jock librarian

Enrollment for the 2009 Manhattan Island races opens this Thursday and I am anxiously awaiting to hear whether or not I qualify for the inaugural Liberty Island Swim. Being a bit of manatee, I'm not entirely optimistic that I'll make the cut. Nevertheless, I definitely plan on signing up for MIF's 5.85-mile Little Red Lighthouse Swim which starts at Clinton Cove and ends at 165th Street. This year, I would like to swim in honor of five public librarians (who have been incredible role models and mentors--and whom I owe a great debt) and raise funds for ALA's Spectrum Scholarship. More later.

I've been moved reading the poetry of fellow librarian Liana Alaverdova. Of the twenty-three works featured in From Baku to Brooklyn, I've found "The Insurance Agent" especially poignant. The narrator asks:

Can't you find me a plan
To insure against my sorrow?
You have managed my assets
With the help of your chart.
Can you give me some pointers
to manage my heart?

Thanks to some goading, I've managed to get back on the workout track. Yesterday, Kathleen, Janet and I celebrated President's Day at Riverbank State Park by swimming:
8 x 300s
1 - 4 50 FR, 50 kick/swim IM order, 50 FR
5 - 8 50 FR, 50 drill/swim IM order, 50 FR

This morning, Coach Breath-of-Heaven started us with a hypoxic set, followed by a series of pulls:
20 x 50s
Odds: 25 swim underwater until second backstroke flags, 25 FL
Evens: 25 BK, 25 FR with only two breaths
15 x 75 pulls
1-3 rolling IM
4, 5 FR
4 x 100 FR descend

At this morning's breaststroke clinic, Coach Stefan emphasized drills, gliding and body positioning in the water.
Fortunately, the evening's Hour of Power provided an excellent opportunity to practice some of the new moves.
Here's the delicious main set:
8 x 25 IM order
8 x 50 IM order
8 x 75 IM order

This evening, we celebrated Lincoln and Darwin's 200th birthdays. And Coach C.A. gave us a main set consisting of a series of 200 yard distances, instructing us to "finish all strongly, with tight efficient turns, flipped or open."

200 FR
100 IM x 2
200 FR
50 stroke, IM order, x 4
200 FR
25 stroke, IM order, x 8
200 FR
200 IM
200 FR
2 x 100 IM continuous
200 FR

There were seven swimmers in the lane, including three uber speedy boyz. Sigh.