A Shout out for advice from Triathletes and Swimmers or anyone who has an idea:

What would YOU do with this pool, if you were ( me ) a swimmer who would like to be a swimmer again..and will be using this pool regularly in the short spring/summer/fall months in Minnesota? Granted I need to define "swimmer."
For me in the last year, due to some shoulder issues, a crappy hot indoor pool that makes my eyes itch, and a not too cordial aqua aerobics teacher who doesnt like to share her space..."swimmer" is defined as 800 meters on a short day. And maybe 2000 on a long day.
Some sets of 1, 2, 3 or 2 x 500 but nothing really really harsh.
Whenenver I thought I would do 10 x 100 I usually gave in after hitting 1'30" thinking, heck, that was it. done. "my neck hurts. My shoulder hurts, the aquatics lady is gonna bonk me in the head with the lane line and there are 6 people in my lane. outta here."
So tour the pictures and look at the options below and let me know what you think.



Phew, glad this warning sticker is here. It should just say "Diving could cause massive trauma to your brain, spinal shock followed by either temporary or permanent hemiplegia or quadriplegia depending on what level of your spinal column is affected and whether there is a full break in the vertebrae with anterior dislodgement into your spinal cord."
"You dive, you are screwed."
That ought to keep the neighbors out.

Options as I see them:

1st) Endless pool or some other motorized attachment. Sends a current that you swim into and hope that your buddies dont turn it off so you fly into the wall. Pro: cool and seems like it would mimic open water swims. Con: $$ And if i get an endless pool I may as well enclose the pool so i could use it year round... more $$.

2nd) Some bungee cord dealie I saw on the Body Zen newsletter. Harness around your waist, suction cups to the wall and you swim tethered to the wall and hope the suction doesnt come loose. Pro: Cost, ease of use and likely could get two for side by side use. Con: Does it work? I tried the aqua jogger hitch and since i am not too large i am afraid i would swim out of the belt

3rd) Means pulling up some dirt. Extend a portion of the pool to make a lap lane. My sister has a double lap pool in Houston ( yea i know, they have more months to swim than we do here.) and it is sweet. It works just fine for parties and my nephew can swim laps and kick around just fine.

This pool looks long, but for me it is about 4-5 full strokes and i am at the wall. Flip turns are fine but i dont really need to be practicing those. I think it is about 12 M long.

Injured runners, there is a deep end. That is cool ...let me know, Aquajogging is boring solo. Not on my training log right now, thankfully but would have some aquajogging parties in support of those of you that need them!

So...what to do?

Tour O' Granite Country

Since i started on this whole "...The Granite of New Hampshire in their muscles and their brains.." posting a bit back, I had better finish it off.

Jeannette, Catie and I went up to Albany to see if we indeed had the granite of..umm..granite country, in our muscles and our brains. The weather the first day took some brain work to tolerate, a bit of rain, a few delays and well, kinda miserable really. After the TT, BW had about a 50" gap on me, Jeanette and Missy. Catie was close behind us. Circuit race neutralized all that and Jeanette was 12" up. I got my first "naughty" violation, crossing the "virtual" yellow line on the back side of the 5.6 mile circuit. Granted it was close and I kinda thought i was done, fell off the back a bit until i sheepishly asked Matt if i was done. "Nope."

Sweet, get back on but i am more cautious with my attacks from there on. I did get a time penalty which didnt help my already slow-ish sprints to the finish line where the others were racking up some time bonuses. I did manage a long-ish sprint to at least not finish DFL in the circuit. That felt good. I've got the long sprint, or the long acceleration down especially uphill.

Sunday we went back up, team VERVE and planned our strategy to keep Jeanette up and to hopefully pull Catie into a podium spot. All went well, and after the first lap we were having a fun time working it, attacking, etc.. I knew since Missy dropped out that there was a slight = good! chance i may get dropped in the final lap so i worked as much as i could, until it was time for me to do some TT work for my upcoming 50 miler. Worked out fine. They went and i didnt, and i ended up having a nice ride for the last 20 miles. Cant say it was what i wanted but at least it wasnt raining and the course was so hilly and challenging it was a good mental workout as well.

Worst is that i didnt see the finish. Jeanette held off 2 BW's and won. Sweet job.

Way to go VERVE.

Thanks to Mike D and all his homies for the work. I loved the set up and the courses, very fun to have a circuit race and the RR course was the most challenging i have ever done in my long 1.5 years history of cycling. (Ok maybe 2 years cuz the season is almost over isnt it.)

Up next is Firehouse 50 Solo where i sure hope that Marlo Crosby Mcgyver isnt doing it bc she is in my age group ( oh well, she is super talented so if she is it will be a nice person to finish behind!) and then Irongirl Du in september. Um. Assuming i start running again ..sometime.

Twenty Years ago what was my main passion? What got me out of bed in the morning?

I thought about this as i woke up after a really fun and challenging TT last night and a long weekend of racing in Albany, MN. After bumping into a college friend last night at the TNTT and helping him do his first ever TT ( super job, JAY!) that my life is really so great. I am so lucky to still have awesome friends and teammates and still be healthy and fit enough to do a team sport AND an individual sport.

Tennis, is really an individual sport, but when your team score is tied and you are on the court in the 3rd set, trust me, it becomes a team sport. Doubles is obviously a team sport, kinda like a 2 person TT or a tandem.

All the folks i copied below are women i played with or knew. I suspect many dont play anymore..but i know a few do, and they are still playing with passion and intensity and for fun. 20 years ago and even 10 years ago i was either playing tennis, teaching tennis, watching tennis ( Pat Rafter was the FED of that era for me) or driving in snow storms to play indoors wishing i lived in a better climate for tennis. I have played in snowstorms before the MSHSL took all the tourneys indoors..I have played on red clay I have played on hartru- green clay and i have played in just about every country i have visited ...you see it is very easy to pack a tennis racket. Much easier than a bike, and cheaper too!

The only time I took an extended break, and that was needed, was while i was in full time graduate school. 3 Years off. Much needed and like now, i didnt look back. I just looked ahead and was thankful I could run, swim and bike. But like CJC knows, I didnt want to play and not play or compete to my ability and at the level i once had. So i let it go from 1994-1997.

Must comment that while playing tennis the extent of "impact" injuries was getting pegged with an overhead at close range, or having a mixed partner nail me mid-scapula with a serve at over 100 mph. Neither felt good. So if i tend towards TT's its bc i really dont feel that that the "rite of passage" of a broken clavicle is something i need to experience to fufill my life. Really.

The Class of 1985 Spirit Award:

1985 Debbie Willing

1986 Davida Sherman

1987 Christina Stearns

1988 Julia Mairs

1989 Christina Kirkmire

1990 Christina Kirkmire

1991 Shannon Crockett

1992 Sara Welch

1993 Alexis Boss1994-1996

2007 Kerry Snow ...MN native, tho her parents moved to FLA.



Most Improved:

1982 Kate Rugen and Diane Henry

1983-1984 Jan Gordon

1985 Stephanie Taylore

1986 Davida Sherman

1987 Christina Kirkmire and Stephanie Taylor

1988 Julia Mairs

1989 Heather McClelland

2006 Kerry Snow


Top Doubles Players (Based on Percentage -- 25 Match Minimum)
Player
Matches
Won
Lost
Pct.
Patty Hannon '86...my partner for 1 year
37
29
8
.784
Carly Bashleben '02
89
69
20
.775
Sarita Yardi
104
79
25
.759
Doris Lee '91...Dor-Tree remember the Atlanta wedding? Dor was my partner my Sr. year.
59
44
15
.746
Julia Mairs '88
53 matches
38 won
15 lost
.717 percentage
Kiyoe Hashimoto '95
46
33
13
.717
Debbie willing '85
27
19
8
.704
Heather Staley '90
30
21
9
.700
Allison Taff '00
66
46
20
.697
Kelly Busby '89
39
27
12
.692
Cathy Birkeland '94...Edina native
48
33
15
.688
Chris Stearns '87
35
24
11
.686
Jenny Lange '00
54
37
17
.685
Chrissy Kirkmire '90
56
37
19
.661

The Granite of New Hampshire:



Baker Library

this weekend is the Tour of Granite Country. And so the tangential thinking has had me singing and thinking about the Granite State, New Hampshire. And our Alma Mater song...

(Dartmouth College)

(Redirected from Men of Dartmouth)

The "Alma Mater"[1] is the official school song of Dartmouth College, an Ivy League university located in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. It was officially adopted by the College in 1926.[2] Richard Hovey of the class of 1885 wrote the original lyrics in 1894, titling the song "Men of Dartmouth".[3] On May 28, 1988 (About the same day I graduated), Dartmouth changed the title and words to reflect the presence of women as part of the College, since Dartmouth had become coeducational in 1972.[1][4] The transition generated significant controversy at the time from students and alumni wishing to maintain the original lyrics,[1] attracting national attention.[5][6][7] The use of the original version by some fraternities and men's..and women's might i add.. sports teams continues to fuel debate as of 2007.[8] ( I have my opinion on this...as the college was founded by men, it doesnt take away anything from the women that attend or have attended since Dartmouth went co-ed.) Songs written after 1972 sure should be "We of Dartmouth," but for this version dont butcher it with words that weren't relevant in 1894. Respect that this song had meaning then, and write a new one. Just dont try to manipulate history so it is PC now. Men is replaced with "We" and the sons is replaced with ...some version of "We" as well.

[edit] Hovey's original lyrics
Men of Dartmouth, give a rouse
For the College on the hill!
For the Lone Pine above her,
And the loyal sons who love her,
Give a rouse, give a rouse, with a will!
For the sons of old Dartmouth,
The sturdy sons of Dartmouth,
Tho' 'round the girdled earth they roam,
Her spell on them remains;
They have the still North in their hearts,
The hill-winds in their veins,
And the granite of New Hampshire
In their muscles and their brains;
And the granite of New Hampshire
In their muscles and their brains.
They were mighty men of old
That she nurtured at her side;
Till like Vikings they went forth
From the lone and silent North,
And they strove, and they wrought, and they died;
But the sons of old Dartmouth,
The laurelled sons of Dartmouth,
The Mother keeps them in her heart
And guides their altar flame;
The still North remembers them,
The hill-winds know their name,
And the granite of New Hampshire
Keeps the record of their fame;
And the granite of New Hampshire
Keeps the record of their fame.
Men of Dartmouth, set a watch
Lest the old traditions fail!
Stand as brother stands by brother!
Dare a deed for the old Mother!
Greet the world, from the hills, with a hail!
For the sons of old Dartmouth,
The loyal sons of Dartmouth,
Around the world they keep for her
Their old chivalric faith;
They have the still North in their soul,
The hill-winds in their breath;
And the granite of New Hampshire
Is made part of them till death;
And the granite of New Hampshire
Is made part of them till death.

From the Dartmouth Song Book (6th ed., 1950).

Have fun weekends y'all.

Is it a law...???

Does anyone know...
Today we rode the sunday GP ride. Stopped at a gas station in Hudson to get snacks, water and to use the facilities. Since i was the only female on the ride, the Ladie's room cleared out faster than the Men's. So I stood outside the door to the Ladie's room to be sure we didnt freak out Grandma on her way to church or some woman that wanted to use the bathroom. Granted it was 9am, and the place was empty so i wasnt worried...and there were only 2 or 3 guys using it....then...
The woman at the counter had a bit of a tizzy...

" NO NO NO. Men cannot use the ladies room."

Door shuts and another guy goes in. I went over to her counter to try to soothe the angst so our group and other riders would be welcome to buy our salted nut rolls, water and gatorade at this Hudson stop again.
" They cannot use that." As she is starting to magic marker up signs saying..
"LADIE's ONLY..." in black cursive...
"Why? I am watching if anyone comes in i will make sure they keep it clean."
Again, it was empty in there. I thought about making a joke about the guys having good aim, but i decided against it. It was then she told me.."It is against the LAW for a man to use the women's room."
OKAY...
So is it against the law for me to use the men's room, as I have done more than once, whenever there are women taking way too long? And not even on a bike ride? And what about women that, like me, prefer Bib shorts, and to think that we dont take FOR-EVER to get those on and off? So i know women use mens rooms, why cant this be a reciprocal gift?

Great ride..despite the massive head wind on the way back. But super day.

Independence Day 2008
Family time at Encampment...I will make a few comments but otherwise just let the pictures do the talking. And no there is little chronological order to this:)

Rob, Aimee and the boys getting ready to leave...
Monty likes to bark..alot..Monty is Iona's younger cousin.

Now I know how what it feels like to have "short" legs. Note that it was COLD up there. Not COLD in the sub 32 F sense, but the wind off the lake was a bit frigid.

Honey in front of Split Rock.

The trail we rode stretched from Gooseberry to Beaver Bay. Quite a fun trail, and about 12 miles one way.

Awesome views.

Strats that one is for you. I looked for you picking up trash along the roadside but you must have been out earlier in the day.
Rich and his dream "bus"
My dad got a kick out of this sign.

Baby Iona is getting a bit frail. She was pretty tired and had a majorly antalgic = painful

gait pattern. In english that means she was limping around and not too happy.

Joe and his new webkin, and iona soaking up some porch sun.
Brother Will in the "shadow" mode...
And wow, isnt this the best sign EVER! I wish she had felt up to going down to be photographed at her sign. Maybe next time.

Hope you all had a nice July 4th. I have a super funny video of the boys so if i figure out how to upload that i will.

I had a really hard time missing the July 4th Crit, but i am so happy i went up north. I love it up there, When it isnt below 40 and so often the best times for river swims, lake plunges, and general fun is in July and August. The cabin was my grandmother and grandfather's. The cabin on the lake was from my Dad's side of the family. Obviously this spells alot of cousins and alot of summer fun. It is super cool to go up and see all the kids ( now adults) that i grew up with and to see their kids. Although i must say if my mom werent there i wouldnt know anyone's names!

Thanks for everything Mom and Dad, and Rob and A, J and W, H and C, E and R, you guys are awesome.