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I just wanted to give an update of my sponsorship situation. I have a bunch of great sponsors now, and I feel it is only right to acknowledge them. As I mentioned before, You Scared? Industries was the first company to sponsor me. I wear their hoodie to practice and meets. I have gotten several compliments on it, and I have to say that it keeps me extremely warm, yet if I get too hot, just pulling the sleeves up does the trick.
I am also sponsored by Rockwell Timekeepers, an athletic watch company. Their watches are incredible looking, and they take care of their athletes. I look forward to our relationship growing as I continue to represent them in and out of the pool.
Another one of my sponsors is Beljum Budder. They make this great lotion that goes on under your suit. It is great for triathletes, cyclists, runners, and swimmers alike. What might be the best thing is that it doesn't ruin your suit, since it is stain and fragrance free. It is also packed with vitamins A, D, and E to promote healthy skin. As an added bonus, they don't test on animals.
Another sponsor of mine is Concept2 rowing machines. Indoor rowers are a great way to increase endurance and work your lats and arms. They make a great product for anyone competing or participating in endurance sports.
My newest sponsor is Fluid. They are a company that specializes in muscle recovery. Fluid is a drink designed to provide better and faster muscle recovery after sustained workouts. A lot of scientific research has gone into Fluid, and is available on their website. It has been shown that a combination of protein and carbohydrates taken within 30 minutes of finishing a workout provides for the most effective muscle recovery. Fluid makes this easy by providing an easy to mix drink with 7g of protein and 25g of carbohydrates as well as 2500mg of L-Glutamine. In addition, Fluid replenishes lost electrolytes with a combination of sodium and potassium. It also helps boost stressed immune systems with 166% DV of vitamin C. Personally, I like the Berry Treasure. There are no artificial flavors, colors, or ingredients in Fluid, and it is guaranteed that there never will be. For those of you wondering about calories, there are only 128 calories, 8g of sugar (natural, not artificial), and 0g of fat per serving.
I look forward to growing as an athlete and fostering a wonderful relationship with all my sponsors. Any company that supports athletes at all levels is a company that I am proud to promote.
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Well, my first meet is behind me. It was full of good and bad things, but overall it was a good experience. The meet was carried over two days, the actual competition on Saturday and a small registration party Friday night at the famous Stonewall Inn. We checked in, got our heat sheets and information programs, and then moved over to Ostia's for some dinner. It was a tapas place, so we all shared our food. It was really good, and I got to try a little of everything.
Saturday morning, I arrived at the pool to find blistering hot temperatures in almost every area of the center. The stands were small and out of the way, so I had to go up a flight of stairs and through a maze to get to my girlfriend between races when I wasn't hanging out with my team. The PA system was really bad, and many swimmers missed their heats--including myself. The organizers also had problems with the heat sheets. We were given one on Friday, and then on Saturday morning we were told that it was incorrect. We were given another one, which we were later told was also incorrect, and the official one was taped to the wall. The pool was nice, but it was not amazing. It was only seven feet deep, and not as fast as I thought it was going to be. In fact, the 6-lane 25-yard pool my team practices in seems faster. Overall, I just did not see a $66.3 million facility.
As far as my performance goes, it was a mixed bag. I got flustered before my first race--the 50m Breaststroke--because I barely made it to the blocks on time. Apparently some heats were combined in the event before mine, and I was unaware. I had to get out of the pool and go right onto the block. Needless to say, if I am not focused, I make mistakes. My start was flat and shallow, and my pullout was bad. My stroke started off poor and did not recover. My turn--which I had done hundreds of times before in practice--was horrendous. But, I did come in second place in my heat and in my age group, so I can't complain too much.
I missed my second event (100m Breaststroke) because I was warming up and did not hear my heat called. I was considering scratching it because I wasted a lot of energy in the 50 breast, and I had entered a 200m Freestyle relay that I wanted to do well in for my team. Well, the decision was made for me, so no harm done.
The relay was really great. I swam third and swam seven seconds faster than I ever have in practice. I'm not a sprinter, but it was still a good race. It was awesome to be part of the team atmosphere, cheering for everyone else and beating the pants of the other team in the pool. Our team came in first in our heat, but I'm not sure of our overall place.
It was my first meet, and I made all the mistakes I was afraid of making. I'm glad it happened that way, because now I won't be so paranoid about something going wrong--I'll just be ready to have some fun and swim fast (and win!). My next meet is this Saturday (10/18/08). It is the first meet in the 2008-2009 Maryland Memorial Swim Series. I will be swimming the 200y Freestyle, the 100y Breaststroke, and the 100y IM. I'm a little nervous about the IM, but my Butterfly is coming along really well, so we'll see.
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