After a long rest

Happy birthday to your daughter! I love cake/pie for breakfast. The day after Thanksgiving may be my favorite breakfast all year, though sometimes I have to stash some leftovers out of sight of other family members depending on which branch of the family I'm with. My brother and my cousin can eat, and I say this as someone who is no slouch at eating!

Stewart, I didn't mention this in my blog, but I saw your workout as I was waiting for the pool to open this morning. I was fully prepared to at least get through the 4 x 400 set of your workout today, but, alas, there was not a functional pace clock. In retrospect, I'm kind of glad as I think your very fast workout times would've put me to shame. You are really cranking.

What's the corporate challenge and what will you be swimming? Is that a team triathlon type affair? Good luck. Can't wait to hear about it.

Damn, those 400s are smokin! especially with little rest and 4 of them, no less. I'd like to draft off you sometime

Originally Posted by ekw

Happy birthday to your daughter! I love cake/pie for breakfast. The day after Thanksgiving may be my favorite breakfast all year, though sometimes I have to stash some leftovers out of sight of other family members depending on which branch of the family I'm with. My brother and my cousin can eat, and I say this as someone who is no slouch at eating!

Thanks. She had a great time. My wife went out while I was swimming and also bought Chick-fil-a. So she had chicken nuggets and birthday cake for breakfast. She also has a tiara she was given when she did ballet that she wore for her feast. It was very cute. We have round two tonight after her coaching(she is working on turns).

Originally Posted by pwb

Stewart, I didn't mention this in my blog, but I saw your workout as I was waiting for the pool to open this morning. I was fully prepared to at least get through the 4 x 400 set of your workout today, but, alas, there was not a functional pace clock. In retrospect, I'm kind of glad as I think your very fast workout times would've put me to shame. You are really cranking.

What's the corporate challenge and what will you be swimming? Is that a team triathlon type affair? Good luck. Can't wait to hear about it.

yeah the workout was really tough. I think the hardest part honestly was the gap between the 400s and the 300s because I was really beat and all I could think about was the 300s and how hard they were going to be. That said like most things they were worse in my head than reality(but they were still pretty bad in reality). I survived to fight another day though!

The corporate challenge is loosely a series of sporting events that a number of companies in our fair city compete in to raise money for special Olympics. It's a great cause and a ton of fun. Swimming is obviously a real sport but I struggle with billiards and fishing. The swimming event is 50free, 50 back and mixed relay. They take the highest places in each age group male and female and best relay times irrespective of age and rank companies on this. My company has a great relay with 4 former college swimmers. My challenge will be getting going over a 50, but it will be fun. This was the event this time last year that got me back in the pool.

Originally Posted by Water Rat

Damn, those 400s are smokin! especially with little rest and 4 of them, no less. I'd like to draft off you sometime

Thanks. Perhaps if you were to listen to your inner mid d calling I could drag off you? Anytime you come through Dallas your welcome to swim with us and drag off me. I don't get to Pittsburgh very often but if I do I will return the favor.

I genuinely think you can go up one distance and be very competitive. It won't even require any additional yardage you would just have to pace your swim. A discussion for another day I guess.

Originally Posted by StewartACarroll

Thanks. Perhaps if you were to listen to your inner mid d calling I could drag off you? Anytime you come through Dallas your welcome to swim with us and drag off me. I don't get to Pittsburgh very often but if I do I will return the favor.

I genuinely think you can go up one distance and be very competitive. It won't even require any additional yardage you would just have to pace your swim. A discussion for another day I guess.

Nice times there Stewart! I am fully expecting a sub 5:00 500 in the near future!

Originally Posted by Calvin S

Nice times there Stewart! I am fully expecting a sub 5:00 500 in the near future!

Calvin, you're letting Stewart off easy by only expecting sub 5. I'm expecting sub 4:50

Originally Posted by StewartACarroll

The corporate challenge is loosely a series of sporting events that a number of companies in our fair city compete in to raise money for special Olympics. It's a great cause and a ton of fun. Swimming is obviously a real sport but I struggle with billiards and fishing. The swimming event is 50free, 50 back and mixed relay. They take the highest places in each age group male and female and best relay times irrespective of age and rank companies on this. My company has a great relay with 4 former college swimmers. My challenge will be getting going over a 50, but it will be fun. This was the event this time last year that got me back in the pool.

That sounds very cool and fun. Do you know if it's a Dallas only thing or is there an umbrella organization that puts these events on in other cities? I'd be interested in a link. My company's HQ'd in NJ and, while I'm the only swimmer, we've got some other athletes (and a world-class harmonium player, though I doubt the arts fit into it in any way).

Originally Posted by pwb

That sounds very cool and fun. Do you know if it's a Dallas only thing or is there an umbrella organization that puts these events on in other cities? I'd be interested in a link. My company's HQ'd in NJ and, while I'm the only swimmer, we've got some other athletes (and a world-class harmonium player, though I doubt the arts fit into it in any way).

Agreed, this sounds very cool. We have a running corporate challenge here but that's it, as far as I know.

Originally Posted by Calvin S

Nice times there Stewart! I am fully expecting a sub 5:00 500 in the near future!

Thanks Calvin. I hope I can do just that. It was my only really disappointing swim at Spring Nationals. Despite that it's still my favorite distance.

Have you been watching any of the English Premier League games? Arsenal are doing great right now and the Ozil signing is going to make us very strong.

Originally Posted by pwb

Calvin, you're letting Stewart off easy by only expecting sub 5. I'm expecting sub 4:50

Now that would be exciting.

I think I have a long way to go!

Originally Posted by pwb

That sounds very cool and fun. Do you know if it's a Dallas only thing or is there an umbrella organization that puts these events on in other cities? I'd be interested in a link. My company's HQ'd in NJ and, while I'm the only swimmer, we've got some other athletes (and a world-class harmonium player, though I doubt the arts fit into it in any way).

No harmonium event this year!

I am not sure if there are other city corporate challenges. Here is the link to the City of Richardson Corporate Challenge website:

http://www.cor.net/cc/

The event is great fun and generates daily conversation at work.

Originally Posted by ekw

Agreed, this sounds very cool. We have a running corporate challenge here but that's it, as far as I know.

Its really good fun too. Our first year it was tough getting people to participate but each year the numbers have gone up and participation is fairly high. We should have about 12 people swimming with a good mix of ages and genders.

Originally Posted by StewartACarroll

Thanks Calvin. I hope I can do just that. It was my only really disappointing swim at Spring Nationals. Despite that it's still my favorite distance.

Have you been watching any of the English Premier League games? Arsenal are doing great right now and the Ozil signing is going to make us very strong.

Happy arsen wenger climbed off that pile of cash and spent some! Happy for Özil, being German and a long time Die Mannschaft supporter, anything that keeps the national team players playing at top level is good in my book!