Tag Archives: swimming

All in a Day

When I was employed, I dreamed about having days to do whatever I wanted, to make my own schedule as I pleased.

The grass is always greener on the other side. I’m not getting bored by any means, but I absolutely miss having a set schedule.

However, the lack of regular schedule has made for some interesting days.

Today I walked up to Columbus Circle to swim at the Equinox up there, and I was walking back, I saw this on the side of the Hearst building.

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And this is why a layoff is like a breakup. Just as you’re going about your day, there’s something that reminds you of that person/company and it hits you like a ton of bricks. It’s not always a bad feeling, but it can definitely be a shock.

Seeing these magazines on the newsstand hasn’t fazed me for some reason, but this did. It’s like when I’m waiting for the caffeine from my coffee to take effect and I see a former coworker on the Today Show. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just a reminder of how my life has changed.

But back to the swim. I did 1400 yards, which is longer than I’ve ever done! I did: 100 yards, 200 yards, 100 yards, 200 yards, 300 yards, 400 yards, 100 yards. And now my ears hurt a little bit.

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I ran home and ate the quickest lunch ever and ran out for another interview. On my way home, I got to walk on the new section of the Highline, which was really pretty.

And now I’m in NJ so that my mom and I can head down the shore for a little sunshine tomorrow. My mom asked what I wanted for dinner, and I requested food on the grill, since my little grill pan ain’t quite the same.

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Turkey burger on an Arnold whole wheat bun.

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And some grilled veggies.

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My dad stole my camera while I was eating. He thought you all might want to see their flowers on the patio?

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My humoring him face, apparently.

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We also grilled sweet potatoes, and they were honestly kind of a fail. I had read somewhere to boil them first, so we did for a few minutes and then placed them on the grill (in this foil, with olive oil and salt and pepper), but they never got crunchy.

What’s your favorite on-the-grill food? That’s one downside to living in NYC—not nearly enough chances to grill in the summer.

Damn You Scuba Steve

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I’m sorry. I can’t put swim goggles on without thinking of Big Daddy.

This morning, I had another interview (that I think went well) and met Lindsay for lunch at Chelsea Market. We went to Friedman’s Lunch, and I was psyched to see a rice bowl on the menu.

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It had edamame, Japanese eggplant, bok choy, carrots and bean sprouts with a sesame lime dressing, and it was amazing.

After the lunch and interview, I trudged home through the humidity to grab my bathing suit and meet Allie at the pool for some swim tips. She was a college swimmer and had coached swimming and saw that I was looking to learn more about swimming so she e-mailed me and asked if I wanted to meet up for a swim. SURE! I love finding new workout buddies. We ended up swimming for about an hour and getting moved back and forth from the slow lane to the medium lane.

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Sunglasses hide our awkward goggle lines.

She taught me:

  • how to flip-turn (I used to know this but totally forgot. Also, my nose is now full of water.)
  • how to kick less
  • how to rotate my body while swimming to be a more efficient swimmer. I felt absolutely and totally ridiculous when I first started doing this–all of my strokes felt really exaggerated–but it got a little easier and started to feel more natural by the time we were done, and I can see how it helps you swim faster and more efficiently. It also helps with breathing. Apparently I had been sort of swimming with my head up, so I picked my head up to breathe really weird, but when you rotate like this, you’re sort of rocking through the water, so you have to move your head less to breathe.

Have you entered my race necklace giveaway yet? You have until 9am tomorrow!