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