Come Out and Swim 2009

200 SCY breaststroke 3:22.42
100 SCY breaststroke 1:35.55
100 SCY freestyle 1:22.12
50 SCY breastroke 43.08

I also swam 50 breaststroke leg of the 200 IM relay with Jeff Rice, Marc Forget, and Minh Truong.



This was the first meet that I swam freestyle, and that I swam a relay. It was also the first meet that I placed in my age group, for the 200 yard breaststroke.



I was one of the organizers of the meet, so this was 6 months in the making. I was involved with all aspects of the meet. My main task toward the end was to coordinate 40 volunteers to work for the meet event. Luckily, volunteers showed up on time. After giving a quick orientation, I transfer the supervisor duty to my friend Eric, so I could start warming up for my first event.

The 100 yard freestyle was the most difficult for me. Although I practiced this about 100 times, I was very nervous swimming freestyle for the first time in a meet. I did well, but I almost had no energy left for my last event, 50 yard breast, which was only about 5 minutes after my freestyle swim.

Delaware Marathon 2009

They listed me as female again, but my time was too slow to win a female age group award :)

It was a rainy and windy marathon. The course was changed so this year we ran 2 loops instead of 4. It was still a very small race, and since I was in the second half of the pack, people were friendly!

I started out doing 9 minute mile pace for the first 10 miles, and gradually started to slow down to 10 minute mile pace. Cramped up first at mile 19, then again at mile 23. I walked for a few minutes to give my muscles a rest, but got my second and third winds to finish the race at 4 hours and 27 minutes.

The time was slow for me, but crossing the finishing line was definitely another personal triumph!

Confessions of a Lane Five Swimmer

My 50 SCY freestyle is 38 seconds, and my 100 SCY is 1:26 seconds in a recent time trial during a Fins practice. I should still be in Lane 5, but since we have had more inexperience swimmers joining, I found myself mostly in Lane 4 the past month.

I am usually the slowest swimmer in Lane 4. The 100 yard interval for Lane 4 is usually 1:40. I really need 1:50. If we do 6 x 100, then I can do the first two 200, then sit out a 50 to catch a breath and re-align my lane positions.

I think my hand entry and recovery improve, but I my kick is still week, and I still can't breath well on the left side.

Broad Street Run 2009

The Broad Street Run is getting bigger every year, and I am starting to like it. The coral start is new this year, and it is great for me to stay ahead of 20,000 slower runners / walkers.

My time is two minutes slower this year, but I am thrilled to have gone under 80 minutes.

I am done with the M30-34 age group for this race, so here are my results from the past 5 years:

2009: 1:16:09; 371st out of 1943 men in my age group
2008: 1:14:13; 238th out of 1504 men in my age group
2007: 1:16:23; 277th out of 1329 men in my age group
2006: did not run
2005: 1:30:08; 708th out of 1108 men in my age group

Judge Anders & Friends At Clean Air 5k

I organized two team of runners and walkers, Judge Anders and Friends I & II, for the Clean Air 5k race this year. Team members were me & my parents, Dan and his parents, Fins swimmers, and many of my personal friends.
Dan ended up getting a cold for the day, so he was the photographer for Team Anders. Dan's parents won age-group prizes (70+ male and female). It was my parents' first race ever. They walked the course and finished together just under an hour.

My time was 21:22. That was 62 seconds slower than my time last year, but I was thrilled with that time. It was nice to be with friends and family. I also enjoyed seeing members of the Frontrunners Philadelphia (gay running team) and Falcons (gay soccer team), as well as many random people whom I never thought were runners. The weather was great, and the Clean Air Council put together another fantastic event.