Bringing Home Maggie

Friday, November 30, 2007

Descending Ladder Set

Today I was joined by Elizabeth and we did a great descending ladder set. Afterward we did a little speed work, which was a fun change from my usual workouts. Thanks Elizabeth for joining me again!

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

I swam with my friend Julie again today. I was feeling pretty sluggish, so it was a good thing I had such an energetic and eager friend to help encourage me along. We actually ended up swimming over a mile. Thanks, Julie!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

3/4 Of The Way Done!

To mark the 3/4 point, I did another straight 1 mile swim. I did it a little faster than last time, so I must be getting in better shape. Only 10 more days to go!

Monday, November 26, 2007

Swimming With My Son

Part way through my swim today, Sebbie got in and swam some "laps" with me. He wrapped his arms around my neck and kicked REALLY hard! He then got in the small pool and swam some laps on his own. He is becoming a really good swimmer. Thanks for joining me Sebbie!

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Buddy Swim

Today I was joined by our friend Candace again. Even though this was only her second time swimming at Osborn, she completed a very impressive 1/2 mile! We did what I call a "buddy swim" where two people of different speeds start together and continue swimming until one catches the other, then they rest and start again. It was a fun swim. Thanks for joining me Candace!

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Swim'n with my lover

Today, Cathy and I had a hot date. Her sister's Linda and Suzie stayed home with Sebbie and taught him how to play chess. Cathy and I went out like the old days BS (Before Sebbie) and swam a workout together at the Mt. Scott pool in SE Portland. A very lovely pool with an awesome kids area indoor adjacent to the 25 yard pool and a really awesome indoor fitness center. Turns out the$3.50 admission fee gets you into the fitness room chock full of modern weight and aerobic equipment. Anyway, the swim was awesome, 2000 yards, and she is getting into really nice swimming shape. We even took a few of the 100's down to 1:25 base - unheard of for her until now. Pretty darn good for an almost, but not quite 40 year old. We finished our swim in the hot pool! Can't wait for the special 40th set on December 8th.

Hope to see all of our swimming and non-swimming friends then.

Steve

Workout with Steve

Today was an especially great swim day because I got to swim an entire workout with my sweetie. Steve and I did 2000 yards at the Mt. Scott pool in Portland. I worked a little harder today than I normally do because I discovered that I still enjoy trying to impress my husband--much like when we were dating! (:

Interesting Facts About China

The size and shape of China is very similar to the United States.

The population in China is 1.3 billion.

Only about 10% of the land in China is arable.

There are 55 different recognized minority nationalities in China that make up 6% of the population. The majority ethnic group (94%) is Han.

In some areas of China, the people, food, language, and cultural practices are more similar to those in other countries than majority China. The Uighur people, for example, eat lots of lamb, speak Turkish, and have the physical appearance more similar to those in the Middle East.

Swimming For My Daughter

On October 30th, I began swimming 40 miles in 40 days as a way to mark my 40th birthday on December 4th and to honor the upcoming adoption of our daughter. I called this event "Swimming For My Daughter" because I collected some flat or per mile contributions toward our adoption expenses from any one who wanted to contribute.

During the 40 days I had many wonderful family members and friends that encouraged me and some that even swam with me! Some friends who lived far away swam with me in spirit.

I ended up getting in better swimming shape than I have been in before and met my goal of getting in the water EVERY day. Due to some extra yardage I put in, the grand mileage total was just over 43 miles.

The last workout was a wonderful culmination to the entire 40 days-- a descending set of 40 50's with the last five being on the :40. A large group of regular swimmers and some not so regular swimmers got in the water to join me, while other cheered from the deck. I was able to make all the send offs but I had to work REALLY hard to make the last few. My toes are still cramping as I write this, but the memory of the accomplishment and the support makes me feel so wonderful.

After the final swim, we celebrated with a big party at the pool, complete with a family swim time, trips down the zip-line, a tasty potluck dinner, cake, a heartwarming song (written by my husband!), and awesome company.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, to all of my wonderful family and friends who helped and encouraged me in so many ways--notes, emails, phone calls, conversation, child care, contributions, underwater photos, swimming with me, and celebrating with me. I feel truly blessed.

Thank you to Sebastian who gave more support, encouragement, and understanding toward my goal than I could have ever imagined a five-year-old to do.

My greatest gratitude and thanks goes to by biggest source of support in this swim and in life--my wonderful husband Steve. This journey we are on together gets better with each passing year. I look forward to 40 more!

Bringing Home Maggie

The Law/George Family