Swimathon and 2018 Recap
To be clear, I don't get poetry. Not at all. I find it hard to follow -- like focusing on a flying butterfly. For me it's tedious-- like breast stroke. So many different techniques applied and different ways to interpret the authors "whys". I rarely feel wise as I read it, and much like breaststroke, it never gets faster or easier.
But each year requires reflection, and my search for words better than my own brought me to Naomi Shihab Nye, a dreaded poet.
In "Burning the Old Year" she reflects on what of each year is flammable and what is stone. And I am not yet certain that she is even judging between the two---- when the embers are gone from what is flammable, she reflects on the space that is left for things not done.
I will abandon attempting to distill her final message, but I want to share that so much of my "stone", my foundation this past year, has come from the water. Knowing the smiles that will greet me Monday and Wednesday evenings; knowing that someone will inevitably push Matt over the edge with another question about the set; knowing Cory will always find someone smiling in the pool and get their photos; knowing that someone is almost always game for a coffee on Sunday at Panera -- or a set of planks after practice-- this knowledge becomes stone.
Flying Fish Heads aren't just athletes pushing themselves toward their personal goals, but a supportive team of people for this "quick dance, shuffle of losses and leaves". I thank all of you for this!
(You can read Naomi Shaib's "Burning the Old Year". The Poetry Foundation clicking this link.).
[caption id="attachment_650" align="alignright" width="300"] Thanks to Lifecare Hospitals and FFH Julie Pasquella for their amazing food support![/caption]
And what about the amazing support for each other during our Swimathon! On Friday, December 28, 2018-- 33 swimmers hopped into the pool and completed 152 miles, 267,800ish yards! 14 swimmers completed all 100 X 100s-- broken into groups of 20!
So many kind words were shared after the event but the common theme was over amazing determination and support in the FFH.
Susan Kabazie's words (in response to my sharing that she swam 40 more 100s than her goal), "I am so thankful for the encouragement and camaraderie of yesterday’s event. It is true, I swam longer yesterday than I ever have in my whole life! Thanks to my lane mates, Jim (tireless lane leader!), Sebastian (you are definitely a part of FFHs now!) and Jeff (“I haven’t swum in a year!”) who made the afternoon fun, seem to go fast and so much easier than I would have ever imagined. A special thanks to Ron (Morosky) on deck for getting me over my initial jitters. Sometimes the hardest laps aren’t the last ones, they are the first ones."
Indeed, Ron Morosky, who underwent shoulder surgery six weeks ago and planned to kick (not cleared for the full arm rotation in the pool yet), stepped in beautifully as our "stone". I was not present for the 100 X 100s last year and didn't know how much we would need a coach. Matt was a fantastic example in the pool and having Ron on deck turned out to be another key to the success of most of the swimmers. Gatorade to the waters edge, peanut butter and bananas, a word of encouragement, helping groups figure out their interval, all was perfect. His words after watching us on deck, "Really great to see so many folks accomplish something that was probably unimaginable even a few months ago, but the whole event was like a downhill snowball that kept building and building! The anxiety level at the beginning was huge, I could see it on many expressions, but once everyone was rolling , the support by everyone’s lane mates was incredible, pushing to finish- lanes 6, 7, and 8 were being motivated by the other lanes! No one wanted to quit too early and many asked me “was it tough to be on deck?” and honestly it was not, I had a blast!""
[caption id="attachment_652" align="alignright" width="300"] Bob Rogalski forgot to sign out.... But he did swim![/caption]
Cheers to:
Mark Cox 10k
Dave Natali 7k
Kirsten Morrow 10k
Sebastian Becerra 7,600
Matty Mo 10k
Jim Meyers 7,600
Susan Kabazie 7,600
Lindsay Woods 10k
Andy McCutcheon 10k
Bruce Morrison 10k
YBC (Young Bob Craddock) 10k
Mike Black 10k
Kim McCarthy 4,200
DeWayne Tuthill 6,000
Nancy Foster 5,300
Danielle Miceli 6,500
Jen Brogan 6k
Chip Burke 7k
Nancy Rixe 7k
A Watterson 7k
Faris Kindilchie 7k
OBC (Older Bob Casey) 8k
Jeff Rixe 7k
Amanda Resek 10k
Cory Siri 8k
Libby Ernharth 10k
Katie Stutz 10k
Carl Boyd 10k
Josh Dorfzaun 10k
Dave Watterson 10k
Mary Reed 10k
Alecia Clark 8k; and
Bob Rogalski 5275.
It has been quite a year for the FFH, looking forward to 2019.
Cheers to all and don't forget that if you don't re-new your USMS membership, you have to sit out and watch!
