2013 Summer Nationals in Mission Viejo

My thoughts about Nationals: In one word: AWESOME! :applaud: Expecting it to be a complete zoo in the warm-up pools and shower/restroom facilities, I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to get in good warm-ups and cool downs. The teaching pool was less crowded; I usually only had to share a lane with one or two other people. Although it was crowded in the restrooms, I never had to wait for a shower and there was a boatload of Tri-Swim products to use. Thanks, Tri-Swim! :agree: Mission Viejo did an excellent job running the meet, keeping it pretty much on schedule. And, the volunteers and staff were outstanding! The steel drum player and guitarist were a nice touch; I loved the way they changed the lyrics to the songs for swimming and U.S. Masters. :D A HUGE thanks to Rob Butcher and the USMS staff for everything they did to make this a terrific meet! Hey, Natadores, you guys rock! I loved the logo and the medals are AWESOME! Your team did a great job on everything; the details were a great touch: They actually went out and bought several pairs of reading glasses, tied them to long strings, and hung them from the heat sheats and results boards. :lmao: As for the parking, it wasn't as bad as expected. We were able to park in the lot every single day, by arriving at 6:30 AM. My event was the first one each day, so it worked out great. They also paid the city to allow street parking where it is usually not permitted. Other thoughts: -Dara Torres was a class act; she came early and left late and was fantastic! -Hammer Nutrition was amazing, giving out loads of samples and supporting the swimmers with everything they needed. THANK YOU HAMMER NUTRITION!!! :agree: Personal highlights: Although I ended up "racing" with a dislocated rib (details in the Swim Happy thread), I loved every minute in that pool. The highlight, though was getting to race on a relay with world record holder Diann Uustal, a total class act. She actually thanked me and gave me a hug and kiss for swimming with her on the relay! :smooch: That medal means the world to me, even though we came in 6th place, because of me slowing the team down. Finally, as always, the BEST part was seeing my Forumite friends, especially Debaru! :wiggle: Getting to meet That Guy was another highlight. (I'll get back to you later on that post, buddy :bighug:). I also got to see Bill Sive again, and spend some time with Ande. But, I missed pwb! :bitching: I still owe you those beers! Thanks to everybody for making this another fantastic and memorable experience! :ohyeah: And, congratulations to my six Georgia Masters teammates. Between the seven of us, we accumulated enough points to place 7th out of 19 regional teams! You gals rock!

My thoughts about Nationals: In one word: AWESOME! :applaud: Expecting it to be a complete zoo in the warm-up pools and shower/restroom facilities, I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to get in good warm-ups and cool downs. The teaching pool was less crowded; I usually only had to share a lane with one or two other people. Although it was crowded in the restrooms, I never had to wait for a shower and there was a boatload of Tri-Swim products to use. Thanks, Tri-Swim! :agree: Mission Viejo did an excellent job running the meet, keeping it pretty much on schedule. And, the volunteers and staff were outstanding! The steel drum player and guitarist were a nice touch; I loved the way they changed the lyrics to the songs for swimming and U.S. Masters. :D A HUGE thanks to Rob Butcher and the USMS staff for everything they did to make this a terrific meet! Hey, Natadores, you guys rock! I loved the logo and the medals are AWESOME! Your team did a great job on everything; the details were a great touch: They actually went out and bought several pairs of reading glasses, tied them to long strings, and hung them from the heat sheats and results boards. :lmao: As for the parking, it wasn't as bad as expected. We were able to park in the lot every single day, by arriving at 6:30 AM. My event was the first one each day, so it worked out great. They also paid the city to allow street parking where it is usually not permitted. Other thoughts: -Dara Torres was a class act; she came early and left late and was fantastic! -Hammer Nutrition was amazing, giving out loads of samples and supporting the swimmers with everything they needed. THANK YOU HAMMER NUTRITION!!! :agree: Personal highlights: Although I ended up "racing" with a dislocated rib (details in the Swim Happy thread), I loved every minute in that pool. The highlight, though was getting to race on a relay with world record holder Diann Uustal, a total class act. She actually thanked me and gave me a hug and kiss for swimming with her on the relay! :smooch: That medal means the world to me, even though we came in 6th place, because of me slowing the team down. Finally, as always, the BEST part was seeing my Forumite friends, especially Debaru! :wiggle: Getting to meet That Guy was another highlight. (I'll get back to you later on that post, buddy :bighug:). I also got to see Bill Sive again, and spend some time with Ande. But, I missed pwb! :bitching: I still owe you those beers! Thanks to everybody for making this another fantastic and memorable experience! :ohyeah: And, congratulations to my six Georgia Masters teammates. Between the seven of us, we accumulated enough points to place 7th out of 19 regional teams! You gals rock!