The Canadian 2008

Well, first off, many thanks to Terry McKinty, the good folks at Somersault Events, and the many volunteers who made The Canadian 2008 a great success. Well done!!

A good group of Technosport athletes participated in memory of April, reported here by CJOH (video on the right hand side of the page). Others came to cheer us on, and to volunteer throughout the day. Below is the bunch of us that were available for the 7:30 group photo. Photo Credit: Vincent Richer. Enlarge with a mouse click.



The half iron distance beach start was at 9:00, following a moment of silence for April. Pedro was our official starter. The start was, well, your typical washing machine. I would have liked to have been out of the fray earlier, but it is what it is. Note to self: Tightening the goggle strap and dealing with short-term pain is probably worth it. Gen and I had special permission from the race director to pass our chips to teammates from the water's edge, as it is a 400 metre run up to the timing mats and transition, and at the moment we're both too gimpy for that! Walla ran my chip up to Megan, and officially crossed the timing mat at :34:47. So it was not a brilliant swim, but solid at 1:44/100 metres. The water, by the way, was lovely! However, my suit does now have a kind of been swimming in a lake smell about it.

I stayed on the beach, got out my IMAZ cowbell and rang the remainder of the half-iron folks in, along with the try-a-tri folks who had the last swim starts. The cowbell got many thanks for its participation throughout the day, and athlete requests for "more cowbell".

I went out and joined other teammates cheering on the bike course. Megan, Team WAM!'s cyclist, did a great job and completed her leg in 3:01:49 — right on the money with her pre-race estimate of three to three and quarter hours! And I must say by this time, it was between 23° and 25°C, with humidity ranging up to 73%. So it felt like closer to 30°C (86°F).

So Walla and her IPOD set off on the run, and really got it done in the heat! 1:58:12. Cowbells ring through IPODs, though.

Team WAM! accomplished our objective — in our own way we completed the half-iron tri that April wanted to do — in her honour. I like to think she would have appreciated our efforts, finishing up in 5:37:09. We had estimated our finish time at 5:50 or faster. So this one's for you, April!

P.S. While I was out on the run course ringing and yelling I also managed to get some specific cheering in for Plant lifeguard Colin and fellow lane swimmer Louis who headed out on their marathon runs to finish their iron distance races. Oh — and as we were massing for the group picture I ran into Ron W from SRB days. Ronnie did the sprint in 1:44.04.

P.P.S. And to those of you at IM Lou today — you know I'll be athlete tracking like a maniac.

Packet Pick Up ... Check!

I still have to decide which suit I'm wearing tomorrow, but at this point I'm thinking I may wiggle into my full leg suit. That will entertain The Boarder. It won't be hot tomorrow morning; they are saying this drizzle will continue till 8:00; and there is to be a minute of silence for April before the half-iron participants (solo and relay) start at 9:00.

Yay or Nay ...

Really, no matter how appealing this sounds to me, I am sure that The Boarder will be Opposed. Vehemently so.

P.S. Last night he got an email containing best wishes for his upcoming birthday. It was almost one year ago he had his first visit with Daren.

Cause and Effect ...

I had the new ($608) lenses put in my bifocals yesterday afternoon. Lo! Behold! It was ever so much easier to read labels in the supermarket last night. And to read things significantly farther away. Milk carton best before dates from at least 5 feet and through the glass doors! Still a little depth perception issue, but I think that will dissipate in no time as I become accustomed to seeing better. Next up on the vision front: readers! That way finicky jewellery stuff will go much better, I'm sure.

In other news, the Olympic Effect* seems to be impacting my life. I cannot tell you how stupid busy lane swim was last night! On the up side, I had great commiseration from the lifeguards. Our team practices begin a bit later this year as our home pool undergoes renovations. So there are many more lane swims in my near future. I wonder if we will see a decrease in attendance by mid-September? Now, please understand, I absolutely want to encourage people to live a healthy and fit lifestyle. I just find eight or nine people in the lane not tremendously conducive to it.

* This very similar in my mind to the Resolutionist Effect at New Year's. Suddenly the pool is cluttered with people. The volume generally tails off in a couple of weeks.

Fuddle Duddle!!

Sometimes I just have to listen to my uterus.

Last night was one of those times. So as much as I wanted to head over to the pool, it just wasn't happening. I have been blessed for most of my life to have only minor issues with my cycle. But as mental pause looms, my uterus seems have moments when it thinks it is in charge!! Stupid uterus!

On the up side, I slept a good chunk of the night. Especially helpful as this will not contribute to a good night's sleep tonight.

To the person who stole the boxes I had out last night for charity pick-up today: I really do hope you needed those things, because if you do, I'm okay with it.

On the books today: most of my annual physical, new lenses for my bifocals, groceries, and an easy swim. I guess I'll be staying out of trouble!

Scolded!

Yesterday I got in trouble. With Tipper*.

I was wandering over for our morning visit, when I got distracted.

By Horton.

Horton is a charming tabby that lives down the road. Horton was interested in a nice neighbourly visit. With some belly rubbing. And some sidewalk rolling. So there I was, talking to Horton, rubbing Horton's belly when it was presented, admiring the quality and enjoyment of dusty sidewalk rolling, and generally relishing our encounter.

However, somewhere, off in the distance I could hear another cat.

You know the kind of sound I'm talking about. That plaintive yet assertive call a territorial male makes while wandering the perimeters — advising all and sundry that the area in question is most definitely spoken for.

Horton was unperturbed. As I generally consider cats I know to be good judges of such a situation, we just carried on.

But the calling got louder and louder and louder and louder.

Gradually, as Horton rolled and I rubbed, a thought began working its way into my head. You see, I am quite accustomed to being bossed around by cats with distinctive voices. And that call sounded pretty familiar. In fact, it sounded an awful lot like Tipper ...

I turned to look at Tipper's house, and sure enough, there in an upstairs window was Tipper on red alert hollering at me for all he was worth!! So I dutifully said good-bye to Horton, who was really quite content, and continued over to Tipper's to get my come-uppance! Which mostly consisted of a stern talking to on the way to the food dishes followed by intense cuddling and purring.

* If you don't know or have forgotten what Tipper looks like, his photo is at the bottom of this post.

All The Better To See You With!

So ... looming on the horizon is our half-iron tri relay next Saturday. Technosport has a skills and drills camp September 9 - 12. And then it will be a whole new season! Crazy!

I picked up my new distance glasses on Friday afternoon.* Lo and behold! After a period of adjustment, I see better. This image shows the shape, but not the colour of the Max Mara frames — a transparent tortoiseshell base with a dusky blue overlay that appears either purple, maroon or brown, depending on the light.



This Tuesday I'll have the new lenses put into my bifocals, and then the glasses themselves adjusted. After my annual physical. Ugh. But then I'll see much better!

Rebecca over at The Space Between My Peers is making herself over in honour of turning 45 — she's invited us to come along for the ride. I won't be going quite that far, but I will make a particular effort to post any wardrobe updates along the way. In January I age up and will compete in the 50 - 54 age group!

* Yes, on Tuesday they said 7-10 days. So imagine the pleasant surprise I had when the phone rang Friday morning to say my glasses were in!

Swimming With the Fishes!

On our standard Saturday morning swim at Meech Lake (from Blanchet beach), on my first loop out around the island, I saw four fishes! Not like my brother might see on one of his swims, but fishes nonetheless. In retrospect I should have slowed down for a better look, as they weren't there on subsequent loops, especially since this is the first time I've spotted any, but I would guess they were either creek chubs or brook trout. And there was some nice dorsal fin flaring going on.

Labour Day's Coming!

Mercifully on September 2nd the kids will go back to school and the public pool schedules change — there will be lanes open at Plant for lap swimming throughout the daylight hours. It's not just the flexibility in my own schedule I am looking forward to. As the construction destruction continues on Somerset, drivers in the evening are not feeling the need to stop at the red light. Because nobody can hit them from a closed street, right? Consequently rolling through while a pedestrian is crossing is more de rigeur than one might think. It seems that more often than not I end up arriving at the pool shaking like a leaf.

I realize I am much more sensitive to vehicles moving while I am in an intersection than most. Maybe even moreso this summer. The police are still searching for a vehicle that left the scene after killing a homeless person. Lillian Westell, 98, was killed in a crosswalk at a short light this week. And of course, there was the tragedy of April's death.

In fact, I had a loud conversation last night with a male driver with two passengers (including a child) who felt the light didn't apply to him, and I should have some how known that it was completely safe for his moving car to approach me while I was crossing. There seems to be a complete lack of understanding that this is intimidating at best, not to mention illegal. It's not the first time I've been in that intersection screaming like a fishwife.

It was not exactly in jest I suggested to our city councillor in the locker room the other day that the city could have made a small fortune (and supplemented my tax dollars) by installing a red light camera at least for the duration of the destruction!

Good Sports ...

♦ A journalist actually tried to follow the Phelps meal plan that was in the news last week! The original article can be found here. Note that it suggests you not try this at home!

♦ And can you guess what the fastest growing sport in the Cayman Islands is? Apparently it is hockey!

♦ I am trying to organize my thoughts around what I'll need to lug about with me at The Canadian triathlon. In that vein I bought a new bottle of sunscreen this week. I think my IMAZ cowbell will have to come along, too.

♦ Lise and I saw a charming film yesterday — Un été sans point ni coup sûr. A coming of age film that uses baseball as its vehicle, it is well worth seeing!

♦ Finally, in this morning's paper, Mark Sutcliffe manages to give me hives!

Bits & Bobs ..

Unfortified by coffee (or fluids of other sorts) or breakfast, I headed out to get my annual bloodwork and ECG done this morning. Everything always takes longer than expected. My resting heart rate was 66. My brain, however, was borderline non-functional.

In other news, yesterday I found a sale on frames and lenses at Laurier Optical. So a pair of tortoiseshelly Max Mara frames will be fitted with brown transitions lenses for distance. The frames and lenses were half price, so the damage is under $255. But because nothing is ever simple or easy, the brown coating takes longer than the grey. So 7 - 10 days from now, I should be able to pick up new glasses. Next up on the eyewear front: over the counter readers for doing jewellery stuff!

And now, as a reward, I'm off to a matinée with Lise!

Silver Linings ...

I've largely stayed away from blogging about the Olympics, but there are a couple of things truly worthy of note from the past 24 hours. The triathletes in the crowd will be well aware of today's mens results. In the wee small hours this morning I was silently cheering with all I had for Simon Whitfield. What a fine race, an enormous effort, and an excellent result! And it is important to note that the efforts of Colin Jenkins were key to a podium finish. But what will doubtless be the emotional moment of the games for me is the silver medal performance of the Canadian show jumping team. Down one partnership, the team excelled and found themselves in a jump off for gold. The Americans put together a brilliant jump off, but the Canadians had an extraordinary competition and came away with the silver medal. Ian Millar (also known as Captain Canada), in this his ninth Olympic games, at the tender age of 61 has his first Olympic medal! The National Post reports on his journey here. Finally, here is a story from Swimnetwork that gives us an additional reason to follow the final swimming event of the games. It's sure worth the click.

Saturday Report ...

In which I am enlisted to cat sit Tipper, to pill Cloris, and to amuse Onyx. So don't mind me if I'm a little catty!

Sitting Tipper is the easiest assignment. If I would like to leave, I simply provide him with food from a tin and sneak out as he purrs happily while he partakes. Clearly that stuff comes directly from Ceiling Cat. I note that I do look like I could build another cat from the nice black hair he leaves on me during the admiration and cuddling segment of our visits.

Amusing The Boarder is of medium difficulty, as his desire to be amused corresponds directly with Olympic events I want to watch.

Pilling Clo is probably the most difficult. She is a finicky eater at best, and will require pilling twice a day for two weeks. I like to give a cat a deeply loved food reward immediately after pilling. This technique has served me well. George, although he despised being pilled, would come and beg for placebos every 12 hours afer a course of antibiotics. Clo does not even like "crack for cats" (marketed under the brand Whiskas Temptations). My suggestion to her person was a little bit of butter. I had Clo lick it off my finger, to make the point that the finger is not always going to be stuffing something hateful down her throat. The medication went in moderately well, although it should be noted that the biped was the one with the minor puncture wound. But the butter went down like a charm!

In non-cat related activities, I questioned Coach Duane this morning to see where I should put myself for the start of the tri-relay. I must have given him a very sceptical look when he said, "Near the front." I say this because he elaborated.

Today I also ordered the new lenses the eye doctor seems to think will help me to see better. We will hope that $115 (eye exam) + $ 608 (new progressives with transitions & bundled coatings)= priceless result! Because I will have to replace my distance glasses too.

The optometrist also had a suggestion to help with my sighting woes — single use contacts for the duration of the open water swim. I can't wear contacts for an extended time because I don't have full blink in my right eye. But that bridge will be tested once I've dealt with the glasses!

I Should Post Now ...

Not because I have a great deal to say at this point in my day, but because I have an eye exam this afternoon. So maybe I won't feel like pointing my dilated pupils at the screen.

Unlike our late pal George, The Boarder has not yet reached the point where he sees new collars as coveted new jewellery. He doesn't begin purring when he hears the new bell and he doesn't rub up against the new collar while it is still in the packaging. Or at all. However, I didn't get a swat when I put it on him. In fact, he tolerated the whole production quite well. I'm afraid the collar Lise gave him was looking a little worse for the wear. Clearly we follow the fashion trends in this household, because he's now sporting a fancy purple accessory with silvery reflecting accents. Okay. I'll confess, really it's been in the cupboard for almost two years. It was the last one I had on hand for George. But it looks quite smart on Onyx, don't you think? Feel free to click if you'd like to see it better.

Cool!

The up side of my email hiccup is that, for reasons completely unknown to me, my emoticons and a significant amount of data I couldn't access after switching computers seem to now be at my beck and call. A down side is that my pathetic plea for emails has thus far been largely unsuccessful!

Yesterday was a long pants day, and the weather reminded us that there is a closet clothing switch looming. Phooey. Another recent sign? The geese are engaging in conversation as they fly to and from the river. The cooler nights have meant I have had a nice footwarmer at the end of the bed. However said footwarmer does have a mind of his own — he tried to make a break for the great outdoors yesterday, tempted I think, by the vast array of insect life in the goldenrod. Luckily, at least for me, he was quickly retrieved and hugged into submission.



Click to enlarge if you'd like a better look.

So ...

Everyone should send me an email. Except those who've already emailed me today. On account of my email program short-circuited last night, and my address book is, well, shall we say, not at all as it was. Neither are my mailboxes. My life is imperfect.

And even before that I raised my voice spoke sternly to a gentleman (and I use the term loosely) at lane swim last night. Although the lifeguards were clearly pleased that I did. "I wanted to time myself!" is not an excuse for pushing off the wall in front of a faster swimmer turning (who might also be paying attention to time). Especially if there is nobody else swimming in the lane at the time. And particularly if you're planning to do one length of freestyle, not let the faster person pass you at the wall, and then flip over and do backstroke such that there is no room to pass. The clock has four, count 'em four, differently coloured hands, so even if you can't substract five or ten seconds from your time, there are options!

On the up side, Team WAM! has registration confirmation for the half-iron distance tri relay August 30th. Because, we're not planning on going solo ... well, more accurately because those are the three letters that begin the given names of Walla, Wendy, Megan and April.

Mobilizing the Troops!

Yesterday two heartfelt emails landed in my in-box, one from Pedro (who was cycling with April when she was so tragically killed) and one from Duane.

April had been planning to do the half-iron distance duathalon for the third time at The Canadian Triathlon on Labour Day weekend. August 30th Pedro is going to do her race for her. He invited us to come and cheer, or to sign up for a tri, du, run or relay in her honour. We are all hoping that the organ donation organization will be able to set up a booth at the event to raise awareness.

It's a team effort. Duane is donating t-shirts for those racing; Gen (another teammate) is coordinating the order. Marc and Walla are helping Pedro to put things in place. Our cheering section will be encouraged to wear green to symbolize April's affection for things Irish (although Pedro noted that Guinness t-shirts might be a reasonable alternative!).

So, as of last evening there is a new event on the horizon. Megan, Walla and I will be registering for the half-iron relay. I'll swim (although I'll probably take a long outside line to avoid enthusiastic swimmers), Megan will bike, and Walla will run it in.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

It has not really been the summer people envisioned when they were shovelling cross-training all winter! The Olympics are a welcome diversion. If the forecast holds true, though, The Boarder and I may get our wish, and there may be sunny days ahead before fall (which is fast approaching!). Crikey! Only three weeks till Labour Day!

At The Space Between My Peers, Rebecca asked what her readers might be wearing this fall. Personally, I'm thinking I have fall coats covered. A bag or boot update might be nice. In fact I had this very conversation with AD not long ago. I'm strongly leaning this direction:



I think it might live up to the hype!

The Boarder Reports ...

The biped in the household took complete leave of her senses. Sanity is a tenuous thing! Suki from Swimeroo posted her one of these, and you won't believe the RIDICULOUS hijinks that ensued! It was hard to believe. Worse still, the sausage casing didn't even come in a box!

After some time elapsed she took it into the bathroom and put the seat lid down. In case you were unaware, it is best if the cat supervises all main floor bathroom activities. Unless he is sleeping off duty. The clothes and undergarments came off ... her butt went onto the seat, and then she put her feet into plastic bags!! Plastic bags make interesting toys, but apparently not when they're on feet. Who knew?? And what a production! Huffing! Puffing! Wiggling! If you'll forgive the pun, after she got the crazy thing over her legs and squished her butt and hips into it, things went swimmingly. And they quieted down, too. Apparently it's pretty easy after that point. Although she needs a rip cord on the zipper if she wants to do that last 4 inches up and down herself — cats certainly do not help with that sort of thing!

You'll no doubt be pleased to hear that once she extricated herself from it, she seemed to instantly regain what little mental health she has left. Although, it is likely that is the closest she will ever come to looking like a black cat with white markings. So it may have had redeeming qualities after all. But she'll never be as cute handsome!

4K for April ...

Our beach to beach 4K race this morning was dedicated to April. Marty swam with her name on his Technosport cap, won the overall and men's swim, put the cap into his prize mug to be sent to April's parents. Then he began swimming back to the first beach. Fiona was first lady out of the water, and also asked that her mug be sent to April's family.

After the kind of week it's been, between April's death and me being full of anti-virals and not sleeping too much (I was awake at 3:00 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep), I figured I'd make a nice easy swim of it. The course was completely new to me, so it was an odd feeling not really knowing how far or long I'd swum. I was very pleased to finish up in :66:12 (1:39/100 metres). Especially given I haven't swum that kind of distance (counting in practice) since I was a teenager.

And now for the rest of the day I will do a very good imitation of a complete couch potato.

Sporting Bits ...

The Olympic opening ceremonies are being broadcast as I type. The paper making, calligraphic, and moveable type aspects are of course dear to my heart, and were presented in an enthralling way. In the days ahead I will be spending much more time in front of the television than usual (which may be particularly appealing to The Boarder!).

Speaking of Olympians, you triathletes can have a look at Paul Tichelaar's Olympic Cervelo here or Simon Whitfield's here (click to enlarge Simon's sneak peak). And an article in the Globe and Mail today discusses the extraordinary abs of Dara Torres.

On a sombre note, tomorrow morning we plan to dedicate our 4K race to April. It will be a tough morning in many ways. One of our most accomplished swimmers and triathletes has offered to swim for her. Marty is a regular competitor at the Ultra Man world championships; April came to our club with a desire to swim well enough to do a triathlon. It will be a fitting tribute. For those of you who would like to see her lovely smiling face, a picture accompanies this article in the Sun yesterday.

From Today's Paper ....

A fuller and more descriptive article on April.

She will be deeply missed by many.

Last Gifts ...

Monday evening my Technosport teammates Pedro and April were finishing up a two day 400 kilometre bike ride when they were hit from behind by a pick-up truck. Today those of us who could gathered with April's very gracious family at her ICU bedside in the presence of a minister. We said our final good-byes once the transplant team had arrived. A completely senseless tragedy, but a final gift of life or sight for up to ten people from a very bright spirit who will be sorely missed. May that bring some comfort to those who loved and cared for her when the magnitude of this terrible loss is not so fresh.

Carbohydrate Loading ...

Is it a little too early to be thinking about pre-race carbs for the 4K on Saturday? Well, perhaps. But I think I can be forgiven! I am feeling slightly under the weather, so the lust for carbs is strong! The plan for this week has tomorrow and Friday as rest days, and about 2,000 metres both today and Thursday.

Speaking of races, masters swim bloggers Tony and Joel did exceptionally well at their regional long course meet, so kudos to them!

Joel asked a question a while ago that I've been mulling over. What does one expect from their coach at a masters swim meet?

Here's what I'd like to see:
♦ be on the deck, stopwatches & heat sheets in hand, and available for consultation if required
♦ record times and splits or assign someone else to
♦ be attentive as possible to team members swimming — their times, what they did well, and what they could do better
♦ ensure relay members know who they're swimming with, swim order, and which events they are swimming in
♦ if there is an injury or illness, ensure afflicted team member is attended to
♦ lodge protests if required
♦ be notified of disqualifications by meet officials if swimmers on deck are not able to be notified and advise the swimmer in question

At meets like short course nationals, it is physically impossible for our head coach to watch everyone, as the meet is split into two pools. We have a roster of swimmer-coaches who ensure that times are recorded for the pool not being monitored by the head coach. We have a big club, and often have multiple team members in the pool at the same time. If we miss splits, it's not a big concern as they will be posted on the results sheets.

Swimmers are responsible for:
♦ getting to the pool in good time
♦ warming up (incidentally, we do a warm-up simulation in practice before a big meet so folks know what to do)
♦ cooling down (at Nationals we did this in a hot shower, there was no warm-up/cool-down lane)
♦ following the progress of the meet and presenting themselves either to the marshall or behind the blocks for their events
♦ scratching if required
♦ supporting their teammates
♦ advising the coach if they are scratching, coming late, leaving early or planning to miss some of the meet
♦ nutrition and hydration

Team members newer to swimming may need more guidance than those of us who have a swimming background. I know what I'm shooting for timewise, when I've messed up and when I've done better than expected. Strategically I'm pretty clear on how to swim each race, and should I not know I'll ask (although I do this earlier in the process, at a practice well before the meet, because I like to swim some simulations before a meet). I generally don't need immediate analysis from my coach, we can go over it when time allows — unless I need to swim the same stroke and distance subsequently in a relay.

P.S. On a household note: why do we desperately need to get up at 06:00 if the one who is so insistent on making sure my feet hit the floor is sleeping again less than 45 minutes later?

Speaking of Walks ...

It seems the arrested iguana got a pass for disrupting traffic, and was happily adopted by an experienced reptile keeper.

There was a mysterious glowing orb in the sky this morning, so I watered the garden. The Boarder basked in the sunny window. Naturally, the orb has now disappeared. Happy Holiday Monday!

Special congratulations go out to Rural Girl, who will be heading to Clearwater for the 70.3 World Championships in November after qualifying last weekend at Steelhead! I had the pleasure of meeting her (and her lovely family) last year at Ironman Wisconsin. Gee, can that be almost a year ago?

Speaking of November, when I go to see my brother there will be Wii! And it'll be Pirates Week. Shaping up nicely!

Reader Request!

The other day I noted that Books Come in Boxes Suited to The Boarder. Reader KK (and member in doubly good standing of the BCC*) commented: I would love to see a pic of The Boarder and his box before the box retires to the big black recycling box at the end of the laneway.

Well, didn't it happen moments ago that he obliged, hopping from the New and Improved Box into the Tired Old Box? I think one day he might like me to open the Really Big Box beside them. And dutifully, he waited until I could get out the camera!



* Black Cat Club

P.S. Click to see him better if you'd like.

On the Wild Side!

It's raining. Again! Thundering, too. But at least it was a lovely morning for OWS practice at Meech. The lake was like glassine. It had a smooth, slippery texture. You could see the water droplets splashing off your arm onto the surface when you sighted and the bubbles of your entry. It was serene.

Of course it wasn't all perfection. My goggles weren't on properly and leaked. I'm still correcting a bit more than I'd like, but I was able to practice sighting while breathing on my right side, and work on my head position.

Following my dip, a lady in the changing room asked, "How far do you guys swim, anyway?!?" Of course, it depends. I did three loops, some did two, some were planning to do five. As usual, thanks are due to Fiona and Bruce for helping me get there. And coffee.

In shoe related news, I now can take a walk on the wild side in ... wait for it ... leopard printed patent sandals! Marked down $90, too. Fe-Lady knows the brand well — Beautifeel. I have a pair of their suede lace ups from last year's sale offerings, and if these should interest you at all, they are available here. I'm now beginning the breaking in process!

Slightly Loopy!

Often at OWS (open water swim) practice at Meech we hop in and swim the number of loops we choose to. Last night, though, Duane noted that, "There's method to my madness!", and assigned Fiona and I two loops (for the most part we swim three). Fiona has a wonky shoulder so he was protecting that, and two loops would put me a smidgen past 45,000 metres in July. Which, incidentally, is 10,000 more than I've swum previously. As a grown-up, that is. So last night we were just slightly loopy!

The World Masters Games will be Sydney in October of 2009, so if anyone's looking for an excuse to get to Australia, that could be it. They're sending newsletters out with updates and (wait for it) useful articles. Here's a link to one on resistance training for older athletes.

On the fashion front, the Times online reports folks in Beijing have issued etiquette booklets that cover appropriate dress for the games. (Hat tip: Catwalk Queen.) Tri-fashionista Kona Shelley already has hers ready to go!

And here's the skinny on our summer weather, in which Dave Phillips discovers what we've all been whining about! And it's just not letting up ...