Life In The New City

We've been in Shreveport for a few weeks now. It is always so hard to adapt to a new place. I joined a Masters Swim here - it's okay. Not great. Every set is based on a rest interval instead of a time so I find myself not working as hard as I did in Hattiesburg. I've taken to setting my own intervals on some sets, disregarding what the coach says about 20 seconds rest. And I'm swimming some at the pool where I coach, it's a 50 meter outdoor pool, a little warm since the temperatures have been high but being outdoors is really nice. Oh.. and the pool where I swim masters is dark and not a really happy place.

I joined the triathlon group here even before I arrived and have met a few nice people. I posted something on the message board about looking for people to ride with during the week and a really great girl named Dedra invited me to ride with her, her husband Rob, and a friend of theirs, Donna. I've ridden with them a half a dozen times and I enjoy their company. Actually a bunch of people responded to my post but Dedra's pace, distance and time worked the best with my schedule. I'm enjoying riding with them, I hope they keep it up after their 70.3 Boulder race! They also live pretty close to where we are buying a house so mid week rides should work out well.

I've been coaching with COSST - City of Shreveport Swim Team and really like it. So far I've been working with Linda and Barbara coaching the Jr Varsity. Like both of them. And the kids are great! Yesterday two of the girls had their last practice because they are moving to Phoenix, AZ and one told me that she was sad because she really liked me. That made my day!  Swimmer kids are awesome! (that's a lot of exclamation points!)

Went today to an open water swim clinic that Tara, one of the COSST coaches is conducting. She and I were the only two that showed up, so we swam about 2,000 in the private ski lake by her friend's house! Nice! They had a diving board at the end of their pier so she and I did a bunch of front flips off the board into the lake.

My other job is okay and getting better. Today was a good day. It's kind of quiet in there, I asked about turning up the music to increase the energy in the place. It's pretty funny for me to ask for that, because I don't like loud music at all. I think I have some noise aversion, but it was SO quiet in there that I was a little uncomfortable. The merchandise is awesome, already spent more than my paycheck! They sell tons of shoes, and I'm learning to be a shoe fitter, love it!

Going to do my first race here on Thursday. The Firecracker 5K. No age group awards, but cool mugs to the first 101 men and first 60 women finishers. I'll let you know how it goes. A slight cool front came through last night (humidity is low and wind is out of the north), I hope it holds through Thursday morning. It's been so hot and humid. Like walking outside and having someone throw a hot wet blanket over your head. Meh...

Oh.. here's something... I went with Donna on Saturday to ride up on the River Cities Triathlon course. We got in 40 miles. When I drove up there were a handful of cyclists ready to start their ride and they were blocking three prime parking places (meaning the spaces would still be in the shade when we finished our ride). So I pulled up, smiled, and pointed to the parking place where I wanted to go. The riders had to move so let me park, and one of the Sunrise Tri Club members said to me "Couldn't find another place to park?" in a really sarcastic voice. Nice. Friendly. NOT. Later on the ride I was up ahead of Donna and she had been picked up by a few riders and came by when I'd stopped to help a little box turtle cross the road. And I pretty sure it was the same rider said not too quietly as they came by. "Get killed stopping to help a (insert expletive starting with the letter f here) turtle off the road." He's probably one of the kind of drivers who intentionally run over the turtles.

Now what I would like to know is what kind of man feels compelled to say such things to someone he's never met, let alone a woman? What gives with people these days? The comments weren't in a joking tone, they were deliberately mean. I think he must have some issues.

This was the same guy who came by Donna and I with his group, (we started before they did), got dropped by his group, kept looking back as we were approaching, got on my wheel, I could hear him behind me, so I dropped him too. Maybe I have some issues....with rude people... yes, I do!

P.S. Some really good news, we close on a house on July 18th!! River Cities Triathlon on August 4th, and Age Group Nationals on August 10th! (Get to see my friend, Becky!) Good things to look forward to!