Swimming One Hundred 100's (4000 Yards To Go)

100 Hundreds (10,000 yards) Friday Morning AFTER Thanksgiving (November 29, 2013)

The picture above and below was before a single lap had been swum! 

What started out as a "joke" about 6 weeks ago when someone said, "Let's swim One Hundred 100's by Thanksgiving". Which, of course meant swimming them in a single morning workout -- not 20 or 30 100's on a Tuesday and then another 20 or 30 the next day etc. etc. No, these One Hundred 100's had to be swum all at once and at a reasonable interval. No two minute intervals for the Huntington Masters Swimmers! 

The warm-up and warm-down interval was 1:45 and all the rest were split between 1:40, 1:35 and 1:30 intervals. With a break at 5,000 yards for some much needed nourishment. Sal, John and Paul (pictured above) were the the only swimmers to make the 10,000 yard mark this morning -- maybe they had the least amount of stuffing last night!

The swim started around 5:40AM and lasted a little past 8AM leaving plenty of time for Black Friday Shopping! And yes, we'll all be back in the pool tomorrow though probably not for another 10,000 yard workout!

Todd, pictured above on the left and below splashing his way to the wall, gets a pass for not doing the full 10,000 as he ran the Thanksgiving Day 5K yesterday AND, ran it in a personal best for the course.

John is coming into the wall in the picture above and getting ready to kick off behind Sal in the photo below while Paul and Joe line up waiting their turn at the start of yet another 100. Those pesky 100's kept coming around faster and faster it seemed.

Halfway mark, (5,000 yards), in picture above and the boys are still smiling

Three of the girls, Katie, Nancy and Margot take a short break. 

We even had a husband and wife team -- Tim above and Erin in the photo below. 

The doctor is in and swimming. Nice hand position off the wall too!

Above: the group lines up to start ANOTHER 100. But we are getting close to the end. Erin, (Below) shows good form off the wall if you don't notice how high her head is... though sometimes we actually do have to look up and make sure we are not going to run into the feet in front of us! (So Erin gets a pass on the elevated head position!)

It's over! 10,000 yards -- One Hundred 100's is in the record book. ABOVE: Sal still has enough energy to celebrate while Paval and Don look on. BELOW: John, Sal and Paul are still smiling! Way to go guys. What's next?

A Catamaran Tour to Stingray City Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands: November 2013

If you get to the Caymans, this is a tour not to be missed! The stingrays are tamer than they look and after the initial shock of having them brush past you, everybody settles down and the stingrays look to be handled (gently!).  As I said on Facebook, the picture above cries out for a caption. "Look out behind you!" "Beauty and the Beast"?

I tried talking "Stingy" into joining the Huntington Masters Swim Team but he didn't have a passport!

On and Under the Water in Grand Cayman: November 2013

I finally got around to getting a new waterproof camera and though I tested it in the pool a few weeks ago, it was a lot more fun "testing" it out in the crystal clear water off Grand Cayman. Though looking at these pictures is not quite the same as being there in the 82 degree salt water, I wouldn't be surprised to find myself looking at them again and again as the temperatures on Long Island drop and drop. Enjoy!

Now, this is what I call an Open Water Swim!

A November Sunset at West Neck Beach, Huntington, NY

Thora and I took a ride down to West Neck Beach this past Friday, (November 8, 2013),  to walk on the beach, view the sunset and give Grandma a break. 

Reasons, not necessarily listed in order of importance... but that is why we went to West Neck Beach. The "walk on the beach" lasted less than 5 minutes for Thora who said it was too cold and windy, (it was!), and that she'd rather watch the sunset from the car. The sunset -- as most sunsets at West Neck -- was it's usual spectacular self. 

The performing seagulls were a bonus. And Grandma? Grandma was a happy camper at home who greeted us with hugs and hot chocolate. (There is a little poetic license there about the hot chocolate, but Thora and I did both get hugs!)