Mullet training.

A week and a half ago, I had the privilege of swimming long course with UCSD's Masters swim team.  It was a solid 4500 meter workout and serious.  No smiling allowed.  It was an amazingly clear and clean pool, and I shared my lane with a Ryan Lochte look-alike.  He mandated that I lead the lane. I complied because he had awesome abs and just in case he was RL, I wanted to secure an autograph after practice.  The workout was written on a 4-sided huge white board.  We got started right away, and for an hour and a half, the only words we exchanged were breathless within the 5 seconds of rest on the wall- "Last 400, then repeat?" "I'm leaving on the top." "This is the last of the 100s, yeah?"

The water was so clear that you could see the wall 50 meters across underwater.

This was probably one of the most quality and harder swims I've done all year, not only because it was long course and you felt like you were swimming for days until you finally hit the wall to do a flip turn, but because it was all business.  Fast, head down, swim-til-your-arms-fall-off, no-nonsense business.

And just like that, after everyone finished their workout, the pool cleared out in 2 minutes...

(Crickets chirping)  Wait, save some hot water in the showers for me!

After drinking one too many Red Bulls on the drive home, I was super amped up and ready to swim.  I chatted on deck with our coach and told him how different our Masters swim team was from UCSD's.  Our team actually feels like a team.  Yes, we probably swim half the yardage, but we know each other by name, call each other names, know what we all ate for dinner the night before, and who I'm going out with on Friday.  We're like a mini-family. Coach Tom actually coaches us, tells us what interval to leave on and gives me pointers for my stroke technique.  The pool is grosser and the lanes are more crowded, but you really can't beat the camaraderie.  It reminded me of a mullet, in a way....After the "business" swim at UCSD, I was ready for a "party in the back" swim, back at home!  And honestly, this is how I prefer it- getting the work done, but having fun while doing it.  

Back at Club Hot Tub's Masters swim practice.  And yes, this is during the kick set.
But look at how much fun everyone's having!!

Today I got the running business done after work... a hot 10-miler.  No better way to trash your feet on the trails before they are further trashed for 72 hours in heels.  

I did my tempo run in these. (Or at least it sure felt like I did!)

Thought I'd break them in and get them used to the hell they will endure in FMHs for the weekend.  And now....it's time to party, Vegas-style!