Tuesday, December 12, 2006
8:00pm
Two swim practices (totaling 6.7 miles)
+ two presentations
+ one lift workout
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One very long day!

On the upside, my week is much less stressful from here on out! I swam pretty well at each practice today, considering the fact that my mind was elsewhere.

Both presentations went well, nothing like ending the semester on a good note.

All I have left is two papers and two finals and then I am home freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Wednesday, December 13, 2006
5:00pm
Today was Gut Check day in the pool. We did a set of 10x100 on 3 minutes. The point of this set is to go as hard as you can for as long as you can. As a team, we did a very impressive job!

I will try my best to explain this in ???other ???sporting terms.

Hockey:
Remember in the movie ???Miracle??? when Herb Brooks made the team skate and skate and skate???The players had to keep skating, even when their legs were about to give out???that is what I experienced today.

Basketball:
In the movie Coach Carter there is a scene where Coach makes his team run suicides and do pushups, all as a form of conditioning, and punishment. Our killer sprint workout today was not punishment, but conditioning to the max.

???The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.??? Vince Lombardi
Today we tested our will!

Friday, December 15, 2006
10:00am
Today is the last day of classes for my final fall semester. I can???t believe how quickly it has come and gone. Not that I am complaining, this has been one of the most stressful semesters of my life, but it wouldn???t be senior year with out stress. In addition, this afternoon is our last mandatory swim practice of the season (there is one last optional practice tomorrow morning, and during finals week we are supposed to come in when we can fit it into our schedule).

It has been tradition to do the same workout on the last day of the semester for all the years I have been at UMaine. We call this the ???hospital set??? because rumor has it one year two members of the team were taken to the hospital during this practice. Although the rumor is true, the circumstances of the two swimmers were not normal. They had health related issues and the ???hospital set??? caused a relapse of sorts. Nevertheless, we love to scare the freshman throughout hell week by talking about the phantom hospital set???the look on their faces is priceless! And the look of accomplishment that they have when the set is over is even better.

7:30pm
We all survived!! The hospital set was once again conquered by the UMaine Swimming team. Tomorrow morning is our last practice of ???Hell Week??? and rumor has it we are doing something related to the 12 days of Christmas???

Sunday, December 17, 2006
1:00pm
The end is so near! This past week the topic of ???this is my last time doing?????? has come up in many conversations I have had with fellow seniors, both athletes and non-athletes alike. Reality is starting to set in, we are almost done with school, with our athletic careers and it is time to grow up! But before we do, there are games to win, finals to be conquered, holidays to celebrate and fun to have.

I will be taking a break from my blog while I am at home in Minnesota, but will be starting it up again when I get to Florida for winter training.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!