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Mariners' all-time Top 5 in-season trades
Acquiring Johnson in 1989 ranks as top move in franchise history
SEATTLE -- With the July 31 Trade Deadline rapidly approaching, talk turns to what moves might be made to help clubs and whether teams will be buyers or sellers.
Like every franchise, the Mariners have made their share of midseason moves over the years. Some have helped, some have hurt, and usually it takes several seasons to find out which way a trade will turn.
Here are the Mariners' five best in-season trades:
1. May 25, 1989: The Mariners acquired pitchers Randy Johnson, Brian Holman and Gene Harris from the Expos for pitchers Mark Langston and Mike Campbell.
While Langston was Seattle's best pitcher and a one-time All-Star during his six seasons with the Mariners, he was about to become a free agent in 1989, when the club dealt him to Montreal for a trio of young arms.
One of those turned out to be the long left wing of Johnson, who developed from a wild, hard-throwing prospect into one of baseball's premier pitchers in 10 seasons with the Mariners. He was a five-time All-Star and a Cy Young winner while with Seattle, a huge part of turning the franchise into a playoff team in 1995 and beyond, and now a member of the Mariners Hall of Fame.
Holman won 32 games in three years as a starter for Seattle, as well, while Harris pitched four seasons for the Mariners, primarily in relief. Langston opted for free agency and signed with the Angels the following year.
2. July 21, 1988: The Mariners acquired outfielder Jay Buhner and pitchers Rich Balabon and Troy Evers from the Yankees for first baseman Ken Phelps.
Buhner was a 23-year-old with limited experience when he arrived in the Northwest, but he wound up playing 14 years for Seattle and becoming a Mariners Hall of Famer who hit .255 with 307 home runs and 965 RBIs and played an outstanding right field for some of the best teams in franchise history.
Phelps hit .240 with 17 homers in two seasons with the Yankees. This turned into such a disastrous trade for the Yankees that it was immortalized in a "Seinfeld" episode.
3. July 30, 1996: The Mariners acquired left-handed pitcher Jamie Moyer from the Red Sox for outfielder Darren Bragg.
When they acquired him, Moyer was a 33-year-old journeyman with a 66-77 career record for six different clubs. He went on to pitch 11 seasons in Seattle, while compiling a 145-87 record with a 3.97 ERA.
Bragg spent three seasons in Boston and went on to have a solid career, playing with seven more clubs before retiring in 2004. But Moyer became the Mariners' all-time career wins leader and posted a pair of 20-win seasons during a decade of excellence, while becoming one of baseball's most-intriguing pitchers with his array of effective off-speed offerings.
4. July 31, 1998: The Mariners received pitchers Freddy Garcia and John Halama and shortstop Carlos Guillen from the Astros for pitcher Randy Johnson.
Although Seattle gave up one of the greatest left-handers in baseball history, the Big Unit was in the final year of his contract and about to become a free agent at that time.
The expectation was that Johnson was intent on signing with the D-backs, which he wound up doing after pitching two months and helping the Astros reach the playoffs. The three young prospects received back for Johnson all developed into key players on some outstanding Mariners teams, including the club that won 116 games in 2001.
5. Aug. 15, 1995: The Mariners acquired outfielder Vince Coleman from the Royals for pitcher Jim Converse.
Seattle never had been in the rent-a-player category much in franchise history until the 1995 season, when the Mariners made a huge late-season run to qualify for their first postseason berth. Coleman, a 33-year-old veteran, played only 40 games for Seattle, but he provided a key spark down the stretch in that last month and a half of '95, while hitting .290 with 10 doubles, two triples, a home run and 16 stolen bases with 27 runs scored.
Coleman signed with the Reds in free agency the following year. Converse pitched 12 games in relief for the Royals over the next three years and was released.


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Fort Smith receives $1million grant for trails
Fort Smith received a $1 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation to build 2 miles in new trails.
Mayor Sandy Sanders, the Central Business Improvement District and the Fort Smith Parks Commission made the announcement at noon Wednesday.
The trails will be part of the River West Trail from River Park to the Rice Carden Levee Trail. Construction will begin during the next six months and will be completed in mid-2015, according to Mike Alsup, Director of Fort Smith Parks & Recreation.
"The development of the riverfront will play an important role in the future of Fort Smith and the region," said Alsup. "The River West Trail is an investment in the future which will connect our citizens and tourists to the Arkansas River through wildlife observation and fitness from Garrison Avenue to Fort Smith Park."

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to the largest collaborative poem on the internet. The United Nations has designated 2019 as the Year of Indigenous Languages. Plan to share one poem or many in the world's largest collaborative poem! Please add your poem(s) in the Comment box below, ideally at dawn at your location, but any time that you are able. The timeline for this begins at 12:01 A.M. on April 17 on the International Date Line (which is why it seems to have started the day before, for many of us). Your poem(s) can respond to the "seed" poem:
FUJI CONCEALED IN A MIST.* Into a sea of mist whither hath Mt. Fuji sunk?
or to any of the poems posted in the Comment box, or you can even start a new thread. You may participate as often as you like. All we ask is that you respond to the theme at hand.
[*This poem, included in W. G. Aston's Grammar of the Japanese Written Language (1877) without ascription, is possibly the first haiku ever written in English — indigenous language indeed! Of course since that time we have come to quite a different understanding of what makes an indigenous language, and how endangered many of them are . . .]


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Electric car start up Coda Automotive will delay the launch of its battery-powered sedan until the second half of next year, interim CEO Mac Heller said Wednesday at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Coda had been planning to start sales next month.
Heller, who replaced Kevin Czinger as CEO last month, said the delay is a move to "build buffer time into the schedule."
He said there are no problems with the sedan Coda is preparing to sell through factory-owned retail outlets.
The sedan uses a chassis imported from China, based on an older model Mitsubishi car previously sold in Asia.
The Santa Monica, Calif., venture applied in June for a U.S. Department of Energy loan to fund the construction of an electric-car battery plant in Ohio. Heller, an investor in the company who had been vice chairman, said the DOE application is still pending. He is restricted from commenting on it.
He said Czinger remains a senior strategic advisor to the company.
"Kevin remains an important part of this company," Heller said during a reception at the company's display booth at the L.A. show.
Heller says an executive search is under way for a new CEO and he does not intend to keep the job.


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Nuevos Distribuidores
The SMAC product line is constantly growing to meet demand as OEMs and end-users realize existing technologies are approaching the limits of their capabilities. The unique benefits of our actuators – high precision, excellent force control, energy efficiency and long lifespan – all mean that the versatility of our products is far greater than that of our competition.
As a distributor of SMAC actuators, you will be able to offer your customers the best actuator technology available. And because SMAC actuators go beyond what other actuators are capable of, new applications and markets will open up for you.
How can you benefit from working with SMAC?
If you are a:
Read testimonials from SMAC distributors to find out how they developed new sales opportunities with SMAC products.
SMAC leads the field in producing cost competitive products. We do this because SMAC follows a strategy of reducing the price of its new products by 35% every four to five years. SMAC can do this because it makes key cost components, like encoders, itself. This means SMAC actuators are now replacing pneumatic cylinders all over the world because the payback has dropped to under a year. (And our costs, hence prices, are continuing to drop).
SMAC is unique in its ability to offer technical field support throughout the world. SMAC technical support branches provide hands-on support to distributors and their customers, including local service and proof of application. SMAC also offers training courses to our distributors. This helps those distributors making the transition from pneumatic to electric get there fast, with a solid technical understanding of electric actuators.
Good partnership
SMAC sells through its distributor network, so a distributor can be confident that OEM development will be worth the effort. SMAC makes sure that the distributor who makes the effort gets the benefit. This extends even to the point of insuring that a distributor that does the spec work gets a percentage of the sale when SMAC products are bought in another area of the world.
Get your feet wet – jump in!
There is rapid change from pneumatic to electric in traditional pneumatic markets (packaging, electronic, medical, automotive, and glass, etc.) SMAC has a purposeful strategy to work with capable pneumatic distributors who want to move with the times – and it's a good move to make.
Feel free to contact us with any questions you might have. Also, check for the location of the nearest SMAC branch or main office.


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VerteWrap LSO Back Brace, XX LargeCovers the back from the sacrococcygeal junction (tail bone) to the T-9 vertebrae (below the shoulder blades). Provides spinal bracing and pain relief, improves functional mobility and stabilizes the back following surgery, as well as encouraging proper posture. Lightweight for ideal patient comfort and made of strong, flexible and breathable advanced materials. Rigid anterior and posterior panels to enhance abdominal compression and provide consistent pain relief. Easily adjustable to each patient with convenient side-pull straps and simple hook-and-loop fasteners.
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Active Care has the ideal brace for back support. The brace is large enough to support and cover the back all the way from the tail bone to the 9th bone in the thoracic section of the spine, which is located below the shoulder blades. It offers the best in spinal bracing and pain relief, improves mobility and allows for faster recovery after surgery, and encourages a proper posture. The brace is lightweight which leaves the user more comfortable and allows it to be used anytime of the day, but even more is the brace is made of a strong, flexible, and breathable advanced nylon ensuring the product is perfect in design. The inside and outside panels are rigid in design to allow for better support of the abdominals and for constant consistent relief. The brace is even easily adjustable for each user with easy to use side pull straps and simple hook and loop fasteners.
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Goals, Periodization, Lessons Learned
Although I hadn't been blogging nearly as much, 2019 was probably my biggest swimming year ever!
Here is the list of pools that I've swum in:
1. Highlands @ Mayfiled Ranch Community Pool, Round Rock, TX
2. Sendero Springs Community Pool, Brushy Creek TX
3. Georgetown (TX) City Pool (indoor), Georgetown TX
4. 24 Hour Fitness Round Rock, Round Rock, TX
5. Creekside Pool, Brushy Creek TX
6. Deep Eddy Pool, Austin TX
7. Barton Springs Pool, Austin, TX
8. Walker Pool, Temple TX
9. Kino Aquatic Center, Mesa AZ
10. Eldorado Pool, Scottsdale AZ
11. CYC Pool, Wilkes-Barre PA
12. Austin Swim Club, Austin TX
13. Fuller Park Pool, Ann Arbor MI
(no international travel for me in 2019, but that will change in 2020)
I swam in the following events in 2019:
1. Attempt at Saguaro Lake, SCAR swim, AZ (made it about 9.5 miles)
2. Roosevelt Lake, SCAR swim, AZ (10k)
3. USMS Spring Nationals, Kino Aquatic Center, Mesa AZ
4. South Texas Summer LCM Meet, Austin Swim Club, Austin TX
5. Swim to the Moon (10k), Hell MI
6. Bridges to Bluffs (10k), Knoxville TN
7. Lake LBJ (3 miles) of Highland Lakes Challenge, Kingsland TX
8. Lake Marble Falls (2 miles) of Highland Lakes Challenge, Marble Falls TX
9. Lake Travis (5k) of Highland Lakes Challenge, Spicewood TX
All-in, I swam over 641 miles in 2019, which is 110 miles more than my previous record, back in 2014. I hit record months of swimming for 7 months of the year (and no record lows). Here is my GTD Summary:
Some highlights (other than the events):
* I did my longest swims ever this year! Longest pool swim, longest o/w swim, etc.
* This was the most swimming events that I've ever done in a year. Heck, 2 meets a year is nearly a record for me alone, but add in all the o/w events, and it certainly is a record.
* Along with all of the swimming, I got involved in both my USMS LMSC and became a member of a national USMS committee (the D&I committee). I attended my first USMS convention, which was an experience in itself.
* I met some incredible people throughout the year, all with a passion for the sport. Sure some are super athletes, while others are new. I'm always in awe at USMS nationals when the 80+ year-old heats swim.
* I swam at Barton Springs more in 2019 than all other years combined. Almost every Sunday over the summer I made an early morning trek down, sometimes swimming 3+ hours. It is an incredible venue to have close by (about 30 min away), and great for o/w training.
* I really enjoyed repeating the Highland Lakes swim. I hadn't done shorter o/w swim events in a few years, and after swimming longer stuff during the year, the short stuff at the end felt so fun. Plus it is nice to sleep at home and drive out in the morning. And Marble Falls is such a great place! (if anyone wants a good o/w swim, I can't recommend this one enough)
* For the first time in my life (that I can recall), I swam on Christmas Day! Barton Springs was open ('swim at own risk') and it was such a blissful way to spend the day.
Looking forward to 2020, here is what I'm looking at:
* I'll swim my earliest o/w event (probably any swimming event) in the year ever. I'll be in Australia in a few weeks and a friend signed me up for the Portsea 2500m swim (outside of Melbourne). This will also be my first international swimming event.
* I signed up for the S and R (Saguaro and Roosevelt) legs of SCAR again. We'll see if I'm successful with Saguaro if I want to do any longer swims. Otherwise, I don't mind just doing 10k events
* Tentatively looking at the Deer Lake, Utah (10k) o/w swim in August
* Considering either a repeat of Bridges to Bluffs (10k) or Swim the Suck (10 miles) in the fall of 2020. If I get in (sounds like it sells out in minutes), I'll do Suck, otherwise I really enjoyed B2B (so rare to have an o/w event where I can stay downtown and walk to the race start!)
* Probably do Highland Lakes again to finish up 2020. Maybe I'll do the whole thing? That would be a change, Buchanan (the first) is a 10k!
* As for meets, I'll probably swim in our Zone SCY meet in March (at University of Houston), and probably our local LCM meet again over the summer. Maybe a day or 2 at USMS spring nationals in San Antonio (this is the week before SCAR).
I met a separate goal this year. It was very silly, but without even trying, I was getting close to visiting all 50 states. With doing B2B this year, I was adding Tennessee, and I visited a cousin in Kentucky around that event. So we made trips to Montana, Iowa, and Nebraska, and I ended up turning 50 in my 50th state (and visited 2 gals I went to high school with too).
On that note, I'd like to try doing a swimming event of some sort (meet or o/w) in every state. I've only done this in a few so far, so I'm building up again.
Most important of all, my most recent mantra has been, "keep it fun." Years ago I thought I wanted to swim the English Channel some day. Well after 4+ hours in Saguaro in April, and the aftermath of that, I wasn't having much fun and don't think I want to think of the English Channel (solo, I'd definitely consider a relay). So I'm looking for swimming events that are mostly 10k or less (and an occasional 10 mile).
A lifeguard recently asked me, "are you training for something or do you just like to swim?" I didn't know how to answer the question. If I don't like to swim, why would I train for anything? But I do like having some things on my calendar, it gives me a reason to get myself out of bed, especially on dark/chilly mornings, or on days when I'd rather turn over and sleep in (sleeping in is good sometimes too!)
Updated December 31st, 2019 at 04:33 PM by aztimm
Monday AM solo swim @ gym pool
1200 w/u, with quite a bit of breast & back
100 kick w/fins + board
75 easy swim w/fins
25 fast fly w/fins
2 x 125 w/fins, done as 25 drill/25 swim/25 back/25 swim/25 drill
25 easy swim w/fins
25 fast fly w/fins
100 kick w/fins + board
75 easy swim w/fins
25 fast fly w/fins
3 rounds of:
* 50 free @ :45
* 50 breast @ :55
* 50 free @ :50
* 50 back @ :50
* 100 free @ 1:30
* 200 pull @ 3:00 w/buoy + Agility paddles
2 rounds:
* 50 free @ :45
* 50 breast @ :55
100 easy
200 pull w/buoy + Catalyst paddles
200 w/d
TTL: 4200 yards
Fly: 75 yards
Back: 300 yards
Breast: 425 yards
Free: 3200 yards
Kick: 200 yards
I was playing around with the USMS GTD numbers and put together a nifty spreadsheet for all of my activity from 2010 to present:
2018 was my 2nd best year (volume-wise) since I've been using GTD, and I had 2 record high months (also one record low). I mostly just swam 3x/week, with small recovery swims after weights. The most swimming happened in the run-up to the 10k. Hoping to continue the trend for 2019.
Interesting that my 2nd high came right after my lowest.
Wednesday AM solo swim @ Sendero Springs
arrived and the lifeguards told me that there had been a problem with the natural gas at the facility. no hot water (or heat) in the locker rooms, and they said the pool water temp was 78. some guys who were there before me were already leaving. I figured that I've swum in far colder water, so 78 shouldn't be a big deal.
I think it might have been about 76. certainly still doable, but I didn't want to linger too long between sets.
1200 w/u, mixed in a bit of breast and back (plus with the cool water I just felt i needed a longer set)
100 kick w/fins + board
75 easy swim w/fins
25 fast fly (w/fins)
2 x 125, done as 25 drill/25 free/25 back/25 free/25 drill
25 easy swim w/fins
25 fast fly w/fins
100 kick w/fins + board
75 easy swim w/fins
25 fast fly (w/fins)
100 easy
500 @ 8:00, done 75 free/25 breast
500 @ 7:30, done 75 moderate/25 fast
500 @ 8:00, done 75 free/25 breast
100 easy
5 x 200 @ 2:55, w/Agility paddles + buoy
300 w/d
TTL: 4900 yards
(yea I thought about another 100 to make it an even 5000, but then thought that would just be silly)
After my swim last Wednesday (which was cut short, since the lifeguards said the chlorine level was too high), I hit 500+ miles on my GTD. First time in about 4-5 years I think. I had been hitting it regularly, but then life got in the way.
Here is my monthly breakdown:
And here is my pool list for 2018:
1. Sendero Springs Pool, Round Rock, TX
2. 24 Hour Fitness Pool, Round Rock, TX
3. YMCA of Central Texas, Round Rock, TX
4. Creekside Pool, Round Rock, TX
5. Georgetown Parks & Recreation, Georgetown, TX
6. Deep Eddy Pool, Austin, TX
7. Barton Springs Pool (I use the term, "pool," loosely), Austin, TX
8. Pickney Recreation Area, Hell, MI (for Swim to the Moon)
9. Pool at the Conrad Singapore
10. Open water at Dewata Beach, near Galle, Sri Lanka (Indian Ocean)
11. Melbourne City Baths, Melbourne Australia
12. Brunswick Baths, Brunswick Australia (about a 20 min tram ride from Melbourne)
13. Tobruk Memorial Pool, Cairns Australia
14. Cairns Esplanade Lagoon, Cairns Australia
15. Open water at the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Cairns Australia (Pacific Ocean)
16. Andrew Boy Charlton Pool, Sydney Australia
17. North Sydney Olympic Pool, North Sydney Australia
18. Bondi Icebergs, Sydney Australia
19. Xinghai Swimming Complex, Suzhou China
20. How could I forget my neighborhood pool? Highlands at Mayfield Ranch swim center. About a 5 minute walk from home.
probably the 2 most iconic pools I swam in this year were North Sydney and Bondi #17[/URL] & [/URL]:
I'm signed up for the first and last legs of the SCAR swim in April 2019, so that will kick my swimming into gear early in the year. Saguaro is about 10 miles, and Roosevelt is just a 10k.
USMS Nationals will be in Mesa at the same time, and I'm toying with the idea of swimming some events. More likely, I'll just volunteer to help out for a few hours (after swimming 10 miles, I just can't imagine racing 100 yards ).
If anyone will be going to nationals, give me a shout. I swam with the masters team at Kino for about 6-7 years so I know the pool quite well.
When I upped my distance to train for Swim to the Moon (10k) this past summer, I dropped about 5-10 pounds (not sure I want to drop more for SCAR as those lakes are a bit cooler).
Updated December 20th, 2018 at 12:00 PM by aztimm
Life has been busy as expected since the Harvard meet. Finally able to get into the water this week with the team, which is great considering that our own home mini meet happens next Saturday in southwestern Vermont.
200 swim/100 kick/200 pull/200 choice
Fort Speed Set:
Swim: Fins optional, pick your own interval for max rest or don't bother to look at the clock in between hard efforts
1 x 25 AFAP
1 x 50 EZ
1 x 50 AFAP
2 x 50 EZ
1 x 75 AFAP
3 x 50 EZ
1 x 100 @ 90%
4 x 50 EZ (worked on turns)
5 x 50 (odds fast from blocks, evens ez)
200 loosen and out
[Masters/Rec/1900 yds/75 min]
I love using this speed set heading into a meet...thanks again Leslie! Only Greg, Sean and Rebecca in the water today.
Preparations for the swim meet are coming along as well as expected at this point. The biggest concern I have is director is making sure that there are enough timers; because I run this swim meet as a benefit for the local age group swim team, whose season has already ended, we rely on them to run the meet while I do my best to get people here to swim in it. I don't get to really see the communication on their side so this aspect of being a director gives me the most anxiety. Right now we have 13 people who have signed up, but I'm still expecting more entries from Regional workout groups in the Adirondacks, New Hampshire, and the Berkshires. Hard to believe it's going to be our 7th annual meet this year!
Happy Passover and Easter everyone
Back from a fun weekend of racing in Boston at the annual Harvard meet. With my schedule allowing, I was able to swim all three days of the main meet this year (as opposed to driving down for the day as I have been doing in the recent past). That third big snowstorm didn't materialize here in our area, but in trying to more more wood pellets from the basement to the living room (so my daughter didn't have to while the rest of us went on the trip) I tweaked my back on Wednesday, to the point that it was painful to bend over to tie my shoes. I was able to make it to Masters on Tuesday for a warmup and some burst and cruise swims, but wasn't able to make it back to the pool before the meet. We made the 3 hour drive to Boston on Friday morning in time for event check-in...
100 Free: 53.94 - 3rd (26.33, 27.71)
-- This was the first event and my back was still tight, even after warmups. I popped a 24.6 at the New Year's meet in January, so these splits seem right on. I need to work the 2nd wall more for a faster 3rd lap when I swim this next. I didn't attack the walls due to the back tightness.
50 Fly: 27.10 - 5th
- My start was good and my stroke felt long and powerful. The turn was good, but I need to get some more sdk's in. I was short to the wall and decided to glide...probably should have taken an extra quick stroke.
100 Back: 1:00.93 - 2nd (29.89, 31.04)
- I opted not to use the backstroke ledges since I have no experience with them (other than a YouTube video that I watched online). The splits were good, but each wall was horrible and I did not reach my sdk counts. It probably didn't help that I was being conservative as to not agrivate my back. I think I can get back under a minute, especially if I take it out a little faster.
[My warmup in the regular pool was 1200 yds, and I did a total of 26 laps in the 29yd diving well lanes between events and for warmdown] After my day in the pool was complete we drove into Harvard Square to fart around and grab a late lunch before heading to the hotel to relax.
50 Breast: 25.23 - 4th
- On of these days I will make good on my threat to actually learn to swim this stroke more efficiently (and hopefully faster), but I swam this mostly to get a time for the Flow Swimmers online event that I signed up for. I really worked the walls and tried to get through the event without having my knee protest, and I accomplished both goals.
200 Back: 2:14.88 - 2nd (31.58, 34.45, 34.54, 34.31)
- I wanted to get under 2:15 and I did with a beautifully split race (1:06.03, 1:08:85)! So I did a sprint during warmups to try the ledge, and was in lane one. I remember telling my wife that lane was horrible because the flags only reached halfway across the lane. Of course that set me up to swim in lane 1! Anyways, I took it out without much legs and built into it as I planned. The turns were better (as my back was not as sore) and I am I really happy with the swim. I missed swimming with my buddy Trent from RI, but did run into Doug who came down from Maine for the day.
[Warmups of 1600 yds, plus an additional 18 laps in the big lane between events and for warmdown]. We drove over near BU and picked up a guitar that my son was looking at online before heading back to the hotel to drop off the car. I made reservations online for Hard Rock and we took the T into the city, battleing the drunken St. Patty's Day crowds and pub-crawls. I am happy I made reservations because we bypassed the huge line and were seated and served a lot faster that I expected. After a little shopping we went back to the hotel and vegged out, except for a little walk my son and I took in search for some cookies before bed.
50 Back: 27.10 - 2nd
- I used the ledges again and tried to not stay under as long as I usually do on the second lap. While I wanted to get under 27, I am really happy with this time as I find it so difficult to sprint anything.
100 IM: 1:02.17 - 3rd (27.22, 34.95)
- Back in lane 1 and I did my usual out fast then lose it all on breast. I wanted to get under 1:03 and did, beating my time from January. Oh well, this is a top 3 fastest time in the event in my lifetime so I am happy.
[Warmups of 1300 yards and 22 laps in the big lane between events and for warmdown] After the swims we watched Donna, an 84-year young lady from Maine, crush the 200 fly before driving home.
Total swimming:
Warmups: 4100 yds
Racing: 650 yds
Warmdown: 1914 yds (66 laps in the well)
- I aged up to the 40-44 group and swam my 100th race as a Masters swimmer with this meet. I have written before that I swam here as an age-grouper and feel blessed with the chance to swim here now. I am amazed to see the certificates from David Berkoff hanging on the walls behind the stands and to take in the brand new score board this year. It is just awesome for me to swim here. It is a very well run meet, this year having more than 650 swimmers, and great folks behing the blocks timing, reffing, and working to make sure everything runs smoothly.
- My wife and son made the trip. It is funny that in the locker room so many guys talked about their families not being on board to coming to watch. It is a boring meet, even for us swimmers, so I know how our families must feel. Even so, it means a lot to me to see my wife in the stands and know that she is cheering me on.
- Based on above, I tried to plan my swims so that I wasn't swimming in the first "distance" events of the day, pick back to back events, and avoid sitting at the pool all day. I accomplished that goal! Trying to then plan on when to warm up, try to get in some sprints from the blocks once the main competition pool is open, and then follow the estimated timeline takes some thought. I was able to get on deck before check-ins closed (no online option with this meet) and had some down time between events to not only hang out with my family but check in with my swimming buddies. I even met Guy from a facebook swimgroup and we checked in throughout the meet, even racing side by side in the 100 IM - he touched me out! Dan from Pittsfield aged up to 70 and was breaking lmsc records all weekend long...he might even be gunning from more at our meet in a few weeks.
- Swimming-wise, I am satisfied with my efforts and performances. After feeling like crap after the WPI scm meet in December, I have committed to swim more Tuesday night practices and the every other Saturday swims that my work schedule allows for. Like Ande has said, I need to stop lugging around this extra 10-15 points which will help make me faster in and of itself. I think that as the weather gets warmer I will be able to get back on the bike and schedule some 5k's to help with overall fitness and weight management. I also need to be more proactive with shoulder and knee exercises as both issues have not been too bothersome, although the long meet has reminded me of them. I also need to figure out breastroke.
Well, that's a wrap from Harvard. I'm really pleased with the meet and the opportunity to get some racing in after all the hours of training.
Updated March 19th, 2018 at 10:17 PM by rxleakem
After some great progress building back into my training over December and January, I hit some snags over the month of February.
On January 28th, I went down to Tucson and competed in the annual Polar Bear meet. I was actually quite happy with most of my swims - 50 fly (26.43), 50 back (29.18), 400 IM (4:32.17) and 500 free (5:12.76). The only time that was a tad disappointing was the 500, but I took it out too slow and negative split it (2:38/2:34+).
As solid as I felt during the meet, I woke up on the Monday after and could barely move - my lower back was in major pain, wracked with spasms. I barely swam the week of January 29th, mustering only 5,000 yards, but then felt better and had two good weeks (Feb 5th and 12th weeks), culminating in the Matt & Annie Grevers Meet in Mesa where I swam, in about 3 hours total, all of the IMs (1:00.8, 2:12.3, 4:34.3) and the 50 breast (31.9).
As if on cue - do a good meet, have some pain - I then suffered through two plus weeks of my head full of gunk, with much of it concentrated in my sinuses to the point where going any amount under water was painful. I managed 7,500 yards during the week of Feb 19th (as the stuff was starting), 4K during the week of Feb 26th and really only started to feel like my old self again this weekend, notching up a little less than 10K for the week.
We are 9 weeks away from Indianapolis Nationals, which means I have to somehow put in 7 weeks of consistent training so that I can do some semblance of a taper. I am 100% committed to being in Indy and put my entries in this weekend:
400 IM100 flySaturday
100 free (6th event)200 flySunday
50 fly200 IM
I figure with the above line-up, I can put some focus around my training, and swim many of my favorite events. I am really hoping that, by skipping the 500 on Sunday morning and keeping a lighter schedule, I can swim a decent 200 IM, something I haven't done at Nationals in a long time.
I'm ready to train and aiming to blog along with it. All roads lead to Indy!
I can't consider my 6 workouts this week totaling 9,425 yards equivalents as really worthy of me cuing up Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger," but I will exit this week tomorrow with about the highest level of motivation I've had this entire year. Call it baby tiger motivation.
I did variations of Monday's workout on each of Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, but had to cut Wednesday's workout short due to a day trip to San Francisco. This morning, though, I did a 'mega' workout at home in SCM ...
1 x 400: IM, kick-drill by 254 x 100: on 1:40, free descend w/snorkel (#1-#3) and swim #4, 1:22 - 1:21 - 1:19 - 1:178 x 50: on 0:55, w/monofin doing SDKs going 10 AFAP kicks off each wall and then easy the rest of the way; odd laps on belly into flip turn to even laps on backBreaststroke set:
1 x 100 on 2:15 going odd laps doing the Rebecca Soni / Race Club drill using snorkel and band kick, with even laps pull onlySee this great video -
2 x 25: on 0:45, breast swim using Finis band1 x 100: same as above2 x 25: on 0:45, breast swim without band1 x 100: same as above8 x 50: on 0:55, backstroke descend swim
I have been bad this week about both running and PT, but will focus on that tomorrow.A big reason for my increased motivation is that my shoulder feels super-fine and I am looking forward to getting back into competition mode. In September, I have signed up for
One super-fun looking event - a surf & sprint challenge in a local wave pool - https://azopenwater.com/september-10...urf-challenge/Our annual Jamina Winston meet in Mesa on Sep 23rd - https://www.clubassistant.com/club/m...2202&smid=9372 - where I have entered the 50 free and breast, as well as the 100, 200 and 400 IMs. I doubt I will be able to race all of those, but I plan to at least swim all of them.
Unfortunately, there was a little prophecy from my Year in Review / 2016 Preview (http://forums.usms.org/entry.php?37755) as the post ended with a paragraph that included, "...Unless I have blown my shoulders out..." I should be more careful of what I write!
2016 Year in Review
High-level metrics for 2016:
I had an absolute banner year for adding pools - with 49 new pools bringing my total up to 268. Check out the post here - http://www.1001pools.com/single-post...ear-in-Preview.In aggregate, I worked out in 64 different pools over the year. The top 10 pools I trained in were:
My pool - 123 swimsCactus - 22 swimsValley of the Sun JCC - 19 swimsBurlingame Aquatic Center (CA) - 9 swimsPleasant Valley Aquatic Center (CA) - 8 swimsStanford - 5 swimsWestmoor Giammona (CA) - 5 swimsGreensboro Aquatic Center - 4 swims (e.g., 4 days of Nats)McDowell Mountain Ranch (AZ) - 4 swimsVentura Aquatic Center (CA) - 3 swims
Swam 267 days of the year, which is pretty much my average for the last 5 years, but I would have been much higher had I not almost stopped swimming for most of December once I got my MRI results.Total yardage swim was 780K SCY-equivalents which is right where I wanted to be (e.g., averaging 15K per week) and my 4th longest year:
2011 - 968K SCY equivalents2012 - 901K SCY equivalents2010 - 789K SCY equivalents2016 - 780K SCY equivalents2009 - 762K SCY equivalents2014 - 753K SCY equivalents2015 - 712K SCY equivalents2013 - 641K SCY equivalents2008 - 555K SCY equivalents2007 - 456K SCY equivalents2001 - 426K SCY equivalents2002 - 313K SCY equivalents2003 - 274K SCY equivalents2004 - 251K SCY equivalents
Note that I swam so little in 2005 and 2006 that I didn't even track it; those were the super-high-growth years of my last company and years where I was shuttling back & forth between US, Europe, India and Japan a lot.
On the business travel front, it wasn't such a hot year as I recorded my max days of any business travel (112 vs. 105 last year) in the last decade since I've been tracking that. That is definitely going in the wrong direction as I was 89 days in 2012, then 100, 101, and 105 over 2013-2015.On the upside, I guess I managed to do more day trips and/or flew more early morning flights as I only slept away from home on business trips 66 nights, which is down from 72 nights last year. Whoo-hoo! Almost a week more in my own bed
On the competition front, I managed to race well in the SCY season and still managed to record some Masters best times:
1000 free1650 free50 back
I suspect that I am going to have to soon give up the hope of still being able to improve my times as I continue to age, as this list keeps getting shorter.
2017 Preview (aka Rehab for Indy)
As referenced in my last post, I am finally in the process of fixing my long ailing left shoulder. While the MRI results looked ominous, my appointment with my orthopedist was, all things considered, better than I expected. The high-level / best news is that he doesn't seem too concerned about the partial tear. He did caveat that, as he has no baseline MRI other than this, he cannot tell if it this is a recent 'trauma-based' tear, if it's due to long-term overuse or, even if it's just natural decay that many of us get as we age. He believes that the two major contributors to my pain are bicep tendinosis and rotator cuff tendinitis. For now, he's prescribed PT, some slightly stronger NSAIDs and he strongly cautioned me to plan for ...
6~8 weeks of no swimming and no other sports with rotation (I can kick)Not to start back swimming until I feel pain free and the PT feels like he thinks I'm ready to do so... and when I start back, to do so very gradually
As this definitely shoots my SCY season to hell and as I never really train for LCM, I've set my mind on 2017 as my Year of Rehab with a longer-term racing plan to be back in top form by Indianapolis Nationals in 2018. I might get there sooner, but I also want to take the time to fix this now (in service of my ultra-long-term goal of finally setting a National Record when I hit the 90-94 age group!).
For the time being, I'm going to focus on the PT and mix together yoga (which he OK'd), treadmill running, dog-walking and hiking for some semblance of aerobic activity. When I get the opportunity to go to a new pool (www.1001pools.com), I'll do a 1500 kick, but I find pure kicking workouts so boring that I doubt I'll be in the water much unless it is to 'bag' a new pool.
Updated January 4th, 2017 at 09:41 PM by pwb
As always, the summer progresses more quickly than preferred. Our family vacations to Shanghai, Japan, and NJ (Princeton & Monmouth Junction) are over. I'm now in the second week of restarting fitness activity after nearly a three months lapse.
Workouts from July 6 - this post
*Alternated on days 7/6-13, both daily from 7/14
1,000-1,500 (100s/200s as FR-Swim/BF-K or BR-K) in HOA pool1-2 mile walk/jog in neighborhood **Thanks to the savvy Speedsters local running community I recently brought Roka Clifton 2 at nearly 50% discount. These running shoes are amazing! For first time ever, I can run with such comfort and far less aching afterwards.
*1-3x Daily (morning-afternoon-evening)
Bands - lighter resistance upper body10-20 Squats, 5-10 Pushups,10 min stretching, poses, planks
*Previous benchmarks from March 2016:
Swimming - 60 minute SCY swim at 1:15/100Running - 60 minute run at 9:15/mile
Short Term Goals - by 9/1/2106
Log or journal fitness and training to sustain momentum.Return to weekly OWS at Vanderbilt Beach ASAP.Support my friends by volunteering at local triathlons, running events.Lose the 20 pounds gained during time off.Get stronger, begin moderate weight training.Get more flexible, specifically core area & lower body - consult with a trainer.Run with Speedsters 1-3 times weekly.
Goals before 10/1/2016
Swim 60min at 1:15, Run 60min at 9:15Join Masters and/or Tri swim training group(s) either am or pm.Enter an OWS or USMS meet with a friend(s).Enter a local area 5K along with Speedsters.
Longer term, before April 1, 2017
Borrow a bike to tryout riding in some shorter tri group training rides (I used to ride extensively in teens, 20s & early 30s). Could lead to buying a bike to make riding an ongoing activity.Complete a one hour swim at 1:12/100 pace.Participate in a half marathon.
I have a lifelong recurring boom and bust cycles with fitness activity relative to life circumstances. My prior cycle of uninterrupted training and fitness was almost two years partly to encountering a great network of friends through the SWFL OWS FB group I joined in 2015. One upside during this time away from fitness activities and training has been increasing professional opportunity and growth.
MFI Hearing Aids
An added dimension to my running is the MFI (made for iPhone) hearing aids which recently replaced my six years old HAs. Any audio generated from the iPhone can be transmitted directly through the HAs via a proprietary bluetooth connection. Needless to say, it provides a wonderful experience to run with music or anything one would to listen to while running.
Even more basic - but so magical for me, it very effectively makes phone calls much more clear and less intimidating. In fact recently I was able watch a webinar on my large screen via PC and also simultaneously on my iPhone via youTube where I could hear everything so well without any captions while typing notes notes the entire session.
Updated July 15th, 2016 at 01:45 PM by fdtotten
After 4-5 days focused on family, friends and racing last week, I needed to hunker back down behind the computer this week to try to get my arms back around all of my "real" work. I think I finally felt some semblance of control by the end of the day Thursday and so can hopefully get back into a more balanced groove of work, family and training. Until today, I alternated between light yoga (Monday/Wednesday) and light swimming (Tuesday 1K, Thursday 2K), but I dove in this morning and tried to see what I had left in the tank for my Broken Mile set:
Warmup sets (1,500 set)
1 x 400: IM, kick drill4 x 100: on 1:30, free swim, descend w/buoy, paddles, snorkel8 x 50: on 0:50, w/monofin 10 USDKs AFAP off first wall on belly then easy into a fast turn and & 10 USDKs AFAP on back6 x 50: on 1:00, #1 and #6 easy, #2 to #5 strong IM order (0:35, 0:37+, 0:43, 0:35)
Broken Mile (1,500 set / 3,000 total)
3 rounds of:
3 x 50: on 0:502 x 100: on 1:351 x 150: on 2:2050s
04-12-12 - 0:32 to 0:33+04-18-14 - Round 1 solid 33s, Round 2 at 33+, Round 3 at 33+/3408-25-14 - 0:35s on rounds 1 and 2, 0:34s on round 308-26-15 - 0:35s on all rounds09-02-15 - 0:33 to 0:33+ on all rounds09-09-15 - solid 33s on round 1 and 2, then 0:33+ to 0:34+ on round 309-19-15 - 0:35s on round 1, 0:35, 0:34+, 0:34, 0:34 on round 2, 0:34s on round 309-25-15 - 0:35s on round 1, 0:34+ on round 2 and 0:33s on round 309-30-15 - 0:33s on rounds 1 and 2, 0:33+ to 0:34 on round 310-06-15 - 0:32+ on round 1; 0:33 then 0:32+ on round2; 0:32s on round 310-21-15 - 0:32+ on rounds 1 and 2; 0:32s on round 302-15-16 - 32+, 33, 34, 35, 35, 35, 35, 35, 35+05-06-16 - 36, then a mix of 34+/35s
04-12-12 -- were 1:06 to 1:08, those bookends each occurred once04-18-14 - Round 1 1:07s, Round 2 1:07+, Round 3 1:08, 1:08+08-25-14 - 1:11s on round 1, 1:12s on round 2, 1:10+ on round 308-26-15 - 1:11s round 1, 1:12-1:10+ round 2, 1:12s round 309-02-15 - 1:08 to 1:08+ on all rounds09-09-15 - 1:07 & 1:07+ on round 1, 1:08s on round 2, then 1:09+ and 1:11 on round 309-19-15 - 1:12+, 1:11, 1:12, 1:10+, 1:10+, 1:1009-25-15 - 1:12, 1:10, 1:10+, 1:10, 1:08, 1:0809-30-15 - 1:07, 1:07, 1:07+, 1:07+, 1:09+, 1:11 (last one w/buoy)10-06-15 - 1:06+, 1:06+, 1:06+, 1:07, 1:06+, 1:06+10-21-15 - 1:07, 1:06, 1:07+, 1:05+, 1:06, 1:0502-15-16 - 1:10, 1:10+, 1:12, 1:12, 1:12, 1:1205-06-16 - 1:14, then 1:12s with the odd 1:11 in there150s
04-12-12 - 1:41, 1:41, 1:4004-18-14 - 1:42, :142+, 1:4308-25-14 - 1:48, 1:50, 1:4608-26-15 - 1:51, 1:47, 1:5009-02-15 - 1:43, 1:43, 1:4209-09-15 - 1:43, 1:43+, 1:49 (even though I put on a buoy and paddles to try to help my failing arms)09-19-15 - 1:48, 1:46+, 1:4509-25-15 - 1:46+, 1:46+, 1:41+09-30-15 - 1:42+, 1:43, 1:50 (last one w/buoy & paddles)10-06-15 - 1:40+, 1:40, 1:4010-21-15 - 1:40, 1:39+, 1:37+02-15-16 - 1:48, 1:48+, 1:5005-06-16 - 1:50, 1:48, 1:43 (but I really pushed the last one hard)
Cool-down 250
My goal today was to see if I could comfortably hold around 1:12 pace per 100 and I kind of did that.My summer racing plans are going to be hit & miss (mostly misses) with a bunch of either single event days or single day attendance at meets. My primary focus this summer will be training for endurance so that I can be ready to do the Daily Double (1 mile and 5K Gatorman) at La Jolla in early September, but I still want to keep my racing chops well-tuned.Here's what I'm thinking of for summer racing:
May 14th - 4,500 open water race at Canyon Lake (https://azopenwater.com/canyon-2/).May 30th - I'm going to enter the 1500 at the USAS Cactus Classic meet and see what I can do.June right now is a vast wasteland of no racing as of now. There's a chance I'll get in a 400 IM at a local USAS meet.July has a few things in play:
July 24th - I should be around San Mateo and able to race that day of the Pacific Masters ChampsJuly 29th - not sure I'll be able to swing this, but Stewart pointed out the meet at Texas A&M and I'd love to fly in for an evening that included both the 400 IM and 1500 July 28th/29th - the more likely scenario is I swim some events at the AZ USAS Senior State Champs.August has two possibilities
August 5th - attend Friday events at Mission Viejo at Southwest Zone Meet.August 6th/7th - attend one day of the AZ State Champs down at U of A.I don't see any path to me getting to Portland for Nationals, but there's a non-zero, very low probability of me dropping into Vancouver to swim at the America's Masters Games (https://www.americasmastersgames2016.com/). I'd be more excited about the latter if it was going to be sanctioned, but apparently not.
Since spring has sprung we are getting a head start on outdoor cleaning. We had a guy come in and thin out some trees, remove some out-of-control compost piles, and prep for some fence installation. I've done it all before, but I was amazed that all of it was done in half a day! We'll have a clean canvas to add some landscaping that my wife has been planning for a bit. Pool tonight and no circle swimming!
200 Fr/200 Bk/200 IM Drill
6 x 75 on 1:15
- 1-4 = IM rotation strong
1 x 50 EZ
8 x 50 FR on 1:10
- odds = DPS/EZ speed, evens = AFAP
1 x 50 EZ
6 x 50 BK on 1:10
- odds = DPS/EZ speed, evens = AFAP
100 kick
1 x 50 EZ
6 x 25 Burst and cruise on 1:00
- IMO, then FR and BK to complete
3 x 50 Active Recovery
(Solo/Rec/2300 yds/50 min)
Beating the proverbial bushes for our meet next weekend. Right now we have eleven entries, and I know that everyone waits until the last minute to sign up but...I still want to make sure that we have as good of a crowd as possible. Last year we ended up with 29 swimmers, I am hoping to hit 25 this year. If you live near VT, come by and swim fast with us!
The wild winter weather is continuing here in western New England. Wednesday night saw thunderstorms after a day of rain, and the temp on my way to work yesterday morning was 58! This morning my wife and I went to a local cafe for a breakfast treat, and we talked with a guy from CA that was passing through the area. I was able to get to the pool...
200 free/200 back
2 x [with snorkel]
- 100 kick with AK, 200 swim with AP (r/l/b/b), 100 pull
10 x 50 on :45
- 1-9: pace holding :32
- extra 30sr before #10: fast at :28
2 x [on :05sr]
25 skull, 25 build up, 25 build down, 25 FAST
150 loosen and out
(Solo/Rec/2050 yds/40 min)
Felt good in the water, despite a poor weak of sleep. We had a visitor today from 1776 at the lunch lap swim who also knows my buddy Tom from Philly. Always neat to meet other swimmers...six degrees of separation!
I registered for the Harvard meet, but just for two days. I decided I'd rather sleep than swim the 500! I'll be able to swim two of the backs, try yet again to get closer to :60 in the 100 IM, and then cap off the meet with a DPS distance fly (maybe a gridge with Tom?).
Friday, March 18, 2016
8 Men 50 free
10 Men 100 back
14 Men 50 fly
Saturday, March 19, 2016
20 Men 50 back
22 Men 100 IM
24 Men 200 fly
Had a crummy night's sleep but was able to function well enough during the Rx Abuse Task Force meeting this morning. After getting recycling loaded into the van I did some errands with my wife and then we enjoyed a great lunch. I am in the process of reorganizing paperwork, condensing, and shredding to get rid of excess...maybe I don't need to keep my tax returns from 2001? Made it to Masters tonight...
- 100 demonstration of streamling/sdk with the age group team as they head to end of season champs. I will spend the day with them on Thursday of next week.
- 200 swim/100 kick/200 pull with AP and snorkel
- 16 x 25 on :35 [4 x build, descend, easy, fast]
- 6 x 75 on 1:10 [fast last lap, snorkel on first four FR, last two back]
- 8 x 50 on :45 [pull]
- 2 x 150 on 2:05 even split [did 50 fr/bk/fr, held 1:48]
- 2 x 25 from blocks [working starts]
- 100 loosen and out
(Masters/Rec/2300 yds/55 min)
Light turn out tonight with MG (back from Canada) doing the workout with me and Matt on his own, until we worked on starts. I will be signing up for the Harvard/New England Champs for Friday/Sat events...will miss th 200 back on Sunday but am satisfied for 3 events a day and only one night in a hotel. Should have plenty of time to relax after the meet and explore Boston a bit with the family. Right now I'm thinking of entering...
50 free, 100 back, 50 fly on Friday (my knees will not be up for the 200 breast)
50 back, 100 IM, 200 fly on Saturday (planning to skip the 500 so I can sleep in! might decide to swim it backstroke.)
It was a cold, windy and spitting mid-morning when Kurt and I walked onto the deck at Cactus Aquatic Center. In the 20+ lap lanes, there was just one other swimmer and the lifeguards did not look too pleased to see two more. Whatever ... no lightning and warm water, so we got in and cranked through this short rest workout, one that I had written here - http://forums.usms.org/showthread.ph...Start-Jan-11th - and apparently adapted from a prior workout done with Burlingame Masters
Warmup Sets (1,200)
1 x 200: IM, kick-drill
Get your equipment lined up and ready to roll through the next three straight on the interval - I used a snorkel for all and added the buoy for the 300
1 x 300: on 3:45, free pull, make it (3:31)
2 x 200: on 2:25, free swim, make it (2:19s)
3 x 100: on 1:10, make it (1:05s)
Main Set (2,800 set / 4,000 total)
3 rounds of
1 x 150: no-free IM kick on 3:00, build each 50 to fast3 x 200: free swim, make these and descend these on the intervals
#1 on 2:25#2 on 2:20#3 on 2:15Round 1 - 2:14, 2:112, 2:11Round 2 - 2:12, 2:11, 2:07Round 3 - 2:11, 2:09, 2:053 x 50: on 1:00, #1 and #3 are cruise free, #2 is BLAST FAST stroke, fly-back-breast by round
None of my 'blast fast' were fast
1 x 100: float down with snorkel
Always great to swim with Kurt and we just plowed through this; it wasn't a 'touch-and-go' workout, but we didn't get a lot of rest. After taking Sunday off, this was a good way to get going.Originally, there was supposed to be a Masters Meet in Mesa over the Valentine's Day/President's Day weekend, but they're not hosting it. That means I've got 5 weeks until we hopefully have the Swim Devil Sprint Meet and then another 4 weeks after that will be our State Championships. Meet flyers aren't up for either of those so I'm not sure what will be offered, but I'm really hoping it will work out that I can swim the 1000 at the Swim Devil meet and then the 1650 at the State meet.Originally, our State Meet was the March 26th/27th weekend, which was going to be perfect as it would have allowed me to see how I did in each of the 1000 and the 1650 before the Nationals entry deadline so I could pick the right one for Friday of the meet.As I won't be able to do that, I'm pretty sure my Nationals line up will be:
Thursday - 1000 freeFriday - I'm debating just making this a fun day and doing the 50 back and 100 free, but the siren song of the 200 fly is very seductive.Saturday - I figure I have to swim the 500 free and the 200 IM. It's rare the 200 IM is not the last event on Sunday and I can't pass up the opportunity for a good race in the 500 (plus, I'll be in better shape than I was last year)Sunday - With promises to myself to moderate my expectations, much like Saturday, I can't pass up the opportunity to swim the 400 IM.Even better than my individual events at Nationals, though, will be the resurrection of "Brundage Swim Masters" and mixed relays with my Dad and my two sisters.
Quick swim this morning before work.
200 free/200 back/200*im drill/200 kick
2 x
75*DPS into 25 AFAP
100 kick
25*AFAP into 25*Ez into 50 DPS
100 kick
100 loosen and out
(Solo/Rec/1600 yds/30 min)
Trying to work in some speed in preparation*for my first Nationals (and second ever lcm meet). I am not following my usual two-week taper plan, but I do feel like I am a bit peppier in the water as compared to the lcm meet I did last year. At least I have a more robust base laid down at this point. In order to swim the trip, I swapped weekends so will be pulling a James Adams and 73 hours from now through Tuesday, then hopping in the car Wednesday morning for the 8 hour drive to Ohio. I plan to make it for a quick swim on Wed night and perhaps the pre-meet meeting, then will swim the 800 on Thursday*followed by the 400im, 50 free, and 200 back on Friday (plus maybe a relay). Then my son and I will be heading into Cleveland to catch some ball games and a visit to the*R&R HOF,*but most importantly for a college visit. I might try to drop in on a Masters workout while in town.
Some items on my agenda today changed, so I stayed flexible and went with the flow. I was able to go out for a nice 50 mile motorcycle ride with my neighbor and managed to avoid the thunder showers. Hit the pool tonight for a redo of a practice a few weeks ago...
200 free, 200 back, 200 im drill
2 x 100 pull (focus on pull) with snorkel
1 x 200 swim DPS with snorkel
1 x 400 neg split (2:34, 2:26= 5, did'nt have Brent pushing me)
1 x 200 breath control (6,5,4,4, repeat)
2 x 100 pull (focus on pull)
4 x 50 descend on :50 back
200 loosen
(Solo/Rec/2200 yds/50 min)
Greg was at the pool as well so I spend a little bit of time between sets chatting with him. This was a good workout and I had actually forgotten that we did it before as a group until I hit that 400 negative split; I was about 4sec faster a couple of weeks ago.
If all goes as currently planned I should have a busy swim itinerary this summer...
WAM scm in June (http://wam-swimming.com/waminvitational/)
Jenny Thompson lcm in July
USMS nats lcm in Aug
LGOWS 2.5km nats in Aug (http://www.lakegeorgeswim.com/)
Still staying quiet on the marathon swim front, but I am looking forward to Wednesday nights in the Berkshires as well as some open water swim with my team here in the southern Vermont area.
Took the week off from the pool last week, and finally went to the doctor to get my neck checked out. Was probably more serious than I originally figured, but I was given a small supply of anti-spasm meds that have really done the job of loosening it up and increasing my range of motion. Still a little tender, but overall much better. I also had the motorcycle serviced (and Lena picked out a riding jacket, so more rides with her this summer ) and most of the outside yardwork done.
I went to the pool tonight and didn't have to share the lane. The fact that we had our first 80-degree day since September likely contributed to the empty water ...
200 free/200 back/200 im drill
600 shark swim with snorkel
10 x 50 on :50 descend in pairs
50 easy
4 x 50 IMO sprint down,25 easy back
50 easy
100 loosen and out
(Solo/Rec/2100 yds/40 min)
I felt pretty good in the water. With my improved focus on nutrition, I have dropped another 5 pounds so I have about 15 pounds to go. I should be able to start jogging again and also riding my bicycle to work as other ways to get some aerobics in.
It is looking like I am 95% in for swimming my first Nationals this summer as I have the time off for an Ohio college visit/road trip to Cleveland with my son. We are also looking at catching an Indians game and maybe a trip to the Football Hall Of Fame on the way home. I also am planning to swim the OW Nationals at Lake George at the end of August, so a few meets. I am bummed that I have to work during the Baystate Games, which are at Harvard in July.
So, while part of me is happy (enough) that I haven't appreciably slowed down over the last 14 years as a Masters swimmer (http://forums.usms.org/entry.php?358...Age-of-Adaline) and, in some cases, gotten faster, the big question is this: what can I do to break the trend and, at least for sometime, get appreciably faster?
I know the basic answer is this: don't keep doing what you're doing; do something different.
The challenge is figuring out what that different thing or things must be? Some initial musings below, nothing rocket-science here:
Karl_s made a comment about my "goals" post a few days before San Antonio (http://forums.usms.org/entry.php?357...Track-to-Goals) -
Originally Posted by Karl_S
Um, I though goals were something you set at the beginning of the season.
- and he is right. Since 2012, I haven't had the right mix of focus, predictability of my end-of-season plans or commitment to really plan a season and stick to the plan.Mark Cox and I were talking one day of Nationals about what leads to great swimming / racing / results and the elements were pretty simple (to write) - consistency in training regimen and a great coach on deck (if possible).Though the results from 2009/2010 were confounded by the miracle of tech suits, I was far more consistent about a combination of weight training, core work and some other form of aerobic work outside of the pool (e.g., vs. recent non-existence of dryland work). As I talked at the meet with Sam Perry, a former AZ Masters guy who decamped to Fort Worth, we both lamented the loss of strength that comes with age ... unless you do something about it.In the process of training for some measure of strength, I can afford to drop 5-10 lbs ... gotta lug less lard.I did learn, though, from this past season that I don't need to do high volume to swim fast enough ... race pace training and race pace training at shorter repeats can work. I don't think I'm ready to jump on the USRPT bandwagon, but I rarely did a fast repeat over a 50 or a 100 this season and managed to produce solid times from the 200 up to the 1000.From watching both the pros at events like the Arena Pro Swim Series and speedsters in San Antonio, as well as from feeling what seems to produce the most power and speed for me in the water, I am committed to once and for all learning how to swim freestyle breathing only to one side, every two and with a strong kick.
I still have to ponder this all more. The one thing I am going to do, I am really, truly going to attempt, I swear, is to not focus on a "big meet" until Greensboro next spring. Whenever I think there is the next big meet in X weeks, I get focused on only swimming, fearing that anything I do outside of the water might detract from the time and effort in the water. I will still probably do a small meet this summer where I rest and swim some fun events, and I imagine I'll do the same in the SCM season, but I really want to devote a long cycle to building strength, re-configuring my freestyle, dropping a few pounds and oriented towards a longer-timeframe.
This week has been a week of transition that included:
Monday - hot yoga and a smooth 3 x 500 SCM pull at homeTuesday - a nice 2,600 SCM workout with my spring-to-fall sometimes training partner, Peter.Wednesday - In SCM, a quick 750 warmup (300 IM k/d, 3 x 100 descend w/snorkel, 6 x 25 odds fast from block) followed by 10 x 50 on 1:00 attempting to hold 30- while breathing every two (made 3, then was 30+ on 4th, easy on 5th; repeated) and then a 150 easyThursday - core class at the JCC followed by the same workout as Wednesday with the fast efforts breaststroke (aiming for 0:38 from a push in SCM, but ended up doing 1 at 0:39/0:40 followed by one easy and never saw 0:38)
I'll put something more concrete in place for next week, the summer and the year ahead of Greensboro. I just wish there was an order of events up for Greensboro so I could create a theme based upon the likely events I'd swim, e.g.,
"Get 3 Under 2" - break 2 minutes in each of the 200 fly, back and IM"Go For States at Nats" - while the National records are beyond reach for me, there are a couple of AZ State Records that are either possibly achievable (e.g., 1000 is 10:09) or a reach that would be fun to go for (e.g., Paul Smith's 4:45 in the 500).
... it is far enough away that I don't really need the OOE, but it would really fit well with my desire to think long term if it was there to plan for!
Updated April 30th, 2015 at 06:12 PM by pwb
The culmination of many months of planning and anticipation was realized this morning with the start of our 4th annual mini meet here at my hometown pool. Overall attendance was down from previous years, but we ended up with more than 25 swimmers and a lot of fun! There are always great stories from any Masters meet, as evidenced at our meet as some folks came out to their first competition, others met with friends and family for an annual splash, and we even welcomed an English Channel swimmer with her new start-up team!
As meet director (and brainchild of the meet), there are certain stresses that I have in addition to actually swimming. We had our main official (and the woman with the most knowledge of running the computer/timing system) back out a few weeks ago due to family vacation, so many others needed to step into new positions in order to make the meet come together. I confirmed that the facility would be opened early so that we could setup in time for 9am warmups, and our lifeguard was there when requested. Some mild headaches as the printer ink cartridges were dried up, and after not being able to use the facility's equipment my wife and son hurried home to get our wireless printer, which worked! So a minor delay in the start of the meet, but we were able to get the relays off and then I filled in some space with my list of "thank you"s and info on our community, so everyone was very understanding and patient.
I try to keep the meet in line with our USMS hashtag #FunnestSport by offering some great prizes and fun events. I bought some USMS silicone caps with my discount earlier in the year, the age group coach donated some maple syrup that she made this spring, and I was able to secure (yet again) some Stroopwafels from our local Dutch bakery, Bakkerij Krijnen. These all went out to our first registrant, farthest traveled (our buddy Lisa from NJ), first time entrant, and the winners of our Sprint challenges.
I again had the privilege in roping my one of my brothers, my sister and her partner, and my daughter into swimming so that we had an All-Leake medley and free relay, as well as a morning to catch up and get some exercise together in a pool that we spent most of our childhood in. It was great catching up and seeing how their swimming abilities have not diminished even thought this is the only time of the year that they get wet! Lena and the boys were our cheerleaders.
Our local team was well represented with Greg, Kevin, Ashley, and Amanda (with Melissa and Rachel helping out as timers). Greg made his famous Magic Bars for the concession stand and had some great swims as well, even after helping me get things set up in the morning - nice job, Greg!
Due to the delayed meet start I scratched the 200 IM to help move things along. I did the 500 fly (7:04, I think, slower than a couple of years ago), and was surprised that Bethany did fly as well! My only other event was the 100 fly (1:02) but was wiped out and could not get the SDK's going. We also had a blast doing the Medley and Free Relays together.
All in all, another great event for Masters swimming! Looking forward to next years addition!
Things to remember for next year:
check printer cartridges, batteries before meet
order more latex caps from national office
Happy to get a swim in tonight after some busy days at work. I joined Johnson at the bowling alley yesterday after school before taking him and a couple of the other exchange students to a local sugar shack to see the process of making syrup. I learned that it used to take 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup, but now it is closer to 47.
200 swim
100 kick
200 pull
4 x 50 Quarter's Strong
100 easy
8 x 50 on 1:10 free, best avg (used snorkel)
1 x 50 easy
4 x 50 on 1:10 back, best avg
1 x 50 easy
6 x 75 on 1:30 (odd easy, even fast) (did 100s)
1 x 50 easy
4 x 25 drag race from mid pool :45
150 easy (did 250)
(Masters/Rec/2500yds/60 min)
This is an old Fort hybrid workout that I like to swim at the start off my taper period, so I inflicted it on the team.
I had a quiet Easter due to having to work, but I finished an excellent Passion week Bible plan from youversion Bible app. There was a small gathering at my house, but basically turned into a birthday party for two nephews and a niece.
We now have six official entries in our meet at the end of the month. The coach that generally helps to run the meet is away so others are stepping up to help us. I am guessing that we will have around 25 entries.
The only other news is that I have started to use myfitnesspal again to help me keep track of calories. Haven't used it in a few years but i need the accountability to help me get to a healthier weight.


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In looking back in my life. My most painful memories and most devastating hurt always catapulted me into the next stage of my growth. Never thinking I would survive the deepest rips in my soul. I did survive. I pray the trend continues. The survival. Not the soul ripping...
Saturday, October 13, 2007
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If you thought the SEMA Show was full of just good-looking cars that never get beat on, think again. Thanks to the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) held November 6, 2010 at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump, Nevada, 40 of those beauties got put to the test. Now in its third year the event has really raised the bar on street-car competitions.
All vehicles must be highway-legal and pass a basic safety and technical inspection at the track before the Invitational begins. Cars that are invited to the event compete in five separate categories: road rally, road race, autocross, speed stop challenge, and design challenge.
The event started in the wee hours of the morning with a drivers meeting, where everyone was put into groups and given a breakdown of the events and courses. After the meeting the drivers ran their car through tech to make sure everything was safe, and also to ensure they were riding on 200 treadwear or higher tires. After that each group of vehicles was led on a few parade laps to get familiar with the course.
The only part of the event that was held prior to the drivers meeting was the road rally. This was basically a cool way to get all the competitors from the Las Vegas Convention Center out to Spring Mountain. There were 10 points available for the Rally if the competitors met for a group photo, stuck on the event decals, got two photos of their car in front of an iconic Vegas landmark, and travelled the 70 some-odd miles to Pahrump. This was a sneaky way to make sure all the vehicles could be street driven.
The road race portion was held on a 2.2-mile section of the racetrack that features multiple banked and off-camber corners along with a long straight that let the drivers lay the hammer down and wind out the engines. Each car was allowed three timed laps with the best lap put into the record. The driver with the best time received 25 points while second place got 22, third got 20 and so on all the way down to 20th place, who received one point. This is pretty much how all the points were awarded.
The autocross course can be considered the road course's angry little brother. The course tested how quick the drivers could pilot the vehicles through tight turns and chicanes without clipping any cones. Then there was the Speed Stop Challenge, which is a timed even that breaks down to this: hammer the gas and then stomp the brakes till you stop inside the marked out area.
The design challenge portion of the event is where the cars are judged on style and build quality-simply put, the nicer the car, the more points it could receive. There were only 15 points available to the winner and this one only paid out to 15th place.
Now if you think your car has what it takes to compete in the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational go to www.optimainvitational.com for further details. We have a lot more images and even some video that just would not fit in this story, so make sure to check out www.superchevy.com for the expanded coverage of the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational.


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How are people making excuses? By saying Burnley have been a tough nut to crack away from home this season?
Hope Souness has some really bad health problems in the future.Cannot stand the cunt.
Bit harsh even for a cunt?
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From The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (Dennis Webb):
As if it hadn't been bad enough that one of Colorado's worst droughts led to nearly 14,000 acres burning in the Pine Ridge Fire this summer outside De Beque, that same drought has hampered efforts to encourage important regrowth there. Seeding with a temporary cover crop intended to stabilize soil at the fire site, prior to distributing native vegetation seed, failed to result in nearly the kind of germination hoped for by the Bureau of Land Management's Grand Junction Field Office. There just wasn't enough rain this summer for the temporary vegetation, marketed under the name QuickGuard, to take root, "which is amazing, because it generally doesn't take much," said Wayne Werkmeister, the office's associate field manager.
"That goes to show how truly bad it is out there," he said.
The drought has made matters even worse for the field office because there were so many other big fires in Colorado this year that competition for reclamation money through the BLM's fire funding program has been fierce. That meant the local office asked for less originally than it would have otherwise for the Pine Ridge Fire work, and ended up getting even a smaller amount. Nevertheless, officials are buoyed by recent snow on the fire site, and hoping the snow cover will last into early next year, when they hope to carry out aerial seeding of native plant mixes.
"The more snow you have when you put it on up there, the better," Werkmeister said. Beyond contributing to moisture, snow helps drive seed into the soil as it melts, and the seed also penetrates into the snow quickly, reducing consumption by birds and rodents, he said.
The Pine Ridge Fire, the biggest in history within the field office's jurisdiction, burned in late June and early July. The danger presented by acreage denuded of vegetation was made almost immediately evident when a storm shortly after the fire deposited ash and debris into the Colorado River. That forced the Clifton Water District to shut down its river intake for a day and a half because it couldn't remove the smoky color and odor from the water.
A big flood coming off the burn area also could threaten the Union Pacific railroad tracks in De Beque Canyon. The BLM installed two gauges designed to help forewarn both Clifton Water and Union Pacific of further big storms, but the summer passed without further major incidents. "We dodged a bullet, so to speak," said Dale Tooker, general manager of Clifton Water.
He said the utility supports the BLM's revegetation efforts. Meanwhile, the fire helped revitalize the district's planning for infrastructure upgrades that would include a membrane filtration system that would make problems such as ash runoff in the river a non-issue. Clifton Water is raising its rates starting next year as it prepares for such upgrades, which had been considered years ago but were put off by the recession.
Sagebrush and wildlife
Revegetation efforts at the fire site also are important to trying to minimize the spread of cheatgrass, an invasive, nonnative species that can dominate landscapes. It dries out early in the year, which can lead to even more fires and more cheatgrass.
In addition, revegetation is important to wildlife, providing food and cover. Fire can benefit wildlife habitat to some degree, leading to a more diverse landscape if it burns in mosaic patterns, as in the case of Pine Ridge Fire, which skipped over parts of the area within the burn perimeter. Still, there was loss of areas such as sagebrush parks that are important to deer and also have been eyed as potential habitat for the imperiled greater sage-grouse. Jim Dollerschell, a BLM rangeland management specialist, said sagebrush doesn't resprout after a fire. This fall, crews tried to gather seeds from adjacent sagebrush parks and spread them in burned areas. "Unfortunately this year sagebrush seed was pretty sparse due to the drought," he said.
The QuickGuard cover the agency spread consists of a sterile, annual plant, meaning it's intended to immediately stabilize the soil but not reproduce and compete later with native plants. Its dead remnants also can provide cover from moisture-sucking wind and withering summer sun once native plants start to grow. It's so receptive to a little moisture that some of it that spilled along the runway at the Garfield County Regional Airport, where it was raining lightly as crews took off to seed the fire site, germinated a few days later. But as of late in the year, many burn areas continued to look barren due to the meager growth of the plant. It could germinate this spring and still provide benefits. But Werkmeister said it also now will be growing along with the native perennials that will be planted by air this winter, and will likely outcompete them and hinder their growth if there's not that much moisture. He's hoping the spring will be wet enough for both the QuickGuard and native plants to thrive.
The seeds alone, consisting of species such as Indian ricegrass and bottlebrush squirreltail, cost the BLM almost $900,000. The BLM will apply three different mixes — one for areas of best growth potential, one for steeper, rockier slopes, and one for areas where there's already a cheatgrass problem. That latter mix includes species that compete well with cheatgrass, including a nonnative species, tall wheatgrass.
Flooding concerns
The field office had asked for $1.9 million for the fire rehabilitation work, but will end up with about $1.5 million. It had hoped to use some funds to build retention ponds designed to keep silt from reaching waterways in flooding, but wasn't able to get that work started before Oct. 1, the start of the next federal fiscal year. Dollerschell said because there was so much fire activity going on around the West, funding wasn't carried into the new fiscal year and the ponds won't be built. Existing ponds in the area did their job in catching sediment, though, without being breached or damaged, he said. "So it'll be a focus for us in the next year or so to get those cleaned out so that their capacity is increased again," he said. He said canyons in the area "have a lot of rock and armor in them, so if you do get some sediment runoff they're going to capture a lot of that."
Werkmeister said the field office didn't get adequate funding to maintain the two storm warning gauges for the next two years, so it may be asking Clifton Water and Union Pacific for funding assistance.
Also, it was unable to get money to pay for seeding of forbs, plants particularly beneficial as browse for wildlife, because the BLM fire program had only enough funds to focus on seeds that primarily encourage watershed protection, Werkmeister said. However, Chevron and the National Wild Turkey Federation chipped in $10,000 apiece for forbs seeding.
The High Lonesome Ranch, which had property burn in the fire and also is a grazing permittee in part of the fire area, has agreed to contribute the use of heavy equipment for some of the revegetation work.
Protected cactus
The area of the fire continues to be closed to all but specially approved uses, meaning activities such as hunting and recreational access aren't allowed. "When you get a fire like that … in some areas it creates like a moonscape and it's very enticing to individuals to do cross-country travel because there's nothing there to stop them," Dollerschell said. That can add to erosion and creation of new trails.
The closure will aid in the revegetation work and provide protection to sensitive resources, such as the federally threatened Colorado hookless cactus. Seventeen of the plants are known to have burned in the fire.
If the drought continues into next year and seeds don't germinate, that would be bad in the short term as far as trying to stabilize erosive slopes. But the seeds still could grow in following years.
The 2011 Cosgrove Fire, which burned some 1,700 acres near the Pine Ridge Fire, was reseeded by air last March.
"Because it was so dry we had no seed germination or very little seed germination, which was probably a positive thing because if it would have germinated, the fact that April, May and June were so dry, even July, those seedlings would have fried, would have died," Dollerschell said. That seed may germinate this spring, however. "We've found that that seed can sit in the soil, on top of the soil for three-plus years and we still get some response," he said.
From NBC11News.com (Taylor Termby):
Water experts worry the inversion may also be giving some an inaccurate picture of the drought. "We do still have a ton of snow down here in the Valley, but that's snow that fell a long time ago," Colorado Mesa University Water Center coordinator Hannah Holm said.
Though temperatures are much colder than years past, many areas in Colorado (including the mountains) are warmer than they should be for this time of year. "[Snow] just hasn't been piling up in the mountains like it should. Each week the picture gets just a little bit worse," Holm said.


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While addressing a large group of American students via the National Urban League Conference in New Orleans this week, President Barack Obama attempted to ignite their competitive fire in order to better the country: "You're competing against young people in Beijing and Bangalore. You know, they're not hanging out, they're not getting over, they're not playing video games, they're not watching Real Housewives. I'm just saying it's a two way street. You got to earn success."
Oh, great. If we let the president come for our guilty pleasures, what will he take next?


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It's the end of August, and as much as it pains me to say it – summer is coming to an end. (Please, don't hurt me.)
The plus side, however, is that fall weather and fashion happens to be some of the best (unless of course you are a beach or ski bum). With the fall comes crisp air and perhaps a few more rainy days, and thus, some style adjustment! Maybe you're thinking of going darker or getting an edgier cut to go with the fall fashion trends, or maybe you're growing out a shorter summer style for the winter. Regardless, you may want to add that "it" accessory to go with a chunky sweater or tailored jacket. You may want to add… a chapeau.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen. A hair blog is recommending a hat. And no, hell hath not frozen over. We must emphasize that a hat is no excuse for bad hair. A hat should complement your hair, not hide a lack of effort! (Although, we must admit, if you can't help a bad hair day, a cute hat can work wonders…)
From fedoras to cloches, there are so many fashionable alternatives to a baseball cap for covering up your tresses. And if you're looking for that statement piece for a special event, look no further than the pill-box or fascinator that are back in the spotlight because of the recent royal wedding.
Whether you're going for pin-straight or soft curls, adding a stylish hat can make your hair look even better – emphasizing your style, if you will.
Here are some stylish chapeaus that we wouldn't be angry to see on top of beautiful hair for the end of summer and fall:
So unless you are actually participating in something active like a marathon or the gym, you have no excuse for wearing a baseball cap and hiding your hair. From the casual to the super fancy, there's a stylish hat for everyone if you need to cover those roots before your next hair appointment!


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Happy 75th birthday Paul McCartney!
On June 18, 2017 Paul McCartney turns 75 years old.
It just seems like "Yesterday" that I was twelve years old and watching the Beatles perform live on the Ed Sullivan show. Then seeing them perform live at the Hollywood Bowl in 1964. 53 years later I am still a Beatlemanic and proud of it!
Paul McCartney is listed as the most prolific songwriter in history. His first collaborations with John Lennon were remarkable. The two of them had a wonderful chemistry together and proved it over and over. The impact the Beatles made on the world cannot be fully understood by those who were not there at the time. I always feel that my life was in black and white and did not become filled with colors until the Beatles. That's the most simplistic way I can express what they did for me. To this day I still consider the Beatles the greatest group ever. I love many musicians but they can't hold a candle to what the Beatles did.
When the Beatles disbanded Paul McCartney took a much needed break from the world and retreated to his sheep farm in Scotland for a few years to recover from everything he had been through over the last ten years.
When he reemerged he came back with forming his own group "Wings" along with his wife Linda Eastman. This band had countless hits and Paul proved that he was more than just a pretty face.
One of the things that I admire the most about the man is the way that he lives his personal life. He was a very loving husband for almost 30 years until the passing of his wife Linda. He kept his family close to him at all times and none of his children have ended up disastrously. They all have their own careers and are quite successful away from Paul.
I am happy that he has found a wonderful woman, Nancy Shevell, to share his life with.
He is always a gentleman and never has a bad word to say about anyone. He always shows love and appreciation to his fans because he knows they're the reason for his success. His talents go way beyond rock and roll music as he has written operas and directed several short films.
No wonder the Queen made him Sir Paul McCartney.
I watched a live performance he did recently and this man can still Rock and Roll better than anybody out there. Please continue the wonderful work that you do Paul, because we certainly appreciate it.
Wishing you the very best on your birthday and always. You will always be Little Paulie to me.
With love,
Cherokee Billie
Click Here to check out my Collection of Photographs of the Beatles!


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Alex Rodriguez & Torrie Wilson Smooch at Lakers Game
The camera captures an intimate moment between the Yankee and the wrestler in L.A.
The answer to last week's question, "Is Alex Rodriguez dating wrestler Torrie Wilson?," appears to be "yes" – and sealed with a kiss.
Wilson, a former wrestling diva and a 2004 Playboy cover model, and the New York Yankees star shared some quality face time together Tuesday night as the Los Angeles Lakers played the Houston Rockets in L.A.
Clearly not shy about their feelings for one another, they had a little company during their private moment. Besides the 19,000 hoops fans inside the Staples Center, the couple were sitting with another glam couple, supermodel Cindy Crawford and her husband, upscale club owner Rande Gerber.
According to various sightings, A-Rod and Wilson, both 36, were together quite a lot over the holiday season, managing visits to Cabo San Lucas and Miami before Christmas.
Early last week, the two were also seen working out in the same gym in Wilson's Idaho hometown of Boise, according to local TV anchor Mike Murad, who Tweeted a shot of Rodriguez on an exercise bike.
And, just for the record, when they weren't kissing Tuesday night, Rodriguez, Wilson & Co. watched as the Lakers licked the Rockets, 108-99.


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Anthropologist studies reciprocity among chimpanzees and bonobos
When your neighbor asks to borrow a cup of sugar and you readily comply, is your positive response a function of the give and take that characterize your longstanding relationship? Or does it represent payment –– or prepayment –– for the cup of sugar you borrowed last week, or may need to borrow a month from now?
Adrian Jaeggi, a postdoctoral researcher in anthropology at UC Santa Barbara, and a junior research fellow at the campus's SAGE Center for the Study of the Mind, is studying this question of reciprocity, using chimpanzees and bonobos as his test subjects. His findings appear in the current online issue of the journal Evolution & Human Behavior.
"The article focuses on the question of whether individuals do favors because they expect them to be reciprocated at some other time, and, more specifically, whether such exchanges have to happen immediately, or can take place over longer time spans," Jaeggi explained. "We studied the question in chimpanzees and bonobos –– our two closest living relatives –– and looked at the exchanges of grooming and food sharing, which are two common types of favors among these apes."
According to Jaeggi, while results of his research provide some evidence for immediate exchanges, they more strongly support the notion that favors are exchanged over long periods of time. Calculated exchanges, in which individuals keep a detailed score of past interactions, are much less common than the more loosely balanced exchanges that take place in stable relationships.
"In the chimp group we studied, we knew there was a lot of this long-term exchange," said Jaeggi. "We didn't find any evidence for a short-term effect." Chimpanzees live in stable social groups, he continued, and have a relatively long life span. They recognize others in the group, form long-term relationships, and associate with individuals who have helped them in the past.
"In the wild, for example, chimps hunt for smaller monkeys, and they commonly share the meat. It's similar to what hunters and gatherers do," Jaeggi said. "Our experiment is meant to mimic the situation in which you have a large monopolized food item." Using grooming as the favor, the researchers studied whether or not a chimp that had just been groomed was more likely to share food with the pal who had groomed him. "That would provide evidence for keeping track of who has done a favor," Jaeggi said. However, grooming releases endorphins, he added, and that general sense of wellbeing on the part of the food owner might lead to more indiscriminate food sharing.
"We found that sharing was predicted by who the chimps' long-term friends and partners were," he said. "Grooming just before didn't play a role. Food owners didn't share specifically with their groomers. Nor did the groomers act in return. They didn't pay for the food, and they didn't reward the food owner's generosity afterward."
Bonobos, on the other hand, presented a different result. While chimpanzees have a formalized dominance hierarchy, food is available to most individuals, no matter what their group status. That is not the case with bonobos. Bonobos don't establish formal hierarchies, so they don't know on an individual basis where they fit within the group. Also, they don't form coalitions as much as chimpanzees do. "The food sharing situation sort of freaked them out," said Jaeggi. "All of a sudden there's all this food that's owned by one individual, and they don't really know what to do about it. They want to get it, but they don't dare, because they don't know what the consequence will be."
Jaeggi added that bonobos did a lot more grooming, most likely because they sought the calming effects of the endorphins. "And there we did see an effect of grooming on sharing," he said. "Chimps would go and take food pretty confidently, but Bonobos were more reticent. They'd reach out and then groom. It seemed to be that they'd groom to release tension, and then there would be these short-term reciprocal exchanges."
But even those exchanges seem to be more a byproduct of the need to reduce tension, he noted, rather than short-term contingencies used to establish reciprocity.
So, what do these findings tell us about ourselves? Jaeggi suggests we should take seriously this evidence of long-term reciprocity in animals. "It's really not qualitatively different from what people do," he said. "They establish these lasting relationships, and within them, services are exchanged without the participants keeping close track of who's doing what for whom."
However, humans also have the capacity for more contingent reciprocity, which raises questions about its purpose, and how it developed. "Maybe that's something that's more culturally learned," said Jaeggi.


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Welcome to the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce!
The Chamber has served our community since 1893. We're pleased to work together with our businesses and community leaders to strengthen the local economy and increase opportunities for our residents, not only for this generation, but for generations to come. Together, we "GrowJCMO."
... to promote economic vitality and strength in the Jefferson City area and be a leading public policy advocate for business people, to provide valuable services to our members; and, fully participate and partner in activities that improve the economy and quality of life. #GrowJCMO


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If you were looking for a sports car in the early 1960s it appears Coyle-Hampton Motors in El Cerrito, Ca wouldn't have been a bad place to start. We can't find one item on their lot that wasn't a little bit interesting or exotic even when it was a used car.
From the Corvettes to the Alfa to the E-type we wouldn't even know where to start the test drives if we were transported back in time to Coyle-Hampton motors—even the VW "shop truck" is cool. Unfortunately beyond the fact we're lacking a time machine, we aren't exactly sure what year we would have to travel back to in order to get this specific lineup.
Considering all of these cars are used—including the E-type—we'd guess at least 1962 but someone more familiar with the variety of early foreign cars pictured might be able to disprove that. We were also unable to source exactly where in El Cerrito, Ca the dealership is.
A quick Google search did turn up one very revealing piece of information about Coyle-Hampton Motors—in the 1960s it was owned by John Coyle, a lifelong SCCA member who unfortunately passed away in 2007. Upon reading this the fact Coyle-Hampton's lot was so full of fun to drive sports cars immediately made a lot more sense.
Photo Credit: aldenjewell