Cedar City

Well, if there was anything I decided this weekend then it's... Swimming is too hard for me. I should do an easy sport. If anyone could think of one then I might consider it. Hahaha. I guess I should start with our big county invitational. I was pretty happy with it. For being sick with whopping cough. I went 2 best times. I actually won the 100 butterfly. How that happened??? I am still very unsure. But I guess I should just be happy and move on. The 100 breast was a great race! Congrats to Expresso. I think we should always race right next to each other. We could pull a race like our 4IMs at CHAT every meet! Haha. Cedar was pretty good. Still sick. I added 2 in the fly but took first.. Not too happy with it. But I can't be disappointed either. Congrats to Latte on dropping a second!!! The 100 breast was not so hot. Added a second. The girl next to me made me feel crappy. That's alright. I don't care what she thinks. This weekend was great! My room was such a party. I love those girls. So much. Congratulations to our boys!! and not bad on the girls part. Not our fault.

~Coffee.

story time.

once upon a time there was a little person who freaked them selves out before their favorite race. They had previously done great at the last meet, but were feeling pressured to get that time again, and they were thinking way too hard about it. Long story short, this little person didn't do so hot. Actually this person did come in first, but got a not very good time. ..... And they were feeling down and depressed. and when it seemed that all hope was lost, and they were about to give up, their last race came. A relay to be exact. And guess what happened? Well they didn't get a best time, but they caught up to the person next to them by a full body length and a half, Killing themselves. But it worked, And they won. and they kinda pulled a Jason Lezak.... and it was kinda epic..... the end. :)

~eXpresso
ps.... haha it was me.

Good Job

Espresso/Expresso went a 1:16 on her 100 breaststroke

Coffee went a 1:05 (again) in her 100 fly and took 1st

Congrats to them

-Latte

....

RAWR. I was just bored. I have nothing really good to say... sorry.

Swimming is... fun?

High school swimming is pretty much all I expected it to be and more! I love it. My team has been great to me and I am so glad that I chose the school I did. I can feel myself getting faster and stronger every stroke, every lap, every practice. We have done two test sets so far. I was pretty proud of how many 200's I swam in 30 minutes. Too bad it had to be freestyle. The second test set was choice. It was 6x100's on 6 minutes. This test set was on a Friday, after waking up at 4:30 for morning practice. I was dead. But it being the last practice of the week I was determined to make it through. My times weren't too bad and I actually got one good time. I swam the hundreds breast stroke. Only because I was too tired to swim butterfly but I was glad I swam breast stroke. After not dropping time in breast in about 8 months, I went a best time in practice. It was crazy. And weird. Hopefully this year will be a great year. Even though half of our already small girls varsity team is either injured, sick or pretty much dead. We just need to keep our goal in mind. 

~Coffee.

Blogtastic

     Why, HOWDY!  It has been too long since this blog was posted upon. It is depressing. If I could just blog 24/7 I would.  I love writing so very much.
     Swimming is going quite swimmingly.  During dryland yesterday we did a decent amount of pullups.... My arms have some sharper muscle pain today.  It is difficult to lift up my backpack.  Good thing I have guy friends who can lift my backpack for me! I cannot wait for October... 13th? It is going to be the Blue and Gold meet for my highschool team.  I wonder which of my captains chose me? Of course I'll be less likely to be in hot commodity due to my slight difficulties with butterfly as of right now.  I am hopeful that they will look beyond that and I will be chosen quickly. 
     I am actually in school right now... My English class is quite fun.  For it, we have to participate in a class blog and contribute to arguments.  We have learned different techniques and ways to argue, ect.  It is quite interesting.  Though I do want to shred certain people to itty bitty pieces.  We have decided to make ourselves unknown to others on it.  We all have fake names that only our teacher knows.  We aren't permitted to find out each other's names. Unfortunately, I have a distinct way of writing and, already, one person knows who I am.  We aren't going to tell though, because if we do, our teacher will..... pretty much flip out and bad things will happen.  I believe the punishment is writing essays for about two weeks using the essay prompts from state testing.  Things like whether we should have uniforms, or cell phones, ect.  Really lame, bane-of-my-existence things.

-Latte

This Doesn't Deserve a Title

I'm super frustrated with swimming right now. >:|. I am doing exercises to strengthen my back. And my abs are getting much harder. Today was my birthday.... I got some spandex pants to work out in and run in. I also got my letterman jacket.

Freestyle.

So for the past 4-ish years, I have had this weird freestyle. When I started, I used to just kick normally, but there was this other girl on my team who swam faster than me who crossed her legs. Now because I was a little stupid back then, I copied her so I could get faster. I did get faster, but not as fast as I could have gotten I now realize.

Why do I say this? because this crossing my legs thing has been my freestyle... until now. With the new season starting after taking about a month off, I got in the water, and with out realizing it, my freestyle was fixed. No crossing legs. Why is this? I have no idea. But I'm going faster, and I'm super excited for this season now. There is something to be said about taking a little break I think.

First Week of High School Swimming.

Wow. I think high school may kill me. No joke. Dryland is harder than I expected it to be. Thank goodness it's a Friday. I might die if it wasn't. I am so sore. Wall sits passing around a 45 pound weight= not fun. Believe it or not. But it will make me better so I'm giving it all I have. All the girls on the team are so nice... thanks for that! :]] i love it. The End.

First Two Practices

SWIMMING. Yes. It's pretty awesome. Yesterday was the first two practices of the season! I wouldn't have called the morning practice very hard, but about an hour and fifteen minutes into the evening practice I was super tired.  I just wasn't ready to be swimming faster 50's! Not to mention that I decided to swim in the fastest lane.... It was pretty darn intense.  Dryland was killer.  We went hard with the bleachers and the ab work. Sitting against the wall passing along a weight isn't very fun. I thought I was gonna drop it! Oh well. It's good for me. and for Coffee.

-Latte

TOMORROW!!!

:D     First swim practice of the season tomorrow at 5:30 am. I am so pumped. Last Tuesday was the first dryland of the season. I couldn't walk on Wednesday.... yaa. Pretty much I killed myself. I thought that I had worked fairly hard over the summer to stay in shape and stuff, but I totally slacked off. It's kinda disappointing how icky I felt after our workouts. Tomorrow is gonna be killer, but FUN! oh and um a week from Friday I turn 16. Yup. I'm pretty not pumped for that. If any of my friends say happy birthdate I may just flip out on them and go on and on about how I wish I was 14 again. That was a good year.... This year was dreadful. OH WELL. This swim season is gonna get rocked by Espresso, Coffee, and me. BOOM.

-Latte

Goals. For Freshman year.

1. Focus. I want to make my pool time count. I don't want to dive into the pool and sing a song through all of practice. I'm going to focus on every set, every lap, every stroke. I also want to make my time in class count- if I have to be there anyway, why not learn something.

2. Inspire. We can all work on becoming someone that people look up to and turn to for help and advice.

3. Be Positive. "It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect It's successful outcome."-William James

4. Believe- in myself and others. The dictionary says that to believe means to have faith, confidence, and trust.

5. Make New Friends. I don't know who said this but it was hanging in my science class last year "There are no strangers here... Just friends you haven't met yet."

6. HAVE FUN!

Got any other good ideas? Comment!

~Coffee.

State.

Well, this season came and went. Really fast. Expresso and I partied it up at state (too bad Latte couldn't be there... stupid work). I made finals in 5 of my 8 events i think. Anyway, I swam my first swim-off. Bleh. NEVER TIE! It turned out well, I dropped 9 seconds from my prelim time and I dropped 3 from my seed time (yeah, do the math, i added 6 in the prelims) and the girl I was racing dropped two from prelims and went barely a best time. I kind of felt bad. But she's the one who wanted to have a swim-off not just flip a coin so I had to kick her butt. I officially swim super slow in the mornings. I made my first state cut for seniors and missed one by .3. That was good seeing as I will need them soon. But, the shocker was that it was in the 100 butterfly. Me? A butterflier? No. I wish. But no. Latte is. :]] The 200 fly was the race of my life, though! Congrats to all of my fellow teammates! We all did really well! And congrats to Jedi Kungfu Monkey (#2) and Jedi Kungfu Energizer Bunny at zones. Jedi Kung-fu Energizer bunny went a best time in the 100 fly (1:15)! Just a little jealous of that kid. Can't wait to be back and swimming with my own team again. Love you guys and I miss you.


Can't wait for my first year swimming with the high school!

~Coffee.

State

The summer swim season is drawing to a close. State is... next week, I believe... I may just cry. I didn't make it. again. Kinda slightly depressing. Next year, I will for sure. No doubt. I hope. Maybe. Please. There is a slight chance. yaaa.....
It is July 24th. Pioneer Day in Utah. It is warm outside, and it is freezing in my house. I wish my house was kept at the same temperature as Coffee's! Isn't it like 78 degrees there? Lucky....

-Latte

AHH!

So we had a meet over the weekend. Latte and EXpresso (happy?) are incredible swimmers. Expresso, I don't care what you say... you do deserve that suit and you are fast enough to wear it. :]] Latte still did really well after losing her cap on a certain race called the 200 fly! I love you girls. I only dropped time on one event- the 200 back. But that's okay, I'll hopefully drop at state. It actually looked like I dropped time on the 200 fly (haha, i went in seeded or seated a 5:23... don't know where they got that) but from my actual time i added 2. The meet was just a blast. I will for sure be bringing my ihome to ALL future meets. And guess what? most shocking news of the meet! I... yes me! I actually got a trophy! What? hahaha, yep, that's what i said. But it's the truth. Sorry about not believing you, Expresso, when you told me that I got one. Too bad my coach has it because my mom dragged me out of that place right after my 400 IM. I'm sure Latte did amazing on her 400 IM but sadly I didn't get to see it. :( Next weekend we have a last chance meet... thank goodness I don't have to go to it! But I might go with my little sister. Goodluck to Jedi in trying to make a zones cut this weekend and to all swimmers swiming this weekend and to our state team!!!!!! woot woot! So ready for state!

~Coffee

de de do do do... do da...

Alright.. so i have been lied to! my name isn't Expresso, it's actually spelled espresso? hecka no. I refuse. it is eXXXXXpresso. end of story.
"Tis a narrow minded man who thinks there is only one way to spell a word." -Mark Twain

by the way that is the best quote ever. So what shall i talk about today? Well as Latte mentioned, i was on a little thing called trek. that means that for about four days, i was pulling a handcart, getting really dirty, and waking up with frost on my sleeping bag. oh so much fun!!!..... actually it really was. i recommend it to anyone who has that opportunity.
So this might have already been mentioned, but at the last swim meet i attended, i did something kinda miraculous. So prior to my 400 IM, my mother said that if i dropped five seconds i would get an iTunes gift card. and then she told me that if i dropped 15 seconds, she would buy me a guitar. (i have been wanting one for a while now) so I swimm this thing in the morning preliminaries. I drop five seconds.
So i was pretty happy that the iTunes thing was in the bag... but then came the finals in the afternoon.
Me and Coffee both dropped 15 freaking seconds. I gave that a pretty loud AMEN. so there you have it. i get a guitar. my mother was pretty sure i wouldn't get it. MUAHAHAHHAHA oh silly mother. :)

~eXpresso

200 FLY?!?!?

Well, thank you to Latte. You did absolutely amazazing this weekend too! Both of us swam the 200 fly- we both finished. :]] I actually made the state cut. Now I have every state time that isn't freestyle (the only free I have to swim at state is in the 2IM and 4IM and possibly the relays). Latte has one beautiful butterfly and will probably kick my butt next time. I am so excited to have our Jedi Kungfu Monkey 2 back from Europe! And if you're reading this... I MISSED YOU! And I'm wearing the necklace you brought me back! Jedi is gone right now for some swimming and track thing. But he texted me and told me that he wore a team shirt on both Thursday and Friday to support us. I am so so so so ready for JO's!!! Also, our team is probably going to be having a t-shirt contest (says my mother). Any swimmers can design a t-shirt and then we are going to pick a couple new team shirts! The meet last weekend was pretty much a blast- other than broken bones and blood and me almost fainting. But other than that Espresso (spelled it right!) dropped 15 seconds on her 4IM and i dropped 13 to go a 6:08 (long course season). I must get my next age group state times before I age up! That's too soon but not before state. Congrats to the guy with a man crush on Jedi on a new state time in the 50 free! Little Miss I Got an Ugly Suit From a Grab Bag But Won't Stop Wearing It is in charge of the next team party. I'll help you plan it if you would like! We should probably do a chick flick and not tell the guys. Or a scary movie. SOON!

~COfFEe

Coffee is My Hero.

     WOWOOWoWow!! So Coffee maxed out on her state times with no freestyle.... Has that ever been done before? jk. It probably has. She is such an amazing swimmer. and so is Expresso. (p.s. i just realized that we made a major spelling mistake with her name! bahaha i guess we cannot spell either! It's correct spelling is Espresso. :D) When Espresso gets back I'm going to give her the biggest hug ever. :'( She's been away for a little while doing some trek thing. I don't really get it but I'm sure she could explain.
     Cappuccino is HOME! I'm so glad. Pretty much all of us are happy about that. But of course Jedi has been missing alot lately so it's like we get one back and the other disappears! ugh. oh well :) hm... so... um... Miss Grab-Bag-Suit-That-Is-Really-Ugly-but-I-Won't-Stop-Wearing-It needs to take her turn hosting our team swim party! For sure!
     I still haven't made any state times. gr.
                               THE END.
-Latte

About Time.

I know, I know... I haven't written in a long time. So here we go. Update on my swimming: I now have 7 state qualifying times (I don't know which ones are new since the last time I wrote) but I have qualified in every event avaible to me except any of the freestyles (DUH.) and the 200 fly. I am signed up for the 200 fly not at the next meet but the one after that. bleh. But it would be pretty cool to max out at state with no freestyle events, wouldn't it?
The meet last weekend was absolutely amazing. I learned a lot of things (like expresso):

1) NEVER base your life around sports... no matter how much you want to.

2) Willy Wonka was in the Candy Forest when he pushed a man down the chocolate fountain because he wanted power like Obama.

3)I have a personal bank account

4)Never go to a swim meet without the book "7 Habits of Highly Affective Teens"

5)Latte is one amazing butterflyer where i can barely qualify at a 1:20.

6)I am NOT a freestyler

7)On the 400 meter free I get more and more pumped up by 50's!

8)Latte would rather have Cappicino than me. :(

I don't know what else I could have learned but you never know at swim meets. I am so so so excited for JO's. Even though i know its at the end of July. I have been dead by then end of the day everyday this summer. And never again will I lead the lane while Latte is in the pool. :P

~COFFEE!

Swim meet

Today and yesterday we had a swim meet. Me and Coffee had the exact same schedule, which included A LOT of freestyle.
Now I am not one who likes the longer distances at the moment. however Coffee? For a person who has hated freestyle her whole life (it seems) the fact that she loves the 400 free, is pretty darn amazing....ly weird.
I also learned a few things at this meet.
1- no matter how much you stretch, warm up, and strategise, you will never be fully ready for the 400 free.
2- Your life is like a bank account. you can deposit good things, or you can withdraw with bad things.
3-Your body is a Buddhist temple.
4- Willy Wanka was frolicing in his chocolate forest when he pushed a man down his chocolate waterfall so he could get power like Obama.
5- DO NOT center your life on sports.
6- REALLY REALLY fast people might be very nice, but they probably haven't read a book called 'Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens'. and i suggest that everyone read it because its hilarious.
well, that was basically the meet.

~Expresso

SUMMAH

HEY! So pretty much it is summer. Yup. We survived the winter season! Unfortunately, there was no spring... but c'est la vie (that's the life, just for you expresso).  It is getting nice and warm outside! Thank gosh! Oh and I have a job. Ya, I am a lifeguard. The swimming pool is my official home now.

Today and tomorrow are a swim meet! Gosh, I am pumped! It's just too bad that I have to work tonight so I can't go to the meet today. :P oh well. Tomorrow shall be fun. I think I am swimming the 100 fly, 100 free... and I don't remember what else. Woo hoo!  Ah but I'm sure that Expresso and Coffee would agree with me when I say that we miss my ALS!!!! aka Jedi Kungfu Ninja Samurai Monkey Master. I don't remember what else we called her on here. She is in Italy with her brother, Mahogany, and with her friend and Mahogany's friend, Finnley.  They are having a blast. Apparently today or yesterday (whatever it is there right now) they are going on a segway tour. grr... Luckys.

blah blah blah.....

I am pretty sure that summer needs to come faster. I am sick and tired of sleeping in class, trying to listen to teachers that cant teach, snow, rain, etc. I need sun and i need my boredom to kick in. Yes, i'd rather be bored than staring at a teacher because you have to.

I love the sun and i love traveling, and i love making money so i can spend it all on iTunes, and i love frying myself at amusement parks. I love rampaging tourists to laugh at. I love waking up when the dream is done. Not getting interrupted by a stupid alarm clock. I want the sunsets, not homework. I love doodling on a paper and realizing its actually a work of art. not the small little crap doodles you do in math class that just make you giggle. i love making albums from lists of music that you love, and then doing all of the cover artwork and all that good stuff. I love going to midnight showings and staying up all night because you can. not because you have a project due next day. I want to lay down on my cold grass and read a cheesy love story. I want to make a good mix of the killers and muse, and drive for nine hours up to Washington and spend days antique shopping and hanging with my cousins. I want to get a good camera and take pictures. i want to go to Oregon and Seattle where the city is beautiful and you can take pictures to your hearts desire. i want the freedom of this country and not the chains of school. I want to buy a guitar and teach myself how to play. i want summer!!!!!!!!!

~Expresso

Stupid Mind BLOCK!!! Arg! Prepare to Meet Thine DOOOMM!!

     Swimming. Tis a wondrous past-time, hobby, lifestyle, and career. IF only it could be my career! Ah that would be so super amazingly wonderful! BUT.... Life doesn't work that way I suppose.
     Pretty much anyone can learn to swim. A few less can learn to swim competitively. Even fewer can swim competitively and do well enough to stand out. Only the elite stand out enough that they are chosen for various amazing colleges, clubs, and maybe even the Olympics!  Some may think that swimming is all physical. I'd have to slap some sense into those people.  Swimming is all in your mind.  If you think you are going to race horribly then you will FOR SURE drown in the water and embarrass yourself.  Once you start to think big thoughts and imagine yourself as a super pro athlete who can swim anything and do some major poneing, that is when you will start to swim like a star. 
    This past year I have started to really try and get in the correct mind-set for being amazing. It is so hard to do! Of coarse I've been swimming hard and lifting weights, ect, (though I have been doing water polo in the mornings instead of swimming) and basically I've been trying to be physically fit, but really.... I think I have a mind block.  Like when I sprint a simple 50, I can feel that I could go harder and much faster, but it's like my mind puts a wall right in front of me so that when I swim I keep hitting it and I can't go faster and farther.  I'm now determined to destroy that silly wall.  I want to be amazing and I don't want to let anything get in my way.  Even school seems trivial to me compared to swimming.  Of coarse I keep straight A's and I want to keep them that way throughout highschool, but, gosh, swimming is on my mind! It is like a disease. But I want to catch it and I want it to pull my farther into the swimming mind-set.
    Speaking of diseases, nonclothitus. I don't care if it isn't a "real" disease. It is to me and Expresso. Basically it's a disease (mainly infecting swimmers) where they just don't want to wear clothes! My swimsuit is just perfect, and anything more than maybe flip flops and a towel feel like too much. Of coarse I get cold and have to wear clothes, plus it's kinda against dress code regulations to wear my suit to school :D (laughlaugh) I wish I could though.
    It's time to be a swimmer.

victory; sweet and simple.

For the past year and a half, i have been stuck with one time in the 200 breast: 2:58.46. For a year and a half, the state time for that has been 2:58.09. What has been my problem? I have no idea.

Story time.

Once upon a time there was a little kid who swam the 200 breast in a meet and was extremely happy that they broke three minutes. When they learned that the state time was a 2:58.09, they worked to get that time. however, for a year, they remained at exactly 2:58.46. They thought that when the last chance meet came along they would finally get the state time. Well, the race came and went and still, they had a 2:58.46. Their friend told them about a wonderful invention called time trials. So this little kid paid five dollars to swim a race. shaking and confused behind the blocks they waited, until it was time for them to swim. they gave it their all, and when they hit the wall..... they still had a 2:58.46. full of despair, they left the meet felling lesser than when they had come.

So for the next year-ish, they worked and practiced till their legs fell off (almost literally). Then one day, the day of that last chance meet came. they were very pumped.

But once again, the race came and went and they STILL had a 2:58.46. They were extremely frustrated; almost to the point where they didn't want to swim the time trials at all. but with much persuasion from coaches and friends, they paid the five dollars and stood behind the blocks until they thought that their head was going to explode out of stress and frustration.

Wen they finally touched the wall after the race, they slapped the ledge seeing the .23 thinking that they had made the time, forgetting that little .09 detail at the end. when they discovered that it was in fact .09 at the end, they yelled in agonizing frustration.

So, they did not go to state in the 200 breast that year. instead, they went to B.C.

On this day, they had just gotten over swimming the 100 fly and free. they were in a fairly good mood, because they had dropped 9 seconds in the fly, having not swam it for a year. And for some reason, they were not scared, stressed, or anything at all. they had simply gotten the advice from their coach to "Just make the time already.". So, they dove into the water with one goal and one goal only: to just get the time already.

Yes, they probably went out way to fast.

But sometimes you have to break the rules.

The wall had been mightily smacked with their hand, and their head looked at the score board. 2:51.00. (Stealing first by a clear mile)

Victory; sweet and simple.

the smile didn't go away for a few months; and the smile from their coach made their year.

The end. True story about me.

~Expresso

JO's

Yep, i know it was like 2 weeks ago... but im finally getting around to writing about it. :) as Expresso would say, it was rather convient. hahaha, I dropped time in every event except for the 100 back. That was just a horrible race. I probably should have gotten my backstroke count before going out and swimming it. BUT I GOT TO WEAR MY SPEEDO FS-PRO!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, I'm pretty in love with it. It's my baby. Lots of fun greeting everyone. And warm-ups for finals on Saturday were so so much fun! and i did not end up in the pool when i least expected it like someone said. :P lots of very uncomfortable sleeping in a camping chair, and on jedi kungfu monkeys chest (hmm.), and not very much sleep cuz of very talkative girls. yep. Longest weekend of my life! But it was absolutely amazing and very fun!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh man, how I love my team!

Thanks for making state great guys!!! Wish you coulda been there latte. :]

~Coffee

200 BACK JO CUT!!!

The club team had a meet this weekend. On Friday I swam the 100 free (ugh, can you even believe it?!?!), 200 breast, 200 back, and the 400 IM. I already had my JO cuts in the 200 breast, 200 back, and 400 IM but I made my 200 back- I went a 2:36. Beat the cut by 2 whole seconds! On Saturday I swam the 100 back, 100 breast, 200 IM, and the 50 free (yes, my coach likes my pain). I added time in most of what I swam on Saturday, I think I was too tired. I am super excited for JO's. And to actually have a relay team! Woot woot! Also, congrats to the rest of my team- i think we had around five JO cuts made at that meet. Relay team in every age group except 10 and under girls! Boys placed second at the meet and girls sixth (and no, there were not only six teams :P). Amazing job to Jedi Kungfu Monkey #2, who took first place high point winner in his age group- and got a speedo bag for it! I am absolutely convinced that our little energizer bunny is gonna be the next michael phelps... JUST BETTER!!! Does anyone know how many events he is swimming in zones? And, Latte you must text me the location, and time of the high school state meet! I am probably going to come up and cheer you guys on! And, I am going to try to get Jedi Kungfu Monkey #1 to come with me! GOOD LUCK AT HIGH-SCHOOL STATE!!!

~Coffee :]]

Disappointment.

Hmm, I have not written for a long time! But nothing is happening in club swimming so I still don't have a ton to write about. CAN'T WAIT UNTIL I CAN SWIM HIGH SCHOOL NEXT YEAR!!!!! We had a home meet about 2 weeks ago... I did decently. I wasn't where I wanted to be on my 100 meter breaststroke. And according to my coach, I would have had the 200 meter backstroke time if I had just hit the stinkin' wall with my left hand. I am practicing that now... next time I swim it I WILL NOT have to hit the wall with my right hand. And I will have that JO cut! Not to mention the 100 back also! And congratulations to cappicino (did i spell that right?) on her JO cut in the 100 breast!!!! Oh heck yes, relay team for JOs this year! :]] Can't wait. I have another meet this weekend... hopefully I can do well. Great job to all of the high school swimmers who swam at regions. And goodluck at high school state!

~Coffee

Day Two of Regions :)

I'd just like to say good job to all the teams that participated in Regions. All of you guys are amazing swimmers and I am so sad that some of the swimmers won't be back next year :( But I am so proud of my team. :) the girls took 2nd and I don't recall how the boys did, except if you put the boys and girls totals together we won overall. hehe It was worth it to lose just to see Sean (a coach for the winning team) thrown in the pool along with the whole team. 
Poor Expresso didn't quite go a 1:14 in her hundred breaststroke like she had wanted to.... but I am sorry but I expected it. I mean, I don't think shaving and tapering necessarily makes you drop like 4 seconds. But it was still a great race to watch. Of course M.W. won. hehe she is such an amazing swimmer.  Also, the person with the same name as me did an amazing job on his hundred backstroke. I really wasn't expecting a 1:03 out of him... maybe he should swim ahead of me at practice.... And Dely Girl did a nice job on her hundred even though she gained two seconds. Everyone is still a winner in my books.
I can't wait for the beginning of February... that is when state is >: } I am soo ready to do amazing and pone people. hopefully... maybe. And Expresso better be going with me!!!

DAY ONE OF REGIONS!!!!!

Holy goggles. (yes I have taken to saying things like that lately :} it is really fun). So today was Day 1 of regions. It is sooooooo freaking exciting. Like, I cannot wait for state cause I might actually get to go, but this is so fun too. It was so weird feeling though today, because I only swam one race.... :/ It was the 200 IM.
Normally at our duel meets I am put in the 200 medley relay (event number one) (swimming the freestyle), then I swim event five which is the 200 IM, then I will swim the 500 Free (event thirteen) and last but not least I swim the 200 Free relay. But this meet is different. While I may be fairly good, whether or not I swim in the main relay or not just depends. Because I am not the best or a senior, I am mostly put where I can help the most.
So I gained two seconds in the IM. Ya my legs went numb like they normally do, and I wasn't out fast enough in the butterfly, so my main competitor that I focus on (Expresso) really caught me in the breaststroke. Cause I am not gonna lie. Breaststroke is the bane of mine existence. :P So here is my new strategy for the 200 IM. I'm going to go out fast in the fly, pulling ahead of whoever I can see, then on the back I am going to not over kick, and I am going to have my pull deeper in the water. For the breaststroke... well idk yet. I just haven't found a strategy for it that works best for me. Like I am not sure how my technique should be, or what. I generally try to imitate how I have seen coffee swim it... sad as it may be. Cept apparently that might not help cause my coach says breaststroke is more of an individualized stroke when it comes to technique. oh well. Then on the freestyle I am going to give it my all and have a killer flipturn and finish. That way I won't end up a second behind Expresso. Cause I am always ahead of her till the breaststroke, and then she pulls up ahead of me about the distance I had been ahead, then on the free I catch up a little bit, but it is never enough. If only it were a hundred free instead of 50.
Tomorrow I believe I am swimming the 500 and probably the 200 free relay... WISH ME LUCK!!! Hopefully I will not have a late start on the relay... :/ Good luck to Expresso too :)

-Latte

Frustrations

Today I had the wonderful honor of swimming in a magnificent swim meet (surprise surprise). So I was rather looking forward to this particular meet, because I would be racing coffee in my preferred event, the fantastic 100 yard Breaststroke. For I knew that I would try extra hard to beet coffee, therefore would reach my goal time of a 1:19. I, at the time had a 1:20.15 (basically on the wire I know). So, I did what I usually do, (listened to music, cheered on team mates, etc.) but there was one glitch I failed to recognize. about a half hour before my race, I gave in to one of my greatest weaknesses offered to me by latte. Yes, I must confess that I had a cinnamon pop tart. I am convinced that, had I eaten a more healthier choice of food for my energy, I would have succeeded in my desired goal time. Instead however, I furthered my self on to the wire by dropping .03 of a second. This means that my time is now a 1:20.12. the difference between that and my goal time is about an inch and a half. At the present, I am EXTREMELY frustrated.

So lesson of the day?

DO NOT. I REPEAT DO NOT. EAT JUNK FOOD BEFORE A RACE. INCLUDING POP TARTS AND GUMMY BEARS!!!! It will only put grief upon your shoulders at the fact that, had you not eaten that, you would have made your goal time. Instead, I would advise you to have a good banana (the miracle food) or something that would benefit you better than junk. It makes all the difference. TRUST ME.

yours truly,

~Expresso