I’ve long considered myself a caffeine addict. After discovering the wonder of the cafe con leche as an 18-year-old venturing around Ecuador with my pops, I’ve never taken a hiatus from coffee. Well, there was a three-day cleanse I did prior to my wedding. I remember giving a private lesson and I was struggling to …
Latest from a Berkeley sensory lab: NBA basketball teams whose players touch each other more win more games. My San Antonio Spurs did seem to give each other record-breaking amounts of encouraging butt pats last season. The secret to winning? Surely not. But we do all hold some magic in our hands. Last night I …
Soft, buttery, leathery goodness My Aunt Tam used this expression (slave to fashion) to describe me this weekend. After some consideration, I must agree with her in part. I do not claim to be uber fashion forward, but I really do love me some exceptional retail finds. I blame Anthropologie for my heightened interest in …
I’m forever in debt to my parents and every person who may have sat through a session of a Nationals meet to watch me swim. Bleacher butt and back is real! Bleacher life could not really be any more different from competing athlete life. You have zero control. You do not have a 50 meter …
After racing last Sunday (see prior post) I came home and nestled into my favorite corner of the couch. Every now and then I will go on a run or bike ride and listen to a sermon instead of electro/house music. Yeah, my taste is eclectic, I know. I have read two books by Timothy …
After feeling some pressure from a couple Ford Masters swimmers last Monday, I signed up for the Arizona Masters State meet. “C’mon Annie! We need the points!” How could I say no? It was to be held at the UA pool, which is a five minute drive from our house, so I really did not …
That used to be my back. Formerly. In the past. Not currently. Once upon a time I went formal dress shopping with my roommate and good friend (who also happens to be an Olympic gold medalist…you guessed it! Alyssa Anderson). We were in search of elegance worthy of the Golden Goggles, the USA Swimming’s annual …
At Whole Foods there is a section of refrigerated coffee. Just brewed black coffee. I’m not willing to buy bold black coffee cold. I can do that myself. Oh, I guess I could also mix two shots of espresso with almond milk and get THIS, but that sounds like a lot more effort to me. …
Our church is far away. Like 40 minutes away. We love the people in our church and our pastor, but since our pastor went on a 3-month sabbatical, we’ve been watching and listening to lots of sermons online. I think fellowship is important, but sometimes it’s really liberating to listen to a message in my …
I’m still not sure what kind of blog this is, but today it’s a fitness blog. To swim at a high level, you need a high aptitude for pain. Eventually that all-out burn becomes an addiction. In retirement, my workouts have gotten shorter, but they’re not worthwhile unless they burn. So here’s what I did …