Who's going to join me in Mission Viejo? :banana: I am looking forward to going back "home" to California!
So, it's time to play GUESS THE ATTENDANCE! Me first: 1,001 . I will probably end up being the "1" at the end; completely contrary to my usual manner of registering early. (My event selection and seed times hinge on where I am at with my current shoulder/leg PT program and what the doctor says about my :cane: neck.)
Winner gets a :chug: (or drink of choice) on me. (PWB, I still owe you a juice, at least!)
If anybody plans on visiting San Diego or Long Beach while you are in California, I lived in San Diego for 24 years, after growing up in Long Beach. So, I would be happy to answer any questions.
I hope to see you in Mission Viejo!
:D
Does anyone know what happened to Rick Colella?After 2 WRs and a good 50 BR he wasn't in the 400 IM and 200 BR,arguable his best events.
We were wondering the same thing, because he and his family were staying at our hotel. After seeing his family around the pool on Friday, we didn't see them after that.
100% speculation, but since Rick already has the WR in both the 400 IM and 200 ***, perhaps he decided spending the rest of his time in SoCal with family was more important than another long day at the pool.
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:
..., as always, the BEST part was seeing my Forumite friends, especially Debaru! :wiggle:
Right back at you, Aquadog!! :bliss: What a great experience!
Does anyone know what happened to Rick Colella?After 2 WRs and a good 50 BR he wasn't in the 400 IM and 200 BR,arguable his best events.
I understand that Rick had health issues (heart). He is a magnificent athlete and gentleman. I trust he will be able to resolve this issue and return to swim and set new records again.
Well, gee, that's bad news. I hope it's nothing too serious and we see Rick in the pool again soon!
Rick is really a class guy.I hope he gets whatever the problem is resolved soon.
I understand that Rick had health issues (heart). He is a magnificent athlete and gentleman. I trust he will be able to resolve this issue and return to swim and set new records again.
Well, gee, that's bad news. I hope it's nothing too serious and we see Rick in the pool again soon!
The following are some videos from Nationals:
Ande's 200 IM (Lane 8, white cap):
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That Guy's 200 IM (Lane 4, black cap, red suit)- Sorry I missed the start:
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That Guy's 100 Backstroke (Lane 6, black cap, red suit):
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95 year old Rita Simonton's 100 Freestyle. I want to grow up to be just like her! (Sorry I lost her in the sun after the turn; it was brutally bright out there!)
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I also wrote a blog post about my experience: elaineiakstravels.wordpress.com/.../
For any of you who would like a good laugh, check out the EXTREMELY slow fly portion of my 400 IM, swum with a subluxed (or dislocated) floating rib pressing on my kidney. Although I was in dead last by several meters after the fly, I managed to catch lanes 7 & 8 on backstroke and widened the gap on breaststroke. :D Feel free to offer any stroke critiques, keeping in mind I had to adapt my stroke on fly to accomodate the "OUCH!" on every stroke:
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That Guy's 200 IM (Lane 4, black cap, red suit)
Thank you for posting these! Muppet was next to me in the 200 IM, wearing the red cap. I wished him luck before the race and he seemed to have no idea who I was. :-) For bonus points, that day I was rocking my red Nike brief from last year's Go The Distance because I left my jammer in my hotel room.
