"Great as Frosted Flakes"

Sheeeee's GREAT!  Whoopi that is.  She put on a superb performance at Colgate last night.  "You are great, great as Frosted Flakes" was the advice that she gave one of the students in the audience that wanted to know,  "how can I be great?"   All of Whoopi's advice during her stand  up and Q & A session was simple, to the point and meaningful, yet not over the top philosophical.  I think she said many things there were a reflection of her latest book, Is It Just me?: Or Is It Nuts Out There?    Now that I have heard her speak,  I will make it a point to read the book.  

She made the audience laugh, and yes, I laughed until my belly ached. She is extremely down to earth, logical and realistic to the point that can be offensive to some, however she is honest with herself.  The message that mostly came across in my eyes was, know yourself. Funny, there is a banner at Hamilton College on the walk from the pool to the parking lot that reads, "Know Thyself."    Don't be afraid to say what you want, what you think, and what you know, with conviction!   

"Everyone has an opinion, but their opinion will not change how you get up in the morning," says Whoopi.    Social media is a clear example of how everyone wants to give their opinion.   I think that it goes without saying, take what you read with a grain of salt.  I've always liked that saying.   

Be willing to fail, be willing to try something you never have done before, but don't let anyone talk you into doing something stupid!  Like in Whoopi's case, she describes a story when a friend talked her into getting a brazilian wax.  She goes on to say, "I didn't know that I had an afro growing in  my butt! LOL!  She is most proud of her daughter who has raised three beautiful children, and Whoopi is now a great grandparent. 

She likes to fart, which is one of the reason's how she acquired the name, Whoopi. Her real name is Karen.  Life is weird, life is crazy, she says. I think we can agree with that. She encourages giving, and give what you can, but if you can't, then don't worry about it. Be honest with yourself, and be honest with others.  "Adults lie."  If you ask your spouse,  "do these jeans make my butt look big?"  You want your spouse to be honest, because if they aren't who will be?  Yes, your butt looks as big as a house, now take those off.  You can't be made at them for helping you out!  

In terms of relationships, Whoopi's advice is, "If someone says to you, "you complete me," then run the other direction as fast as you can, because you want to be with someone who is already a complete person, because you want to be complete without needing someone to complete you."  That made sense to me. 

The show was extremely enjoyable, she was completely amusing and entertaining. I walked away believing she is also a very humble and intuitive woman.  I thought it was sweet that Colgat's AD presented her with a hockey jersey with the #13 - however, ENOUGH with the SELFIES ALEADY!!  (Just my opinion!)

Weekend Swimming Practice

Saturday March 28th

Warm

300 swim

300 pull

300 kick/drill by 75

Main

Fins/kick - 4 x 100 @ 1:30

Swim - 4 x 100 @ 1:30

Fins/drill - 4 x 100 @ 1:40 (gallup, catchup, 6 kick 3 switch, head tap)

Swim 4 x 100 @ 1:30

Fins/paddles - 4 x 100 @ 1:20

Fins/paddles/snorkel - 4 x 100 @ 1:30

Cool:

200 back 

(3500)

Sunday  March 29th. 

Today's practice is aerobic training and is a compilation of two December workouts from Villanova masters.  ('13-14) plus my own creative pull set. 

Warm:

500 swim/200 drill/100 sculling/100 fly kick on back/100 IM Drill

Tech - Fins

1 x 200 12 K each side @ 2:50

1 x 100 catchup @ 1:30

1 x 200 Single Arm drills @ 2:50 (100 breathe to swimming arm/100 to non swimming side - sc edit)

1 x 100 catch up @ 1:30

Main - swim

9 x 150 (divided) 

3 @ 2:15 smooth

3 @ 2:10 build by 50 to zone 3 or red* 

3 @ 2:20 (fly/bk/br x 50)

Pull (paddles, buoy, band, snorkel)

400

2 x 200 build

3 x 50 fast

200 cool

(4K)

*(link to color zone training)

Happy Laps!!

Ageing like Fine Wine!

Not sure which is cuter, the goat guzzling wine or Yigo ready to catch snow. The goat picture was courtesy of a co-worker. Apparently that is her goat!  

No shortage of snow on Saturday morning - Geez - does it every stop!??? It feels like winter going into winter. Only 3 more weeks of this, and then Yigo and I will be catching frisbees on the beach! Woot!

Birthday Fit Swim was super fun!  I knocked out those 4 x 600, then had a pleasant dinner at the Colgate Inn with Russ's swimming co-coaches from Sherburne-Earlville HS and their families. Great bunch they are!

Will miss them, and they will miss Russ a.k.a. 'SARGE'

It was challenging to feel the motivation this morning. Body was moving a bit slow. 

Made up a practice on the fly - so hope you enjoy your Monday practice:

Monday 3/23/15

Warm: 600 (alt. 100 free/50 back)

Preset: 12 x 50 (descend 1>3) @ :55

Main: 5 x 200 pull/paddles/buoy - breath 3/5/7/5 by 100 @ 2:45

immediately go into 50 easy kick on back, then straight into:

2 x 25 AFAYC (sprint) @ :30

immediately go into 50 EZ kick on back , then straight into:

2 x 25 AFAYC @ :30

100 cool

Each and every day have a fresh new perspective on life, and remember that as the world is changing so can your assumptions.  - SC

Wednesday 3/25/15 

Warm 

300 

4 x 150 (50 catch up drill/50 free/50 six-kick switch drill)

100 back

Main #1

3 x 200 @ 3'

100 back

6 x 100 (alt 100 IM/ 100 free)

2' rest

Main #2

700 (build each 100)

2 x 100 (back/br by 50) @ 1:50/1:55/2:00

6 x 50 free fast @ 1'

100 cool

Friday 3/27/15

Whoopi Goldberg visits Colgate!

Warm

600 (alt. free/back by 50)

Main:

2 x {200 band/buoy - mod hard  20 sec rest

      {400 free steady - 20 sec rest

100 back EZ

4 x 200 @ 15 sec. rest #1 &#3 stroke or IM/ #2 & #4 free

100 kick EZ

600 free steady snorkel @ fins

4 x 50 fast @ 1'

200 cool

Happy Laps!!

Birthday Fit!

Saturday 3/21/15  Practice 

Easy day 

Warm:

500 swim

500 pull

500 kick w/fins alt. 50 on back/50 on side

500 snorkel/fins/paddles

Set: twice through

50 fly @ 1'

100 free @ 1:30

100 back @ 1:45

50 breast @ 1:15

100 free @ 1:30

cool 200

Sunday 3/22/15 - The Ram!

Let's get busy

Warm:

1000 alt. 200 free/200 back

2 x 500 snorkel/fins/paddles (15 sr)

10 x 50 alt. drill/kick @ 1'

Main:

4 x  600

#1 200 hard/400 mod-hard @ 30 sr

#2 600 @ 1K TT pace

#3 200 hard/300 mod-hard/100 EZ @ 10 sr

#4 600 @ 1K TT pace

200 cool

5,100 yards -  B-day Fit!

Happy Laps!

Solar Eclipse

If you did the 30 x 100, how did it go for you??  It was 'okay' for me.  The Hamilton College pool is very warm, and my turns sucked. I was able to maintain 1:16 with no problem.  I think I was in a groove with 5 left.  Ha!

Snowing again today. Central NY is not the place to be if you are expecting to see green grass or any grass for that matter by spring time. Sure, we get a day or two of nice sunshine and 40 degree weather, but it never lasts.

I guess I don't miss running in the nasty snowy 30 degree weather - but my neighbor seems to be a dye-hard runner!

Every so often I open up my little book called: A Thousand Paths to Enlightenment, by David Baird, hoping to get a little insight as to what is happening in my life.   A while ago I read a book called   Comprehending Coincidence: Synchronicity and Personal Transformation, by Craig Bell. It's a very interesting book which delves into dreams, symbolism, gurus, conscience and subconscious.  Reading a passage from the enlightenment book gives me a conscience perspective to life.  Today's readings was something I wanted to share because it pertains to career and major changes. Given that fact that we are packing our house up to move to FL and I am changing careers, the quotes were fitting.

"Take your work seriously, but never yourself."

"There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. In the first group there is far less competition."

"Increased stress is the price you pay for increase opportunity."

"Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't."

Saturday practice will be drills and sprints. Sunday practice will be 5,100 yards of free and IM, in honor of turning 51!   Workouts posted soon!

Happy Laps!

Haste Makes Waste

I learned from my dear friend and mentor, Fernando Canales, to always consider the pros and cons when making a final decision. Rushing things can cause unnecessary mistakes in the work place or home, or maybe even render making wrong choices. Work smarter, not harder is another way to think about it.   In any event,  I am weighing the pros and cons of competing in the Wilton Wahoos Y prep meet before USMS Nationals.  Logistically, the timing may or may not work, due to the fact that I am packing up my car and driving to FL on April 11th. (Sat) with the dog!  Russ will follow suit after the movers pack us up on Monday the 13th.  I thought, since the meet is in Wilton, CT, on Sunday April 12, I'd be heading in that direction. The Wilton Y is very close to Weston, CT., where I can stay with a friend for Saturday night, leave Yigo at their house on Sunday while I attend the meet, which will be only a few hours. Then we can continue driving to FL that day.  It's a possibility, but I have to decide if it's the right thing to do with the dog and all. If Yigo was not in the picture, I'd go, no worries.

I'll think about it some more.................

Swimming this week is sparse due to the fact that Lineberry is only open two week days, due to spring break. Monday was soup Monday, so I didn't make that, and Thursday I teach yoga, so I drove to Hamilton College this morning at 4:30 in the snow! Argh. Did this brief 3,300 yard practice on the fly:

Wednesday 3/18

Warm:
300 swim/300 pull/200 FRIM drill
Set:
5 x 50 K @ 1'
5 x 100 swim @ 1:30
5 x 50 K @ 1:10
5 x 150 Pull @ '2
5 x 50 K @ 1:05
Cool 300 snorkel

Friday 3/20

Warm:

300 swim

300 K/D/Swim/stroke by 25 

300 snorkel

*30 x 100  @ 1:40

This is a pace set - do the 1st one on 2:25 exactly, the second one 1:24, the 3rd. on 2:23 etc. obviously you will you run out of steam before the end of the set, then the fun begins,  whatever is the last goal pace that you can hit,  hold that pace, till the set is done. 

*For quicker swimmers with say a 1:02 goal pace, your interval is 1:30, you do the first one on 1:19 exactly, descend one second, till you hit your goal pace, and swim the rest of set at that pace. Depending on how you feel that day, will depend on when you will hit your goal pace.

I borrowed this from a 2003 triathlon web files I found on-line. http://www.ens-lyon.fr/~desprez/FILES/TRIATH/swimWO.text

Warm down 

300

Happy Laps! 

Roasted Garlic Tomato Basil Soup

A Delicious and Healthy Vegetarian Soup 

The last Soup Monday at Colgate's Alumni Relations office was today, and since I was eating all the other soups that people brought in, I was obligated to make a soup. It took me a while to decide what to make, because all my favorite soups were taken. One day I had a tomato basil soup from the No. 10 Tavern in Hamilton, and that is what inspired me to make this soup.  I did not follow a recipe, but gathered ideas from other recipes and gave it a whirl before selling  my food processor!  :-(

You start with a simple set of ingredients - Tomatoes, Vegetable broth (other recipes call for chicken broth, so you choose. plus I rather not use canned, so use the boxed version), fresh basil, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, dried thyme, garlic, olive oil, chopped onion, chopped celery. Not pictured - tomato paste from tube, and roma tomatos.

I cut the tomatoes length wise and remove the seeds (I am sure you can leave them in, but I didn't) place them in a pan or a baking sheet (didn't want to make a mess of the over, so used a pan) and lightly drizzle olive oil and sea salt over them. Roast 400 degree F for 1 hour. Peel the garlic, and roast those happy guys too. Be careful not to burn them!  I did, and had to re-do!

While they are roasting, I cut up an onion and a few celery stalks, and sauteed them with olive oil and a little white wine. :-)  Cook the white wine off and make the onions sweat. You can do it all in one pan. I did it in two because I decided to do the celery as an after thought. Celery gives lots of flavor, so glad I did. I threw some thyme on the onions. That's the brown stuff.

Chop the basil fine, and set aside. I ended up using all the fresh basil in package, so lots more than pictured.

Place the cooked onions and celery in the food processor along with a dab of dill (I use from the tube). Dill is strong, so it's optional if you don't like. I put about 6 cups of Vege broth in the crock pot and turn on low to get warm with some spices (garlic/onion powder, white pepper, crushed red pepper and salt) This will be the liquid used in food processor with the roasted tomatoes and garlic.

Okay - now take those yummy tomatoes and garlic from the oven and put them in the food processor in batches with the vege broth. You can monitor how thin or thick you want. I actually didn't use all the broth, so maybe 5 cups. Then I poured everything back into the crock pot and added more crushed basil.

I noticed that the soup needed more of a tomato flavor, so I bought TOMATO PASTE in the tube.  Also, the soup needed more tomatoes, so I bought 7 Roma tomatoes and roasted them the same way. I blended them in the processor with the paste and salt and pepper and added to the crock pot with more basil.

It was delicious and filling. Great with Grain bread.
Ingredients:
Tomatoes (any kind) lots!
Fresh Basil
Salt Pepper
Whole garlic gloves (3-5)
Tomato paste (Italian from tube)
Thyme
Crushed red pepper
onion
celery
olive oil
parsley
some recipes call for oregano. (didn't use that)
Powdered garlic and onion
tsp. butter
white wine
Heat oven to 400 F, slice tomatoes, put in pan or sheet w/ little OO and salt. Roast garlic gloves. Heat up vege broth and add spices. Saute chopped celery and onion with OO, butter, & white wine.Cook off white wine, and cook onions to sweat.   Pulsate all ingredients with broth. Salt and pepper to taste, and lots of basil to taste.

The Big Thaw!

It's warming up on the East coast, and we are beginning to see signs of spring, such as college students running in shorts and  T-shirt. Oh how I MISS running!!   Daylight savings has provided those extra hours before the sun sets to walk Yigo after work.   As you can see by his expression, he secretly wishes to be running the loop rather than walking.

In any event, this weekend we have a few nice swimming sets.  Saturday I was in a hurry to get in and out since my sister and brother in law are visiting from NH.  They are bringing a Penske trunk and will load it up with lots of furniture.  If we can get the weight down for our move, it will cost less. That's the plan. So far so good with purging out with the old.

Saturday:

Warm 800
(400 swim/400 pull 200 kick with fins no board)
4  x 200 with fins: 50 swim/50kick dolphin and back) @ 3'
4 x 150 pull @ 2'
4 x 100 swim @ 1:30 (85%)
break 1' (turned into long, if you see friends on deck that want to talk to you:-)
4 x 50 (EZ down/Fast back) @ :45
cool 1-200

Sunday: recycled from Beau. Thanks Beau!

Warm 600 (choice)
Pre-set: 4 x 100 - 25K/25D/25stroke/25 free @ 1:45
Set:
16 x 75 - odds nonfree @ 1:10, evens kick @ 1:15
Pull 500 breath 3,4,5,4,3 by 100
10 x 75 - by 75
Kick
Perfect
Fast
(#9 and #10 fast)
Cool 4 x 100 @ 1:30
(3850 yards)

Happy Laps!!