A bunch of the Graduate Gator Girls are going to be looking good in the stands...cheering like crazy! I'm heading over to Blair & Casey's place where we are going to iron the designs to shirts we pick up at Walmart. We're also going to bake some goodies for the ladies so they kick Georgia's butt on Thursday!
Today was a successful workout day. I started with a 6 mile jog this morning...I only need to take off about 12 minutes to be at race pace:). After doing some erands in town, like buying iron-on paper, I spent 3 hours on the design. Headed to the weight room at 2pm and swam 6000 from 3-5pm.
I would attach a picture of the shirt...but I'm going to wait until they have been unveiled at the meet! Go Gators.

Saltwater Intrusion in Australia

For the next 2 hours...that is all I care about! I'm meeting with my Environmental Science Lab partner to start working on our case study for class. I just hope that it is more interesting than it sounds!
I got my first piece of fan mail today! From someone in Germany...so I feel a little safer. But I'll try not to let it go to my head:)
We were surprised this morning by not getting a long freestyle workout. Instead...I was in the group that did 300's BUTTERFLY! That was so much better than freestyle, hahaha...but everyone in the group kicked butt and Nesty was proud of us.
Instead of swimming at 5pm with Gator Swim club today, my RTV class finished 2 hours early and I made it to the pool in time to do some crazy abs and swim with the team. The 200 and up group (a.k.a. the distance group) actually did all sprinting today. Lots of 50's & 25's...work on that speed babe!
D-mac IS in the Purdue group. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but it DOES mean that he is in the 2pm training group and not the 4pm training group! I guess he made the cut-off to be on the team...now he just has to keep doing everything he has been doing (like kicking butt every time he gets in the pool) and he'll never lose that spot! (Like we ever doubted him.)
It's time to get back to thinking about Saltwater Intrusion.

Home again?

Just got back to Gainesville...love that 2 hour drive! Had a great dinner with the family while watching the Tiburon Mile swim on TV. It was great to have the family see the race (although 90% of the show was on the men's race)!
We had fun cutting up trees in the yard and throwing them into the forest, playing with the cats, BBQing, and watching TV with the new satellite before we drove up in the dark.
Now I'm doing some last minute work for class tomorrow and heading for bed.
Looking forward to the Monday morning swim tomorrow!

Dinner Party

Last night we had a great time at the McLarty house. We managed to fit 9 people around the dinning room table for a home-made pasta dinner (thanks to Dad who made the pasta and bread from scratch and Mom who arranged the salad and banana splits for desert)!
Doug and Yvonne came with Majik gifts from Croatia. Charlie, Cherl, and Martha also added to the celebration. Trek was the star of the show playing with his plastic bags in the living room.
I have never fallen asleep so quick as I did last night and woke up to the sound of Angel chirping and Dad starting to cook waffles.
Grandma showed up around 9am and we all stuffed ourselves on pecan waffles and fresh fruit. Trek continued to be the star...playing with Buggaboo and his plastic bag.
As for the rest of my morning, I read the comics page, cut out some coupons (college life!), and read a book. It's a beautiful day outside and I don't want the whole thing to go to waste so I'm trying to think of something fun (and not strenous) to do.
Until I come up with something...I'm browsing the internet and starting to create my 2005 Triathlon race schedule. All I can figure out so far is that I'm going to race St. Anthony's!!!

TLC @ Home

Drove home yesterday after practice...had Dustin talking to keep me awake! Got to see the cats and Angel was chirpping like crazy when we drove in. First thing I found was my new phone...I can call you from anywhere in the world (except Japan and South Korea...weirdos). Switching all the numbers in my phone book and learning how to use a new phone is always a long process so I'm still working on that.
Dad is helping me start planning for post-graduation...like getting insurance for myself (hopefully I wont ever need it) and a credit card (that I actually have to pay).
This morning I went on a great ride with Rachel and Dad. We met up at the K-Mart and went about 27 miles. It was great to chat and catch up on what she's been up to...she's heading out to the Chula Vista OTC in December for a biking camp so she can tell me all about it.
Right now...the master plan is to train at home in December and January...then head out to Chula Vista in February or March. Although the chat I had with Coach Troy the other day, where he wanted me to swim for another 4 years, was very tempting and all...I still think I'm going to be a triathlete for 2005 and see how it goes.
I'm excited to talk to Darien's coach in South Africa and see if they want to fly me back down there in Feburary to do a mile open water swim (there's some prize money). But if the country is as beautiful as everyone says it is...it would be an honor to see more of it...under less pressure than the World Cup will be.
Speaking of the World Cup...I think I will be arriving in Durban about 20 hours before the meet starts...lots of time to acclimate!
Oh yeah...Dad made homemade chocolate chip cookies last night...I think they are calling my name!

Welcome

Good Afternoon. I started thinking about the future and what I'm going to be doing in that future...and for some reason...I decided to start a blog. Don't ask!
This is my first post so it is going to be short.
Today is a Friday...I went to the Hawthorne Trail this morning and did a brick workout...very enjoyable, especially seeing lots of deer grazing at 8 in the morning.
I rushed back for a doctors appointment (all is healthy) and then visited 3 of my past swim coaches at the high school District swim meet that is going on in the O-dome.
Talked to Coach Steve about our upcoming trip to South Africa for the World Cup swim meet...and about how well he is doing working out with my mom in the pool (he's back in the water for the first time since 1989!).
Now, I must attempt some packing so that Dustin and I can get out of Gainesville as soon as this afternoon swim practice is over! I'm looking forward to visiting home for the weekend...and taking Dustin home for the first time since he started college!

With my silver medal in the 400m Free at SCM World Champs in Indianapolis.