2009 USMS Short Course National Championships

I'm just getting home having gone up to Yosemite with my wife after the meet. Wow, what a great time! Saw lots of familiar faces, some new ones, swam great and took in some absolutely breathtaking beauty in the National Parks. When I get a chance I'll have to post to my blog about it. I have fun at every Nationals, but I really think this was the best one yet. I commend everyone who made this meet a success. It really ran like clockwork. I would attend a meet at Clovis North again in a heartbeat! edit: I just got a chance to see my split in the last really on Sunday: 3 PNA 'A' 1:37.65 1:36.47 1) Dahl, Lisa W48 2) Coulter, Tamara W32 3) Nelson, Kirk M38 4) Valley, Eric M47 25.12 50.41 (25.29) 1:13.08 (22.67) 1:36.47 (23.39) I can sprint! I can sprint! Sorry, I just don't think I've ever split under 23.0 before. I probably false started :) Also, it was great to see Jazz Hands have a great 500 free and awesome relay split on Sunday. He seemed pretty depressed with his first couple days, but he sure ended with a bang. Kirk, this is amazing what you did in Clovis. Your 100 free was impressed too as this split. Yeah, i would go again to Clovis. Jazz was great and i think his time comes yet. Sometimes i think, Jazz could do great 200 free for some reason.

1)Bob got his revenge,barely,in the 50 BR,but I had my best time in 5 yr-30.35 2)how in the world did I get 3rd in the 200 BR swimming butterfrog-if you want to see this unbelievable occurrence it is heat 4 on floswim. Just got back to my computer after a weekend of cookouts and family gatherings up North, and was very pleased to see you had taken down the Strander! Well done! Of course you did well in the 200 BU, not BR with your butterfrog! I've been doing a bit of that myself, going back to my early days, and may show up at Nats some day, if I ever get in really good shape again. Right now its only about 10 seconds slower than my 200 BR, which needs a bit of work.

I saw one of these swims because he was in David Kays' heat. The Steinway actually hit this poor guy on the final 25. It was absolutely brutal. I watched this one happen: 27.61 1:00.43(32.82) 1:35.74(35.31) 2:16.34(40.60) while I was minding my own business doing this 2 lanes over: 30.32 1:04.71(34.39) 1:39.89(35.18) 2:14.70(34.81)

I LOOKED EVERYWHERE for a guy with FRESNOID stamped on his forehead at the meet. Thought for future meets (national and otherwise?): How about making up some t-shirts which look like the kind we used to wear in PE? Gray with some simple icon on them which includes a space to write your USMS forum name using a magic marker: USMS FORUMS +---------+ | | +---------+ (XXL) I'm sure more creative people here will come up with something better. If it flies, just put the design up on Cafe Press...

I want to get the record straight about my condition at nationals. Yes I did have pneumonia for two weeks coming into the meet, but, it was my choice to come and swim. Allen Stark beat me fair and square in the 100 and 200 *** and deserves all the credit as the national champion. I decided to "step into the ring" ,so to speak, and did my very best. No excuses here and once again congrats to Allen!!! Just being at Nationals and seeing all those great races and good friends was as good as it gets.

I want to get the record straight about my condition at nationals. Yes I did have pneumonia for two weeks coming into the meet, but, it was my choice to come and swim. Allen Stark beat me fair and square in the 100 and 200 *** and deserves all the credit as the national champion. I decided to "step into the ring" ,so to speak, and did my very best. No excuses here and once again congrats to Allen!!! Just being at Nationals and seeing all those great races and good friends was as good as it gets. Hmmm...so that story you told me at Mission about just getting out of the Betty Ford Clinic was a bunch of BS?

I was watching! I tried to congratulate you in person, poolside, but people you already knew had your attention. So now: :cheerleader: (I so do not look like that.) GIRL... I met so many Forumites in Clovis that did not look ANYTHING like their names insinuated or my own personal vision of them! Not mentioning this in a bad way - it was really fun! I just cracked up so many times when a swimmer introduced themselves to me by their Forum name! I still don't know who the Rich is that I hung with all 4 days thinking it was RichJb!! The "Team Hot Tub" area was the best spot to gather to meet everyone... Good Coach Chris knows masters swimmers and has just the right constructive critique or words of support needed for the moment. Chris Stevenson? Well, I was scared to meet the guy since I figured he would just think I was an idiot who couldn't figure out how to train myself. I read his blog daily and sit back in my chair in sheer awe of his work ethic, attention to detail and perfection. But no way... There was not a more approachable swimmer at that meet! MJSwims... the surprise surprise I had from the voice on the message - I assumed the wrong gender! The Father of MJSwims is also a USMS jewel. I had the honor of being chased down by him behind the blocks for a nice chat about his gorgeous photography! JazzHands? Some great swim community needs to snap this one up fast and furiously! Boy... Talk about looking into the eyes of swimming passion and the future of masters swimming. Very proud of this one. SPEEDO and the real RichJb both told me how nice it is to have a degree of mystery in identity - I don't know - everyone seemed to find me ok around Clovis!

Thought for future meets (national and otherwise?): How about making up some t-shirts which look like the kind we used to wear in PE? Gray with some simple icon on them which includes a space to write your USMS forum name using a magic marker: USMS FORUMS +---------+ | | +---------+ (XXL) I'm sure more creative people here will come up with something better. If it flies, just put the design up on Cafe Press... That's an excellent idea.

I was disappointed that I met so few people from this forum at the meet. . I LOOKED EVERYWHERE for a guy with FRESNOID stamped on his forehead at the meet. No luck. Since I did not have the privilege of speaking to you in Clovis, can I simply mention here - We had a most amazing experience at your pool during the 2009 USMS Short Course National Championships! You should feel very very proud of the work your teams did in hosting all of us at your beautiful FAST pool. ...Even though The Creekers SMOKED you! Glad you were able to rally and swim!

T-shirts would be nice. There are so many times that I realize that a forumite was at the meet about 5 hours when I left the meet.