2016 The Year in Review

Well...its that time of year to reflect on this years experiences and to look towards the clean slate of the new year.

While this is a swimming blog I will keep my commentary mostly focused on swimming related events however I will sprinkle in a couple of personal highlights along the way.

Let's start with the hard numbers. Through out the course of the year I swam a total of 931,242 yards in total pools and in open water. That is an equivalent of 529 miles or the distance from Boston to Mississagauga, Ontario, Canada a suburb of Toronto. There were a total of 219 swimming sessions for a cumulative 267 hours. I surpassed my 2016 goal of 450 miles by 18%. There was also a goal to write 24 swimming inspired blogs and I wrote 29.

I swam in a total of 10 new pools in four states-California, Colorado, Florida and Minnesota. California and Colorado accounted for seven of the new pools.  When I look back to the genesis of this blog swimming in 50 new pools in my 50th year I must say that I am impressed with myself to pull that off in twelve months. It's not easy to find new pools on a regular basis.

There were seven different swimming competitions ranging from the pool to open water.  Swimming at the Harvard meet with Hubbard, Jeff and Josh was good fun. I need to do more swim meets in the future. 

The open water events were unique in their own right with their own memories. Swimming with my friend Jen side by side (actually I hang on her toes) for a couple open water swims was fun. My three-peat victory of my age group in the Boston Sharkfest was a good boost to my swimming ego.

Far and away, the two big channel swims were the highlights of the swimming year. Estrecho de Gibraltar was such a fun and memorable trip from the swim to the trip itself in southern Spain and Morocco and making a new friend along the way.  The Anacapa Channel swim while a late addition to the swimming calendar in 2016 it was memorable in its own way notably that much of the swim was in the pitch dark of night. Many lessons learned on this swim.  For more detail about both of these swims see blogposts dated  6/19 and 11/27.

Estrecho de Gibraltar~Spain to Morocco

Anacapa Channel, California

Highlights beyond my personal swim journey were also high on the hit list.

-Road tripping across the country from Boston to Los Angeles to drop a car off with Ryan.

-Sean's graduation from Weston High School.

-Family trip to Acadia National Park

-Dropping Sean off at CU.

-Family trip to Los Angeles to see USC play CU in football.

-Going to New York City to see Hamilton with Courtney.

-Celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary in Paris.

Swimming goals for 2017 are quite simple; to train for and successfully cross the English Channel in September.  Focused training and with help and support from coach Chloe and family and friends I believe this is quite achievable.  In addition to that I want to swim a total of 600 miles, swim in 10 new pools, compete in at least one swim meet and write 24 swimming related blogs.

Happy New Year!

"Just keep swimming"~Dory

Ouch!

This was my first week in the water after 13 days-ouch! A very quick scan of my USMS fitness log aka "flog" it appears that this is the longest break I have taken from swimming in over a year and half or likely much longer.

To make it particularly challenging this comeback comes after a the annual MIT Z-Center pool closure for maintenance. Every December when the pool opens 50 meters long course. Not ideal for a comeback!

Post Anacapa Island channel swim in early November I felt fried physically with a sore shoulder and frankly mentally fatigued. Coach Chloe suggested a break. After the long swim I logged about 9 days in the pool with a light work load of just above 3,000 yards. December rolled around with some work travel, a trip to Paris to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary and the annual pool closure and we ended up at 13 days without swimming.

I have slogged through this first week back in the water swimming four times averaging about 4,000 meters.  It's always a bit of an adjustment getting use to 50 meters but by the end of the week I felt I was slipping back into the groove. Truth be told I like 50 meters versus 25 yards much better. 

The plan is to ease back into the "swim routine" over the course of the next several weeks to get the mind and body ready for English Channel training.  If things go as planned the goal is by mid-January to get back to approximately 15,000 to 20,000 yards a week and building from there. If for not other reason I need to start swimming to shed some added weight (not too bad). When you don't workout as intensely you can't afford to chow as much.

There is a small part of me that has enjoyed being a slug...thankfully it's a small  part.