South Africa

I did a great research blog on the UAE earlier...so now it's time to find out a little about SA. I am arriving in SA first. I have included a beautiful picture of the pool below. They've got a lot of pictures of it on the World Cup website: http://www.durbanworldcup.co.za/photogallery.asp?job=gallery&id=250. (There's an out-door pool, very important for getting sun!)


Kings Park pool in Durban, SA...it's a beauty!

Want to know what a small world it is...I just found out today that my Academic Advisor, Tim, is friends with the Marshall family...as in Peter Marshall...as in one of the other USA swimmers going to SA with Coach Steve and I. Weird. And it's Tim's fault for not getting Peter to be a Gator (5 years ago)!
More small world...one of the Majik guys from SA (Majik: the skydivers I'm making my documentary about for Telecom class) is from Durban, he has family there, he has contacted them, and they have invited me to stay at their place and show me the sights after the swim meet!
Back to info on SA...according to Darien...(a Durban native who is currently swimming for the Gators and also attending the World Cup meet)...the hotel we stay in is ON the beach and just a quick walk away from the pool. Speaking of the pool, I will be swimming my '6-special' events. They are my '6-special' because I swim these 6 at every meet, they are my best events, and I really can't swim anything else (unless they include the mile, but thank goodness they didn't do that here)! 200, 400, & 800 freestyles, 200 & 400 IMs, and the 200 fly.
Now thinking about racing in the World Cup, I have started to realize that it's about time to start tapering. Did I start today? Nope! What did I do? Ummm...a mere 9600 this morning, all free, in a 85 degree SAUNA that they call the outdoor pool! (I'm still trying to drink water to replace what I lost during that 2+ hour practice). Oh yeah, I also swam 300 flys for time all afternoon at practice! But I'm not complaining...I love to train with the Gators, and I will miss it terribly when it is over...which is pretty soon, 9 days to be exact!
While talking on the phone last night with Coach Mom, she said that she is going to start writing a training plan for my re-started triathlon carrer. The lovely thing she mentioned was and idea about sending me up to swim with the Gators during CHRISTMAS TRAINING! AAAAHHHH! to be contiuned...