Wow, it's the end of May and it was c-o-l-d this morning. Under 50 is cold at this time of year. The Canadians at the meeet didn't seem to mind though. Yes, we did see a few Ontario license plates this morning, and we did stand for both national anthems. The Michiganders in the room were still coming down from the Wings win in Game One of the Stanley Cup. There's cup fever everywhere.
In the Michael Jones natatorium, we had Q1 fever, but we didn't get any today. We had to settle for one "A" time, in Lexy's last event -- the 100 Freestyle. She got slower in both her 50 Backstroke and the 50 Butterfly. We hope her swim camp in a couple of weeks will help her get better in these events.
Here are today's videos. My favorite is the 100 Free, where she went in with a 1:28.29, and needed a 1:26.79. She got a 1:26.60, and boy did I come unglued!
Watch Lexy swim the 100 Free: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sdOC2E3h-s
Watch Lexy swim the 50 Back: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_cNvAgsg1s
Watch Lexy swim the 50 Fly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHjAVGPhNOQ
Tomorrow night (June 1) is the Dolphins UNO meet. This is just a small meet for our team. More tomorrow!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
"A" Times and Q1s and Fastskins -- Oh My!
While diving was a fun distraction, it's time to get back into the (50 meter) pool and start the spring/summer swim meet season. For our first meet of the season, we're back at Eastern Michigan University, in Ypsilanti, where the pool is huge, the diving platforms are intimidating and the viewing stands are full.
On Friday night, however, the stands were only about a quarter full, as Fridays are generally reserved to get the longer events out of the way. We're thankful we didn't have to sit through the 1500 meter events! But after about 10 heats of the 400 IM, Lexy was finally ready to swim the 200 meter Freestyle. She has only swum this event once before in competition, last summer, so she had a whole year to improve and I was certain she would do well. Her previous time was a 3:23.48, and she needed a 3:09 to make an "A" time.
The video may be a little difficult to watch because of the perspective (straight on instead of from the side), and I swear I tried to control myself because Lexy hates to hear me cheering her on in the videos, but when I realized she was going to get the "A" time, I just couldn't help myself. What is a mother to do? Her new time is now 3:07.36 and she was in the "B" division coming in which means she finished first among the "B"s, but she will be seeded in the "A"s next time.
Watch Lexy swim the 200 Freestyle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3A-BQagP3Q
With this "A" time under her belt, over a pasta dinner we pored over the remaining events for Saturday and Sunday to see where she was seeded and where we thought she could achieve another "A" time, or even better, a Q1. Swimmers need a Q1 to qualify for the State Long Course championship meet in August. This is difficult to do, and many swimmers reach for this prize but few attain it.
One of the events we identified for this goal was her first event on Saturday, the 50 meter breaststroke. Lexy had a 54.14 going into this event, and needed a 51.09 for the Q1. She finished the event at 50.97! I was nearly in tears. She jumped up and down when her coach told her she had just gotten her first state cut. This is truly a huge accomplishment and we couldn't be more proud of her. If you are a Lexacuda blog follower, you will recognize the irony in that, at one point, breaststroke was Lexy's least favorite. I need not point out that is no longer the case! Now, we have to make good on our promise: we told Lexy that when she got her first Q1 we would buy her a Fastskin suit. These are the suits the Olympians wear, and it's sort of a rite of passage that swimmers get Fastskins when they break the Q1 barrier. These suits are buoyant and actually help you swim faster as a result.
Watch Lexy swim the 50 Breaststroke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeidsHIVCxA
Lexy's next event was the 50 meter Freestyle. Going in she had a 38.78 and needed to shave a little more than a second for a Q1. We thought she had this one all wrapped up and in the bag, but it proved to be tougher than we thought--she finished one second slower. Well, we have until July 31 to break this barrier!
Her last event on Saturday was the 100 meter Backstroke. This was the event she swam last December at the University of Michigan, when she had some sort of stomach flu. That day, she shaved 22 seconds off her best time. So, she went into this event with a 1:49.16, and needed a 1:43.49 for the "A" time. She managed to drop 5 seconds, to 1:44.44, about 1.5 seconds shy of the "A" time. These are all very manageable and I feel really confident that she'll surpass the A and Q1 times in both of these events in the next two months.
Watch Lexy swim the 100 meter Backstroke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FaLUwz5dKo
Tomorrow, we'll be watching her swim the 50 Fly, 50 Back and 100 Free! Can't wait to share more good news!
On Friday night, however, the stands were only about a quarter full, as Fridays are generally reserved to get the longer events out of the way. We're thankful we didn't have to sit through the 1500 meter events! But after about 10 heats of the 400 IM, Lexy was finally ready to swim the 200 meter Freestyle. She has only swum this event once before in competition, last summer, so she had a whole year to improve and I was certain she would do well. Her previous time was a 3:23.48, and she needed a 3:09 to make an "A" time.
The video may be a little difficult to watch because of the perspective (straight on instead of from the side), and I swear I tried to control myself because Lexy hates to hear me cheering her on in the videos, but when I realized she was going to get the "A" time, I just couldn't help myself. What is a mother to do? Her new time is now 3:07.36 and she was in the "B" division coming in which means she finished first among the "B"s, but she will be seeded in the "A"s next time.
Watch Lexy swim the 200 Freestyle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3A-BQagP3Q
With this "A" time under her belt, over a pasta dinner we pored over the remaining events for Saturday and Sunday to see where she was seeded and where we thought she could achieve another "A" time, or even better, a Q1. Swimmers need a Q1 to qualify for the State Long Course championship meet in August. This is difficult to do, and many swimmers reach for this prize but few attain it.
One of the events we identified for this goal was her first event on Saturday, the 50 meter breaststroke. Lexy had a 54.14 going into this event, and needed a 51.09 for the Q1. She finished the event at 50.97! I was nearly in tears. She jumped up and down when her coach told her she had just gotten her first state cut. This is truly a huge accomplishment and we couldn't be more proud of her. If you are a Lexacuda blog follower, you will recognize the irony in that, at one point, breaststroke was Lexy's least favorite. I need not point out that is no longer the case! Now, we have to make good on our promise: we told Lexy that when she got her first Q1 we would buy her a Fastskin suit. These are the suits the Olympians wear, and it's sort of a rite of passage that swimmers get Fastskins when they break the Q1 barrier. These suits are buoyant and actually help you swim faster as a result.
Watch Lexy swim the 50 Breaststroke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeidsHIVCxA
Lexy's next event was the 50 meter Freestyle. Going in she had a 38.78 and needed to shave a little more than a second for a Q1. We thought she had this one all wrapped up and in the bag, but it proved to be tougher than we thought--she finished one second slower. Well, we have until July 31 to break this barrier!
Her last event on Saturday was the 100 meter Backstroke. This was the event she swam last December at the University of Michigan, when she had some sort of stomach flu. That day, she shaved 22 seconds off her best time. So, she went into this event with a 1:49.16, and needed a 1:43.49 for the "A" time. She managed to drop 5 seconds, to 1:44.44, about 1.5 seconds shy of the "A" time. These are all very manageable and I feel really confident that she'll surpass the A and Q1 times in both of these events in the next two months.
Watch Lexy swim the 100 meter Backstroke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FaLUwz5dKo
Tomorrow, we'll be watching her swim the 50 Fly, 50 Back and 100 Free! Can't wait to share more good news!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Dive In!
To break up the monotony of laps, let's add a new twist. Well, before we add a twist, we first need to know how to jump into the pool off the diving board--over and over and over and. . .well, you get the idea. Lexy must have jumped/dived into the pool over 50 times in this first class. Here are just a few highlights.
Lexy's first diving class started with understanding the "approach", as in HOW you approach the end of the board. In general, you take about four steps, bring up one knee and jump, then bring both feet down onto the board. Then you execute your dive. Lexy spent quite a while figuring out the approach. The first exercise was to figure out where you start on the board. To do this, you start at the other end, and pace it off backwards.
Pacing it off:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whGJ4Fkiy0o
Once we have our approach squared away, we practice our form jumping in. (Bonus: you get to watch a guy whose been diving a while!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvh2U-AM7R0
Next she tries her first dive off the board. A little praise and instruction from the coach follows:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHAk_Fqgxnc
The next one isn't Quite as graceful. Hard to stifle the giggle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj1PggScfh4
This one's a lot better!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F94ZJeSpVqk
Lexy patiently waits for the coach's attention. Then she hits the board way too far back, resulting in the flip over:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6jMUt0F21k
This last one is my favorite! Lexy's first attempt at a backward dive. Coach Beth is out there on the board with her. Notice how the guy on the other board decides to wait until Lexy is done! Towards the end my phone rings, so the camera wiggles when I answer it -- it's Ed -- just in time to hear me moan sympathetically as Lexy hits the water!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY2gOpFydBM
Let's hope there's progress next week!
Lexy's first diving class started with understanding the "approach", as in HOW you approach the end of the board. In general, you take about four steps, bring up one knee and jump, then bring both feet down onto the board. Then you execute your dive. Lexy spent quite a while figuring out the approach. The first exercise was to figure out where you start on the board. To do this, you start at the other end, and pace it off backwards.
Pacing it off:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whGJ4Fkiy0o
Once we have our approach squared away, we practice our form jumping in. (Bonus: you get to watch a guy whose been diving a while!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvh2U-AM7R0
Next she tries her first dive off the board. A little praise and instruction from the coach follows:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHAk_Fqgxnc
The next one isn't Quite as graceful. Hard to stifle the giggle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj1PggScfh4
This one's a lot better!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F94ZJeSpVqk
Lexy patiently waits for the coach's attention. Then she hits the board way too far back, resulting in the flip over:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6jMUt0F21k
This last one is my favorite! Lexy's first attempt at a backward dive. Coach Beth is out there on the board with her. Notice how the guy on the other board decides to wait until Lexy is done! Towards the end my phone rings, so the camera wiggles when I answer it -- it's Ed -- just in time to hear me moan sympathetically as Lexy hits the water!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY2gOpFydBM
Let's hope there's progress next week!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
MTSL Championships, March 1, 2009
The bank's electronic sign blinked 13 degrees as we drove past this morning on our way to the final meet of the season at Dow High School. A total of 19 teams met this weekend to wrap up the season and crown the fastest swimmers in every event. While Lexy was not the fastest, she finished very respectably, considering a very slow start to the season last fall.
To begin the month of March and end the swim season, Lexy swam three individual events and one relay. She swam the 100 I.M., the 50 Free and the 100 Free. Mom was down on the pool deck as a volunteer timer, so it was Dad's turn to hold the video camera.
The 100 I.M., the event with all four strokes, has always been a strong event for Lexy. She recently broke the minute and a half barrier to qualify for the championship meet. She entered this meet with a 1:28.60, and finished tied for third, dropping one second to 1:27.60. She tied with another girl named Lexie! Since starting the season in November, Lexy has improved her overall I.M. time by more than 10.5 seconds. Way to go, Lex!
Watch the 100 IM. She's in lane 5, in the dark swim cap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIOkh2qjZT0
In the 50 Freestyle, Lexy started the season with a 38.69, and needed a 36 to qualify. She got that just a few weeks ago, and entered this meet with a 35.65. She placed fifth overall in this event, bettering her time by 1.5 seconds, finishing the season with a best time of 34.22. She improved almost 4.5 seconds since November. Another awesome finish.
Watch the 50 Freestyle. Lane 2, dark swim cap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnQl224SMTw
In the 100 Freestyle, Lexy was seeded very well -- among the very best swimmers. She finished last in her heat, and ninth overall, with a time of 1:20.04, about 2 seconds slower than her best time. Her events were pretty close together this morning, so she was a little tired from the first two. Overall, again, a very respectable showing. Since last fall, Lexy has improved in the 100 Freestyle by 11.25 seconds!
Watch the last length and a half of the 100 Freestyle (Ed's finger slipped): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JzuVVwtdk8
Finally, the girls swam their final 200 Freestyle relay, and bettered their combined time by two seconds. They are four strong swimmers, and I hope they can keep this relay team going into next year!
Watch the 200 Freestyle relay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mb5qkdZkjU
Now that the season is over, we are going to try a new class for a few weeks: springboard diving! We'll be back next week with a report on our first diving attempts.
To begin the month of March and end the swim season, Lexy swam three individual events and one relay. She swam the 100 I.M., the 50 Free and the 100 Free. Mom was down on the pool deck as a volunteer timer, so it was Dad's turn to hold the video camera.
The 100 I.M., the event with all four strokes, has always been a strong event for Lexy. She recently broke the minute and a half barrier to qualify for the championship meet. She entered this meet with a 1:28.60, and finished tied for third, dropping one second to 1:27.60. She tied with another girl named Lexie! Since starting the season in November, Lexy has improved her overall I.M. time by more than 10.5 seconds. Way to go, Lex!
Watch the 100 IM. She's in lane 5, in the dark swim cap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIOkh2qjZT0
In the 50 Freestyle, Lexy started the season with a 38.69, and needed a 36 to qualify. She got that just a few weeks ago, and entered this meet with a 35.65. She placed fifth overall in this event, bettering her time by 1.5 seconds, finishing the season with a best time of 34.22. She improved almost 4.5 seconds since November. Another awesome finish.
Watch the 50 Freestyle. Lane 2, dark swim cap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnQl224SMTw
In the 100 Freestyle, Lexy was seeded very well -- among the very best swimmers. She finished last in her heat, and ninth overall, with a time of 1:20.04, about 2 seconds slower than her best time. Her events were pretty close together this morning, so she was a little tired from the first two. Overall, again, a very respectable showing. Since last fall, Lexy has improved in the 100 Freestyle by 11.25 seconds!
Watch the last length and a half of the 100 Freestyle (Ed's finger slipped): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JzuVVwtdk8
Finally, the girls swam their final 200 Freestyle relay, and bettered their combined time by two seconds. They are four strong swimmers, and I hope they can keep this relay team going into next year!
Watch the 200 Freestyle relay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mb5qkdZkjU
Now that the season is over, we are going to try a new class for a few weeks: springboard diving! We'll be back next week with a report on our first diving attempts.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Missed it by THAT Much. . .Feb 21, 2009
. . . and now, turning to sports and weather . . .
Lex had a good day of swimming, but she didn't qualify for any more events for next weekend's Michigan Team Swim League Championships. She'll need to be content to swim the 50 Free, 100 Free, 200 Free and 100 IM.
On Saturday, swimming in a dual meet against the Bay Area swim team, Lexy tried her hardest to break the barriers keeping her from qualifying in the other 50 yard events. While she finished in second place in nearly everything, she was still a second or two, or even a few tenths of a second shy of a qualifying time. Qualifying times were hard to come by today, and Lex wasn't the only one who was frustrated.
Watch Saturday's videos:
200 Medley Relay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj8wg4qP0jU
50 Fly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0Lob7Wvrsk
50 Back: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX4IGeR9H4k
50 Breast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVd-VCbHvq4
And now to weather -- winter made a comeback in full force today. It snowed nearly all day, leaving us with about 5.5 inches when all was said and done. Just one more brutal reminder that winter isn't over in mid-Michigan until it is darned good and ready to be done.
Lex had a good day of swimming, but she didn't qualify for any more events for next weekend's Michigan Team Swim League Championships. She'll need to be content to swim the 50 Free, 100 Free, 200 Free and 100 IM.
On Saturday, swimming in a dual meet against the Bay Area swim team, Lexy tried her hardest to break the barriers keeping her from qualifying in the other 50 yard events. While she finished in second place in nearly everything, she was still a second or two, or even a few tenths of a second shy of a qualifying time. Qualifying times were hard to come by today, and Lex wasn't the only one who was frustrated.
Watch Saturday's videos:
200 Medley Relay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj8wg4qP0jU
50 Fly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0Lob7Wvrsk
50 Back: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX4IGeR9H4k
50 Breast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVd-VCbHvq4
And now to weather -- winter made a comeback in full force today. It snowed nearly all day, leaving us with about 5.5 inches when all was said and done. Just one more brutal reminder that winter isn't over in mid-Michigan until it is darned good and ready to be done.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Valentine's Day Meet, Bay City Western High School
What's there to love about a swim meet on Valentine's Day? A lot, if you're swimming to qualify in the state meet. It also helps when the organizers move the start time from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. I hate going to swim meets in the dark! This one was also better because it was only about 10 minutes away in Bay City and, since it was snowing lightly, we didn't have too far to go in the snow.
Lexy had a full day, with two relays and four individual events. She has already qualified for three events at the league championships: the 50 Free, 100 Free and 200 Free. She needs to qualify in all the other events: 100 I.M., 50 Fly, 50 Back and 50 Breast. These were the four she swam today.
I think you'll love the end of the first relay. This was the 200 yard medley relay, where all the kids swim their best stroke. It's always tough to decide who to put in the anchor position, and this time the coaches chose Bridget. I hope it is as fun for you as it was for me!
200 Yard Medley Relay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41OI9Ke-Zvw
Next was the 100 I.M. Lexy went into this event with a best time of 1:33.25. She needed a 1:31.00 and she got a 1:28.60!!! Help me cheer Lexy on to one of her best time drops ever!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF0p18cPhWM
Right on the heels of the 100 I.M. is the 50 Butterfly. The qualifying time for this event is a 44.00. Lexy's best time is a 46.12, and in this swim, she drops .09. You'll hear me say she missed it by .03, but she really misses by :02.03
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHGdusKhZ_w
Next was the 50 Backstroke. She needs at 42.00 in this event, and we went in with a 46.47. She Swam a 47.71. We have a ways to go with this one!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rotLnu46P5U
Her final individual event, the 50 Breastroke, was kind of weird. . .I thought she was getting in line to swim, but she seemed to be just standing around. So I got her attention and beckoned her over, and it turned out she did not realize she was swimming the 50 Breast. I showed her that she was the top seed in the event--last heat and lane three which is the "pole position" for swimmers. The next best swimmer was more than two seconds slower. So, Lex got in and blew away her 49.68 by two seconds! She also came in first in this event! She winds up with a 47.95 -- which is fantastic, but still :00.95 slower than the qualifying time. We have one more second to shave, and we have only one more weekend to do it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7lRusOT6Yg
And, finally, the girls team up once more for the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwBlS4FOTwA
Looking forward to next weekend, and the Midland/BAYS Dual Meet.
Lexy had a full day, with two relays and four individual events. She has already qualified for three events at the league championships: the 50 Free, 100 Free and 200 Free. She needs to qualify in all the other events: 100 I.M., 50 Fly, 50 Back and 50 Breast. These were the four she swam today.
I think you'll love the end of the first relay. This was the 200 yard medley relay, where all the kids swim their best stroke. It's always tough to decide who to put in the anchor position, and this time the coaches chose Bridget. I hope it is as fun for you as it was for me!
200 Yard Medley Relay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41OI9Ke-Zvw
Next was the 100 I.M. Lexy went into this event with a best time of 1:33.25. She needed a 1:31.00 and she got a 1:28.60!!! Help me cheer Lexy on to one of her best time drops ever!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF0p18cPhWM
Right on the heels of the 100 I.M. is the 50 Butterfly. The qualifying time for this event is a 44.00. Lexy's best time is a 46.12, and in this swim, she drops .09. You'll hear me say she missed it by .03, but she really misses by :02.03
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHGdusKhZ_w
Next was the 50 Backstroke. She needs at 42.00 in this event, and we went in with a 46.47. She Swam a 47.71. We have a ways to go with this one!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rotLnu46P5U
Her final individual event, the 50 Breastroke, was kind of weird. . .I thought she was getting in line to swim, but she seemed to be just standing around. So I got her attention and beckoned her over, and it turned out she did not realize she was swimming the 50 Breast. I showed her that she was the top seed in the event--last heat and lane three which is the "pole position" for swimmers. The next best swimmer was more than two seconds slower. So, Lex got in and blew away her 49.68 by two seconds! She also came in first in this event! She winds up with a 47.95 -- which is fantastic, but still :00.95 slower than the qualifying time. We have one more second to shave, and we have only one more weekend to do it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7lRusOT6Yg
And, finally, the girls team up once more for the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwBlS4FOTwA
Looking forward to next weekend, and the Midland/BAYS Dual Meet.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Lengths for Loot Swim A Thon, Feb 10, 2009
Lengths for Loot is the new annual fundraiser for Dolphins and Barracudas. Instead of making the kids (parents) sell candy / candles / wrapping paper / you name it, this year the kids had to swim a prescribed number of lengths based on their swimming experience, and get people to sponsor them.
At Lexy's level, she had to swim 150 lengths of a 25 yard pool (slightly more than two miles) to have her sponsorship count. She did it, in 67 minutes. That's an average of about 22 seconds per lap. She was allowed to wear her swim fins, so that made a huge difference in how quickly she was able to put those laps behind her. A couple of times she took off the fins and the laps took forever!
Here are some representative videos of the event:
Just getting started: HUGE Smile and chatting with Jennifer Yu!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqNk4II0P9I
Lap 35: Lex is getting bored with freestyle already.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htLdg02EPhk
Lap 70: She is getting a little punchy. What she is saying is that having a Slurpee makes you go faster!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oy4Ac2Lw7E
Lap 100: 2/3 done! She looks bored.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NdhHtc-DI8
The end is near! Four laps to go. That wasn't so bad!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRFB44VwnsI
At Lexy's level, she had to swim 150 lengths of a 25 yard pool (slightly more than two miles) to have her sponsorship count. She did it, in 67 minutes. That's an average of about 22 seconds per lap. She was allowed to wear her swim fins, so that made a huge difference in how quickly she was able to put those laps behind her. A couple of times she took off the fins and the laps took forever!
Here are some representative videos of the event:
Just getting started: HUGE Smile and chatting with Jennifer Yu!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqNk4II0P9I
Lap 35: Lex is getting bored with freestyle already.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htLdg02EPhk
Lap 70: She is getting a little punchy. What she is saying is that having a Slurpee makes you go faster!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oy4Ac2Lw7E
Lap 100: 2/3 done! She looks bored.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NdhHtc-DI8
The end is near! Four laps to go. That wasn't so bad!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRFB44VwnsI
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