About Elaine-iaK's Travels

As a graduate of Recreation Administration, from San Diego State University, I have made recreation and travels my career and life’s passion. After graduation, I traveled solo for one year throughout the South Pacific, doing travel photography in a wide variety of settings. Upon my return, many of my photographs became the subjects of my newly created line of handcrafted photographic greeting cards, "Exquisite! By, Elaine", a business I have had since 1986. Check them out at: http://ExquisiteCards.fototime.com . In 1983, I began teaming up with my mom, Goldie, teaching arts & crafts to cruise ship passengers, aboard Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean. In addition, I lectured on travel photography, as well as Australia and New Zealand history, aboard Princess Cruises. In 2004, I formed a new teaching team with my recently retired husband, Bruce, who serves as my "humble assistant" until 2010 when the cruise lines shifted the arts and crafts program to mostly being taught by their own staff. Currently, our favorite mode of travel is by river boat. Along the way, we enjoy poking around small European towns, meeting the people, seeking out interesting photo subjects, and always stopping at every chocolatier to make a purchase. Adding to my chocolate label and wrapper collection is a bonus! And, as a U.S. Masters swimmer, if I can find a pool to get in a swim with the locals, all the better! Cheers! Elaine-iaK ~ Believing in your dreams can be far more rewarding than living by your limitations~ -Karla Peterson

They Called Him “Flipper”…

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Do you remember that really cheesy, sappy TV show, “Flipper” with the even cheesier theme song? When I was a little kid, Flipper was my favorite show; must-see TV for me. I was so envious of Sandy; I wanted my very own pet dolphin, too! I was so crazy about dolphins, my dream was to grow up and become a dolphin trainer at Marineland (no longer in existence) or Sea World.

Well, fast forward to 2012 and now I am a baby geezer, remembering that childhood dream. Flipper was from Florida and now I was on a mission to see his distant cousins here, too. Sure, I have seen plenty of dolphins in my 50 years, but “plenty” is never enough, when it comes to seeing your very favorite of anything.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself, as far as yesterday’s adventures go. The day started out back at J.N. Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge; this time with our kayaks, rather than a tram tour. There are two places to launch within the reserve and we opted for the second, after passing the white pelicans.

Bruce brought his fishing gear, intending to catch this time, rather than just fish. But, it just wasn’t meant to be. It’s not that he’s a bad fisherman; I used to watch him catch 6-10 bass in one hour off Coronado Bay, from his kayak. And, that’s no fish story; it was a regular thing! But, here, the fish just aren’t going to bite at much of anything when they are suffering from a sudden 10 degree temperature drop.

So, while Bruce fished, I chased around a blue heron and watched the egrets on the shoreline. It was a gorgeous day and so quiet and tranquil.

After fishing, a swim workout, and a deli sandwich from Jerry’s, we headed for the Lighthouse in our kayaks in search of dolphins. They were there the other day, so we figured our luck would be with us again. Sure enough, before we even launched our kayaks, we spotted them, just 50 yards out. FLIPPER!

The gulf was completely flat and winds were only 4mph; perfect for ‘yaking. We paddled towards the pier and spent the remainder of the late afternoon paddling around a couple of pods of dolphins out for their evening meal. A mother and baby, close by her side, didn’t seem to mind us at all; a surprise, since mothers are always so protective of their young. At one point, Mom poked her head up by Bruce’s kayak to have a look, before swimming right under his boat. He must have met her approval (how could she not???), because they continued to hang around the area.

A few times, the dolphins surfaced right by my boat, as well, before taking a dive right under me. (Of course, every time, I was too slow at the trigger and ended up with plenty of photos of just a fin sticking out of the water…) It was such a thrill, reminding me of the times I had paddled with the dolphins before; once in Long Beach and the other in Aransas Pass, Texas.

The main thing was that it was such a blast to be out there with the dolphins, so close to the shore, watching them feed. At times, they would dart towards the shore chasing down their dinner; their speed and agility amazing to see. We were having so much fun; we didn’t want to turn back when the sun was almost set. For that hour or two, I was living that childhood dream. “They called him Flipper, Flipper, Flipper, …”

Birds in Paradise

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Summer fun at the Alamitos Bay Peninsula, in Long Beach, where I grew up, always included watching the pelicans fly overhead and dive bomb into the surf, in search of lunch. I used to love watching “pelis”, my favorite bird.

Here in Sanibel, pelicans are everywhere! And, we saw plenty of them today, along with great egrets, snowy egrets, reddish egrets, and cormorants; all hoping for castoffs from the fisherman along the beach and Lighthouse pier.

Before we found ourselves surrounded by birds, the day began with my swim workout, while Bruce took a long walk on the beach near our cottage. (For my Sun City friends who have been to Sanibel, Seahorse Cottages are located directly behind the Lighthouse Café; a great location!)

At the recommendation of those same Sun City friends, we enjoyed brunch at Grama Dot’s, thoroughly enjoying peel-and-eat shrimp (me) and fried shrimp (Bruce), after working up quite an appetite. It was a gorgeous day, so the view of the boats at Sanibel Marina was the perfect way to enjoy those shrimp. I had hoped to also see manatees or dolphins, but the water was too cold for the manatees and the dolphins were elsewhere…

Bruce had opted not to fish today, so it was back to the beach for some shelling and photography.

Our last stop was back at Lighthouse Beach, where we had seen dolphins and pelicans the first time. We thought we would try our luck again. So, that’s where the dolphins were hanging out today! Overheard on the pier, spoken by a sunburned fisherman who had been there…awhile: “Those dolphins have been here all damn day!” Of course, we were ecstatic, however, he wasn’t too thrilled about the dolphins eating up his potential catch.

We didn’t see just one or two dolphins; we saw several pods, all out cruising for their lunch. A couple of times, we watched as one would chase a fish all the way up to the shallow edge, just feet from the shore, then dart back out again. It all happened so quick, I never had my camera ready. But, I did manage to get my favorite bird and (part of a) water mammal together in the same frame.

Meanwhile, back to the birds, as soon as a fisherman threw some bits of fish to a pelican on the beach, birds came out of nowhere and everywhere. It was a free for all and quite a hoot to watch. I never had this much fun watching birds in Long Beach!

How Many Laps (In This Pool) Is A Mile?

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

When we made reservations with Seahorse Cottages, on Sanibel Island, I wasn’t concerned whether it had a pool or not, since I had done my research and knew the Sanibel Recreation Center pool was suitable for training. So, I really didn’t give any thought to what I would find, once I arrived to our cottage. Imagine the look on my face, however, when I saw this:

Needless to say, I never laughed so hard at the sight of a “pool” in all my life! It is, I’m sure, smaller than Sun City Peachtree’s spa! I thought about getting my suit on and having Bruce photograph me “swimming” backstroke, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet; I’ve been too busy swimming in this pool, instead:

So, what do you think? How many laps do you think it would take to “swim” a mile in our cottage pool? I should measure the pool and figure it out…

Meanwhile, Sanibel Recreation Center’s pool is quite nice. The facility is only five years old, so everything is in excellent condition and quite clean. And, I don’t get kicked out of the pool between 9am – 10am, like I do at Sun City Peachtree, when the four or five noodlers get the entire pool all to themselves for their “water aerobics” class! Here, they keep two lanes open at all times during every water aerobics class! And, it really is water aerobics (no cd’s) with a teacher who encourages those ladies (and gentlemen) to move. She is an excellent instructor; so good, even I might even become a noodler, if I lived here on the island. These noodlers have it good!

Fishing (and Not Catching); No Fish Stories Today

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

If you already read yesterday’s blog, you might want to scroll back and take a look at a couple of photos I added; the alligator I mentioned and some beautiful white pelicans that just arrived from Canada. I was too tired to go through my photos last night, so I went through and picked out a few favorites to add to yesterday’s and today’s post.

We ended the day, yesterday, with a relaxing walk along Bowman’s Beach, noted for its excellent shelling. But, the shelling actually turned out to be better 1-1/2 blocks from our cottage, not far from the lighthouse.

So, here are the photos I collected, rather than shells:

Today, after swimming at the Sanibel Recreation Center, we took our kayaks out on the bay for some fishing and photography. Note that I said “fishing”, not “catching”. (After all, Bruce did purchase a fishing permit; not a catching permit.) Thanks to the ten degree drop in water temperatures that occurred just before we arrived on Sanibel, the fish are in a bit of shock, perhaps. But, it was fun watching the birds, including two ospreys on their nest, surveying the activity below. And, to top things off, we saw a pod of dolphins that came quite close to Bruce’s kayak. Although I didn’t get close enough to get a good photo, it was fun watching them- and, trying to catch up with the pod!

I did get a few photos of the ospreys and other birds; however, you won’t be seeing those (or any other kayaking photos) until after we return home. I didn’t realize until today that I don’t have my new waterproof camera’s software on my netbook; it is only my desktop computer- at home. It’s not that I forgot to do load it; it just never even occurred to me. Note to self, added to my spiral notebook that goes everywhere I go: Load Fuji software on netbook! That was notated right below: Write Debbie’s October 28^th birthday on my 2013 calendar! Happy belated birthday (again), Deb; we’re thinking about you!

Some Sanibel Scoop

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

We didn’t know Sanibel Island even existed until our friends, Becky and Paul told us about their vacations to Captiva Island, Florida, located just past Sanibel Island. They couldn’t say enough great things about it though, which explains their once or twice per year annual visits. So, we were convinced we just had to see it for ourselves.

Sanibel Island measures roughly 12 miles long and five miles across at its widest point. Captiva Island is smaller at less than 5 miles long and a 1/2-mile wide. Both are accessible from Fort Myers by the Sanibel Causeway Bridge. At a bridge toll of $6 and steep beach parking fees, they are not frequented by Floridians as often as other destinations- just the way the locals like it. So, it is not as touristy here like, say, Daytona Beach or Orlando. Rather, the vibe is low key and relaxing. This is where we are staying: www.seahorsecottages.com ; a very low key place in a great location near the beach.

There are so many reasons to visit Sanibel Island; especially if you are a beachcomber. Sanibel Island ranks number one on the continent for shelling and we could see why! We literally saw piles of shells as we walked along the beach at sunset, on the evening of our arrival. Due to its east-west torque of Sanibel’s south end, it acts as a ladle, scooping up all the shells that the Gulf imports from the Caribbean and other southern seas. The abundance and variety of shells draws serious shellers from all over the world.

Birders are also drawn to Sanibel, because of the abundance and variety of gorgeous birds that wade in marshes and cruise the shorelines. In our first day alone, we saw everything from two varieties of each of pelicans, herons, and egrets, to ospreys and the bright pink Roseate Spoonbill. And, on the beach, there were dozens of willets, plovers and sandpipers.

Even if you ignore the shells and birds, the beaches here are gorgeous! And, that’s before I even get into what is beyond the shore. Last evening, we saw our first bottlenosed dolphins frolicking about just 50 yards out. From what we hear, there will be plenty more of them to see. But, we really hope to see manatees, too, known to frequent this area.

There is also the 6,400 acres of J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, the natural showpiece of Sanibel Island. After my swim at the Sanibel Recreation Center (a wonderful facility!), we visited the refuge today. We took a guided tram ride and thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of the area and the wildlife we saw, including a variety of birds and even an alligator catching some rays in the shallow water right near the road.

Tomorrow, we will get our kayaks out on the water, so Bruce can fish for Redfish, Speckled Trout, Tripletail, Snapper, Cobia, and/or Snook. He plans to mostly catch and release, but I’ll try to snap a photo or two first.

Our first impression of Sanibel? We’re hooked (no pun intended)!

On the Road to Sanibel Island, Florida, With Bruce- and, Trudy

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

It was finally time to break down and buy a GPS. Still being fairly new to Georgia and the East Coast, we were forever printing out Maquest or Google Maps to find our way to craft shows, swim meets, or destinations we were out exploring. But, the directions were often wrong; the source of one too many frustrating bouts of bickering in the car. Enough was enough! Enter… Trudy.

Trudy is our new GPS, named in memory of Trudy the Travel Trailer, once owned by our friends, Ted and Al, before it was destroyed in a mountain fire that stormed through their property. Trudy was a classic; may she rest in peace.

Our Trudy has an interesting habit reminding me of my days spent in Australia with the Aussies. When she instructs us to turn right at an upcoming street, she will end the sentence with, “…and turn right?”, ending the sentence with an upward lilt of her voice sounding as if she is asking a question, rather than making a statement. Are you sure, Trudy? If so, say it with conviction; make a statement! Trudy must be an Aussie at heart, because they speak the same way, sounding like they are asking a lot of questions. But, I loved the Aussies, and, I love Trudy.

So, Trudy got us to Sanibel Island, Florida, safe and sound, stopping for a night in Ocala, along the way, as well as a fish market, The Sanibel Island Welcome Center, Sanibel Recreation Center, and Bailey’s Supermarket, before finally arriving at the Seahorse Cottages; our final destination. At times, when we veered off her instructed path, she would implore us to make a U-turn, but, we would just laugh and reassure her, “Don’t worry, Trudy; it will be alright.” And, after getting over herself, she would…recalculate. Trudy is a true champ.

Sanibel’s colorful Welcome Center

I loved Sanibel Island’s warning to snowbirds entering the Welcome Center!

I’m a Baby Geezer!

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

When Bruce and I made the decision to move to a Del Webb Sun City community, I decided it would be a perfect opportunity to switch from being a gym rat and return to being a water dog. The treadmill hadn’t been kind to my paws; I had developed a fierce case of tarsal tunnel syndrome and knew it would be an ongoing battle. But, the pool where we lived in San Antonio was an outdoor pool, open only during the (very) hot summer months. That situation wasn’t kind to me either; I developed fierce heat intolerance issues.

Sun City has a climate controlled indoor pool- perfect!

So, I returned to the pool, in 2009, soon after settling in at Sun City Peachtree. I worked on building up my endurance. Then, one day, I decided to try swimming my old competitive stroke again: Breaststroke. Once I built up enough speed and confidence to time myself, I brought my watch to the pool and timed my race from a push off the wall. Aaaaaack! It was far from the 1:19.06 best time I got as a high school senior. But, I went home red-faced, sat down at the computer, and looked up where my time would have ranked if I had competed as a 50 year old, at the Georgia Golden Olympics. Of course, I was only 47, BUT, I was also just getting back into it and figured I would have plenty of room to improve.

To my surprise, my time wasn’t so bad in my age group. So, I looked up where my time would have placed me at the National Senior Olympics and was relieved to see I wouldn’t have placed last! Actually, I would have ended up in the middle of the pack.

So, at that very moment, I set a goal for myself and announced to Bruce: “In 2012, when I turn 50, I am going to compete in the Georgia Golden Olympics!”

It was time to get to work.

After 8 months of swimming on my own, I realized I didn’t have a clue how to properly train to return to competition. And, I could tell by watching the Olympics, in 2008, that breaststroke had changed dramatically, since 1979. I needed a coach. Badly.

After doing some research, I learned that the closest indoor competition pool, Steve Lundquist Aquatic Center, was located 25 minutes away, in Clayton County. I called the pool to see if they could refer me to a coach who could take a look at my strokes and get me back on track. That is how I met Mike Slotnick, the founder and head coach of SMART (Smart Motivated Athletic Respectful Teammate), a kid’s swim team.

Mike Slotnick 2012

Lucky for me, Mike was willing to take me on for reasonably priced private coaching sessions. He had his work cut out for him, for sure…

Meanwhile, I remembered that my sister had been a member of United States Masters Swimming, so I checked out the website and decided to join. Unfortunately, the nearest team was located too far away to train with, but I could still compete with a team at swim meets.

One month after my first coaching session, I competed in my first meet. Thankfully, Mike was there to help calm my nerves, give me last-minute advice, and clue me in as to when and how much to warm up before each race. It turned out to be a great experience!

The following month, Georgia Tech hosted U.S.M.S. Short Course Nationals. How could I miss that with it being just up the freeway from my home? But, Nationals? Whoaaa; that’s way beyond my swimming level. But, U.S.M.S. is an inclusive organization, allowing all members to compete in three events at Nationals, if they don’t qualify to swim more (up to six). So, I went, competed, and ended up second to last in my events. Mike competed, too, we gave each other a lot of encouragement, and I ended up having a blast. The best part was meeting fellow “Forumites” (U.S.M.S. Discussion Forums members) and cheering each other on. And, nobody cared about my swim times; they only cared that I was happy to be there and competed with enthusiasm.

It was because of my great experience at 2010 Nationals that I have gone to most of the Nationals since. And, it has been well worth it! And, all of the local and southeastern Dixie Zone meets have been swimming highlights, as well. It has been a terrific 21/2+ years as a USMS member.

Fast forward to January 20, 2012; my 50^th birthday. After swimming in numerous U.S.M.S. meets, I had come to realize that the level of competition is far greater than at the Senior Olympics level. Comparing qualifying times and Nationals results, there was no comparison. But, I had set a goal and I was excited to see it through.

So, 2012 became the year of competing in Senior Olympics meets, in addition to U.S.M.S. meets. As I wrote previously, I competed in the Gwinnett County Golden Games, last April, as my very first Senior Games. It was at that meet that I officially declared myself a “Geezer” competing in the “Geezer Games” and was proud of it! And, as the youngest competitor there, I was even more proud to sit next to my team’s matriarch, 95 year old American Record Holder Anne Dunivin, for the medals photograph. I had won two golds and three silvers. Anne, one of the oldest competitors in the country, proudly admits that she has won those records by outliving her competition. She also won five gold medals at that meet.

Elaine&Anne.JPG

The Geezer Games I was really looking forward to competing in, however, was the meet I had my heart set on, back in 2009: The Georgia Golden Olympics, my adopted states’ qualifying meet for Nationals. So, last month, we made our way to Warner Robins to compete in the maximum allowed five races. My coach, Mike, competed too, as well as several of my teammates. I ended up again with two golds and three silvers (my first two medals shown below), getting beaten at both Geezer Games by former collegiate swimmers who were awesome breaststrokers. The gal at the state meet crushed my time; I didn’t have a chance for the gold. But, I achieved my goal, had fun, and swam well, considering the poor conditions (slow pool, too-warm water, too-warm air, no warm-up or cool-down lanes available; it was a joke, really…)

I won’t be going to Cleveland for 2013 Nationals, however, even though I qualified in four of my events . Cleveland isn’t exactly at the top of my bucket list and I am allocating my travel budget, instead, to U.S.M.S. Long Course Nationals, in Mission Viejo, for 2013.

My final Geezer Games competition as a baby geezer was the following week. The Clayton County Senior Games was organized by my coach, Mike, and ran in conjunction with one of my favorite meets, the U.S.M.S. Southside Pentathlon. As the women’s sprint pentathlon (50 yard races in each stroke and the 100 yard Individual Medley) winner in 2011, I wanted to defend my title, so I signed up for both meets. Four of my events counted for both simultaneously, but I was the only baby geezer who signed up for the Geezer Games. So, by default, I won four gold medals. But, I did defend my Sprint Pentathlon title and won another trophy, beating out a 39 year old in the process.

My teammate, Joyce and I wearing our Georgia Golden Olympics medals from the previous week and the Sprint Pentathlon trophy I had just won.

It has been FUN being 50. If it weren’t for Mike’s excellent coaching and friendship, U.S.M.S., and my fellow Forumites who have coached me online, I would have never gotten to the level where I am now with my swimming. And, it just keeps getting better and I keep having more fun, trying new things. Between the Geezer Games, Nationals, my first open water races, winning the Sprint Pentathlon, and winning the Georgia Championship Series trophy (the last meet for the Series is in December, at Georgia Tech, however, I have already mathematically eliminated my competition), it has been a fabulous year.

Life is good being a baby geezer.

How Do You Pronounce “Senoia”?

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Well, if you’re a tourist and want to stand out like one, you would pronounce it like it’s spelled; “Seh-noy-uuh”. But, Senoia is way too cool to bother with the “a”, so, give it a miss when you stroll the streets of this hip town and chat with the locals.

Senoia, Georgia, a town of about 2,500 people, is located about 30 minutes by car from our home at Sun City Peachtree, in Griffin. We decided to make it the celebration destination for our 20^th wedding anniversary; 26 years in all. Why? To steal the saying on the old neon sign out front of Austin Motel, in Austin, Texas, Senoia is “So close yet so far out”.

Senoia in some ways is an illusion. It reminds me of that commercial, “Is it live or is it Memorex?” Take Woodbury Town Hall, for example. It looks real, doesn’t it?

Nope; no town hall here. Woodbury doesn’t exist; at least in Senoia. Go behind the town hall and all you see is a chain link fence.

Same goes for the travel agency next door and the bookstore across the street. I was this close to walking up to the door of the bookstore to see what the new bookstore in town had to offer, but, I changed my mind, not wanting to add to my growing list of yet-to-be-read books. Good thing, because I wouldn’t have gotten very far; the door was locked. I’m sure the locals would have had a good chuckle, though, if I had tried the door and couldn’t get it open…

So, what’s up with this odd little town where the town hall isn’t named after Senoia and Woodbury Town Hall doesn’t really exist, anyway? And, what’s up with that darn travel agency and bookstore that isn’t open during regular business hours?

Well, like I said, Senoia is an illusion, in some ways. Blame it on Raleigh Studios Atlanta, a film studio instrumental in redeveloping Senoia into what it is a today; a hip little town with a great vibe. Some of the old historic buildings on Main Street were redeveloped by the studios for filming purposes and other new ones were built to look old for the same purpose. And, others, as I mentioned, aren’t buildings at all; just facades used in filming “The Walking Dead”; a drama/ horror/ thriller cable TV series.

My favorite movie filmed in Senoia was “Driving Miss Daisy”. Scenes from this Academy award winning movie (best picture and best actress), starring Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman, were filmed on Johnson Road.

Some of the other 17 movies filmed in Senoia were “Fried Green Tomatoes”, “Consenting Adults”, “The War”, “Gordy”, and, most recently, “Lawless”.

As for other TV series filmed in Senoia, “I’ll Fly Away” was filmed from 1991-1993 and “Drop Dead Diva” began filming in 2009.

The Veranda Bed & Breakfast Inn, our home away from home for the night was also the filming location for the movie, “Broken Bridges”, starring Kelly Preston, Burt Reynolds, and Toby Keith.

Dating back to 1906, this Greek Revival Mansion was originally the Holberg Hotel. The 8,000 square foot Inn with nine guest bedrooms still has its original features: Georgia heart pine floors, ornate tin ceilings, elegant light fixtures and chandeliers, and eleven fireplaces.

We booked our stay in “Leah Jackson Room 1”, located on the main floor: http://verandabandbinn.com/rooms.html . It was roomy but cozy and comfortable; furnished with antiques of the period.

The best part about The Veranda Bed & Breakfast Inn, though, was getting to know Laura, the owner; a warm and welcoming lady with the perfect personality to run a bed and breakfast. I got that impression from her husband, Rick, as well, although he kept quite busy during our stay, so we didn’t have the opportunity to chat with him like we did Laura. But, Rick is the cook and baker at the B&B, and was responsible for the delicious chocolate chip cookies served hot out of the oven, as well as the wonderful (and huge!) breakfast we enjoyed the following morning.

One of the reasons we chose to spend our anniversary in Senoia was because of the rave reviews I read about The Veranda on Trip Advisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g35254-d75430-r138578489-Veranda_Bed_Breakfast_Inn-Senoia_Georgia.html . I will be adding my own two cents after I post this, giving it a perfect rating to add to 21 excellent and 4 very good ratings it has already received.

To add icing to the anniversary cake of our enjoyable stay, Laura even asked Bruce if she could sell his art glass in her gallery! And, he was invited to exhibit and sell his pieces at an upcoming Senoia show, as well as be a featured artist in her gallery, in the future. Check out Bruce’s work here: www.CookedGlass.Fototime.com . This is what is keeping us busy during most weekends until Christmas!

So, our anniversary has come and gone, and our hope is to spend many more happy ones together! Perhaps we’ll return to The Veranda, again, next year, and make it a tradition. But, if we do, I’ll make sure to have Laura brief me first on any “new shops” that have popped up in town…

There’s a First Time for Everything

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

I didn’t intend on the year of my 50^th birthday being a year of firsts, but it sure has turned out that way! This has been a year full of firsts; our first time visiting Washington, D.C. and my first time seeing Chicago, for starters. But, more than anything, it has been a year of fun firsts as a U.S. Masters swimmer. What a blast! But, first, before I get into that, there is another first I am very excited about…

In my July 1, 2012 post, I wrote about Cullen Jones, one of my favorite swimmers who I admire and respect not only as a swimmer, but more importantly,as a person. If you watched the Olympics on August 3, you saw him in action, winning his first individual Olympic medal; a silver! He even beat sprint great, Cesar Cielo, current world record holder in the 50 meter freestyle. In addition, he won silver in the freestyle relay and gold in the medley (he swam in the preliminary heat). Congratulations, Cullen Jones, now a medal winner in two Olympics!

My firsts in swimming are, ummm, extremely modest in comparison, but they are my firsts:

In February, I decided for the first time to sign up for the maximum allowed individual events in Auburn’s two-day short course (25 yards) meet; eight for that particular meet. They were all 50’s and 100’s, besides the 200 yard breaststroke. But, it was a lot for me at the time; especially since I was also placed in two relays. I ended up with personal best times in three of my events, so I was happy! And, encouraged to try it again…

I did it twice in April; once at my very first Senior Games. Yes, at 50, I’m officially a geezer, so I now call Senior Games “Geezer Games”, since I am one of them and can get away with it now. So, I entered five events at Gwinnett County’s Geezer Games and ended up having to swim them all in 1:15! I won a gold and four silver medals for my efforts and enjoyed every minute of it.

I also signed up for five events at the one-day short course Georgia Championship Series meet, at Georgia Tech, hoping to have a shot at winning high points in my age group. I also swam in two relays. I ended up with another personal best time in one of my events and won the high points trophy.

At that point, Walter, our team relay coordinator, had a talk with me at the post-meet social and said, “As high points winner, you are now in the lead to win the Georgia Championship Series trophy for your age group. So, you need to swim in two of the next three events in the series to qualify and be in the running.”

Well, I had already planned on swimming in the Athens long course (50 meter pool) meet, in June, as well as the short course meters meet at Georgia Tech, in December. “But, what if you get sick or hurt and can’t make it to the meet? You need to swim in the open water meet just to make sure you get your three events in and qualify!” Walter was very convincing…

As you can see by my last post, I entered the open water swim at Lake Acworth and swam the 3k for a silver medal, immediately followed by the 1k, for the gold. And, yes, it was another first; I had never competed in open water before and ended up winning high points. (I also won high points the month before, in Athens).

So, without having to include December’s meet at Georgia Tech, I won the Georgia Championship Series for the first time. (I still plan on entering the meet at Georgia Tech, though, and going for high points.)

That high points thing really got me thinking. High points awards aren’t necessarily won by the fastest swimmer, because some of the fastest swimmers only enter their core events at meets to focus on getting their best times. But, I don’t fall into that category. Not only am I not the fastest breaststroker in my age group (I rank in the top 35-40%); I haven’t been able to beat my best time in quite awhile. (Perhaps aging is working against me here!).

I’m in this for FUN. And, as much as I love swimming breaststroke, beating my head up against the wall trying to beat my best time is getting to be NOT fun. So, I’m trying new events and entering a lot of them at meets to see where my other strengths (if any) may be. Having goals and working towards achieving them is what keeps me motivated and if I win a high points trophy along the way, all the better!

Two of the hardest events in swimming are the 400 IM (Individual Medley; 100 of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle) and butterfly. I had avoided them like the plague, because I didn’t think I had enough strength and endurance to tackle that much butterfly. Besides, I’m a sprinter! But, it was time to put my body to the test and see if I could prove myself wrong…

In my quest to see if I could swim 200 yards “fly” without needing lifeguard rescue, I actually kept going and ended up swimming 900 yards continuously. Here it is: http://youtu.be/4fmP1szg4mo . Two weeks later, I decided to try it again and swam 2,000 yards of continuous fly. I was so slow and the digital camera file was so large, the camera stopped at one point to write to the file. So, the swim is in two files: http://youtu.be/4PJouksr3wI and http://youtu.be/BfKKZa3uUYM .

At that point, I realized something it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out: If I could swim 2,000 yards of continuous butterfly, I surely could swim 200! It may be slow, but I can do it! So, that little exercise in endurance was a whole bunch of firsts that made June an exciting month of swimming for me. And, at that point, my coach, Mike, declared me a “distance swimmer”; a very different pill to swallow, considering I was a breaststroke sprinter who walks fast, talks fast and basically does everything like a hare, rather than a tortoise.

For my next meet, I decided to enter a full slate of events at our regional championships, “Dixie Zone Long Course Championships”; 10 events in two days, in addition to getting recruited to swim in two team relays. My new events on Saturday included 100 meter butterfly and 400 freestyle. Sunday’s new events included 200 fly, 400 IM, and 800 free. The goal: SURVIVE. Knowing there would be a bunch of fast swimmers at this meet, I knew I wouldn’t win high points. And, I knew it was too much to expect of myself to get any personal best times, considering the circumstances; especially since my 400 free event didn’t go off until 7:30 PM, we didn’t get to the hotel until 9:00 PM (and still needed to eat dinner), and had to be back in the pool at 8:00 AM the following day for warm-ups. To make matters worse, the indoor/outdoor “climate controlled” pool facility was not exactly climate controlled. The huge doors were rolled up and it was very hot and humid in Greenville. The only air conditioning to be found was in the locker room. The locker room became my friend- as was the shower turned on COLD.

In the end, not only did I survive last weekend’s meet; I had a blast. A swim buddy of my on the U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums posted this about me and Bruce: “Elaine had a great meet! She boldly took on the toughest events in the pool, including the 200 fly, and the 400 IM, and the 800 free, all on the same day! At the end of the day, she was still full of energy, bouncing up & down on the deck, saying, “Let’s do it again!” It was fun hanging out with Elaine and Bruce.”

And, after looking at my times in the 400 and 800 free, my coach, again, declared me a “distance swimmer”. I will never give up sprint breaststroke, but it looks like I will be wearing a new hat (swim cap?), as well.

So, it was a weekend full of firsts! And, it has been a year full of fun firsts. I love firsts; it’s what makes life exciting, inspiring, and sweet. But, I also learned something from all those firsts: Always write your goals in pencil- and leave plenty of room at the bottom of the page to add more!

GinaBarber,ElaineKrugman,CherylAyers,NanaWhalen

These are my 400 Women’s Medley Relay teammates: Gina Barber, Cheryl Ayers, and Nana Whalen. Nana is 75 and won high points in her age group. She swam butterfly in our relay and also swam the 400 IM and 800 free!

DavidMiller,ElaineKrugman,MalenaHankins,MikeStilles.jpg

After swimming my first 400 IM, I celebrated with my Georgia Masters Teammates: David Miller, Malena Hankins, and Mike Stilles. Malena and I swam on the 200 Mixed Freestyle Relay together. The previous week, she swam in a 10 mile race!

This is my buddy, Mark Rogers, immediately following the 800 free race. He was in the lane next to me and made up for coming in after me in the 1k open water swim. He beat me in this race by :45!

Our team won the high points award against all teams who were from outside of South Carolina. The only reason I’m holding the trophy was because Walter (far left) asked Bruce to shoot the picture!

No Lane Lines, No Black Line, No Walls: Georgia Games Open Water Swim

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Today, I went back to my roots in swimming; open water. As a kid, I used to swim the bay and ocean of Long Beach Alamitos Bay Peninsula, long before I made my way into a swimming pool. The first time I had been in a pool with lane lines and a black line on the bottom was when I joined the swim team at Lakewood High School. Pool swimming was all new to me then, but all I have known ever since- until I competed in Georgia Games Open Water Swim, today.

I decided to register for today’s event, because it was what I needed to compete in, to clinch the Georgia Swim Championships in my age group. After winning the high points award at the short course meet, at Georgia Tech, back in April, I was told by my team’s relay coordinator that I was in the lead for the championship trophy in my age group. And, to win it, I would need to earn the most points in my age group in three out of four designated swim meets: The short course yards meet at Georgia Tech, the Long course meters meet in Athens, today’s open water swim, and the short course meters meet. Since I won high points in the first of the series, I was determined to win high points, again, at the long course meet, in Athens. And, I did. So, I signed up for the open water swim, just to make sure I got three of the four events in the bag, in case I miss the St. Nick’s meet, at Georgia Tech, in December. (You never know if a bug is going to strike the immune system that time of year…)

Today’s event included a 5k, 3k, and 1k swim at beautiful Lake Acworth (http://www.acworth.com/attractions/lake-acworth/), north of Atlanta. I decided to challenge myself and sign up for both the 3k and 1k swim; a total of about 4,300 yards. A few swimmers did all three swims, but I figured I needed to leave that challenge for next time- maybe.

The expected conditions concerned me way more than the distance of the swims; I knew the 3k and 1k would present no problem at all. But, I have Meniere’s, an inner ear disorder, and I just didn’t know how I would do swimming in a lake with no visibility- and no black line to follow! I didn’t have this condition as a kid, so it was a new challenge for me as an adult swimmer. Would I get dizzy? Would I lose my sense of direction? Would I have to sight constantly to keep my eye on the three buoys I would have to turn around on the course?

The other concern was the heat and water temperature; both expected to top 90 degrees. Fortunately, we had cloud cover for the first 2k of my 3k swim, and, at 85 degrees, the lake water was the coolest it had ever been for the Georgia Games. (You call 85 degrees cool? Yikes!). Competition pools are set at 78-81 degrees, so 85 degrees was warm! But, as it turned out, swimming without a cap was just what I needed to stay cool (enough) to swim hard.

On paper, the odds were against me having a successful day, or, for that matter, even having an enjoyable day. But, I had my heart set on it and I was going to give it my best! Besides, my buddy, Mark (another open water newbie), decided to swim it, as well, so he could clinch the Georgia Championships in his age group. Mark always calls me “Champ!”, so I couldn’t let him down!

Several of my other teammates participated, too, and I was happy to see them on the beach. Mike, for one, was on one of my relay teams at Nationals, in Greensboro. As an experienced open water swimmer, Mike had been very helpful and supportive in getting me prepared on what to expect today. I was so happy to see him after his 5k swim! And, his encouragement fired me up.

Sunscreen on, Blistex on my lips, Vaseline around my eyes, goggles firmly in place; I was ready to swim. And, we were off!

01-3K Start.jpg My main objective in my first ever open water race was to stay on the outside of the pack (to keep from getting kicked and clawed) and keep from getting dizzy and seasick from my Meniere’s. The first couple hundred yards or so were tough; I was disoriented and starting to feel nauseous from the dizziness. Panic started to rear its ugly head, but I took a good long look at the buoy, put my head down, talked myself into a relaxed state of mind, and settled on a good, steady pace, frequently sighting the first buoy to stay on course. After a short time, I was good to go for the remainder of the swim.

The swim felt great and I felt strong. Rounding the final buoy, I decided to pick up my pace, knowing I was almost home- at least for the first of my two swims. My goal was to reach the finish line before the start of the 1k, so I could do that swim, as well. The two races were set to go off one hour apart; no problem if the 3k had been a pool swim. But, with being a newbie at sighting and having no walls to push off of every 25 yards, I knew not to expect too much. But, as I reached the shore and stood up to run to the finish line, I saw a large group of green-capped swimmers facing the water, ready to race the 1k. The 5k group was orange-capped (except for me, Mark, and a few others who opted to go sans cap), so I knew I had made it in time.

WoooHOOO!

1:1:24.14 was my final time; less than two minutes past the 1k start time. And, lucky for me, they held back the 1k start for a few more minutes; just enough time to get a high-five from Bruce, grab a gulp of Powerade, and join the pack for the next race.

Mark had come in three minutes ahead of me, so we headed out for the 1k together; the last time I saw him until we both rounded the buoy together and I looked up and said, “Hi Mark!” After that, I put my head down and swam hard for the beach. Little did I know until I saw the photos Bruce had shot, Mark was right behind me at the finish line. He had tried to catch me (according to Bruce), but ran out of real estate.

As it turned out, I ended up beating three other gals in my age group for the silver medal in the 3k. In the 1k, there were only two of us in our age group and I ended up beating my competitor by 11 minutes to win the gold.

Another day, another challenge! And, another day of pure joy.

Elaine-iaK's Travels: A Traveler's Tales of People, Places, Photos, Pools… and CHOCOLATE!

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