Monday November 1st

I got good sleeps Saturday night and Sunday night and I woke up ready to work this morning. It was a good thing because the workout was tough and I led most of it. We did the warm up relay, then finished three out of four sets of 20 laps technical - no lap times - followed by 10 laps between 10.5 and 11.0 followed by a 3 lap accel. I was around 10.1 for a lot of the 3rd 10 lapper. I am working so hard on the technique still. 4 things have to come together for me: I have to steer into the turn more with my right, then after the right push I have to cross big with the right. I understood completely what Wil has been saying over and over about transferring weight more today and that helped me comprehend the term "shifting" she always says. So four things in recap:
 - Steer into the turn on the right,
 - Cross bigger with the right,
  - Transfer the weight from leg to leg so longer pushes,
  - Shift the hips more.
  Of course I always have to "tuck" more, which basically means rounding my back but the result is that my hips stay "under my body".
  Imagine going 25 mph on thin blades around hairpin turns on ice thinking about all this and more. It is not easy. But I am better than a lot of people in the country, I have a shot to be great, the whole process is making me a better, stronger individual, I enjoy it a lot when I'm doing well and I am learning how to feed myself, eat, sleep and prepare right so that I can do it well. Why complain?


  Yesterday afternoon was very  pleasant with Gary. We went to Venice Beach, had a great meal looking right out on the beach with lapping waves and clear blue skies. Then we walked to a different part of the beach, the main part and rested in the sun for a good hour. It was too bizarre, first of all to be with Gary in the nice parts of the West Coast when we are always together in the East, but moreover to be in a place that was hot enough to take off my shirt, with palm trees, summer blue skies, and huge white beaches while back home it must be chilly and full of autumn colors. Hard to believe I'll be in that place soon.