Update on H3

Originally sent on 3/14/06:

Here is the latest update on H3. (No, not the new "mini" hummer, but Hammerfest mile swim part 3…and John, stop laughing just because I wrote the word "hummer"…ok, now I'm laughing...it IS kind of funny! :) ) Anyway, before I start on the newest installment, let me speak about a few pearls of wisdom from this weekend: Firstly, we all learned from Tim that if you are going to do a girl (Giro) you always need to bring a few extra rubbers as you might blow thru one or two when you are pounding it out. Second, no one wants to take home Brian and I don't blame Phil one bit because cardboard cutout Brian looks creepishly weird and old man like, even when you are sober. And lastly, we all learned that even at 165 or 170 the big eaters (Travis and Travis) are the "phat" kids. I know you guys were saying we were "phat" and not "fat" right??? :)

Well moving on, here is the newest installment. Hammerfest mile swim part three is set for SUNDAY (NOT Saturday Erin…) March 19th from 3-6pm at the Otto Schultz building on Nazareth college's campus. This is being held during the open swim from 3-6pm and the cost to swim at open swim is $2, so bring your "entry fee" so that you can participate. The times got jumbled around because I was lazy and neglected to check the times that the pool was actually open. It's open from 3-6 on Sunday, so that's when we're racing. Just so no one is confused, you NEED to get there right at 3pm, so we know how many heats of swimmers we are contending with. If 20 people show up at 5:30pm and want to swim, we may either be gone, or not have enough time to complete the heat before we are kicked out. So don't be tardy. The order of events will be as follows: 3pm - get there and get changed and in the water for a brief warm up before the first heat and kick all the old lady aqua joggers out of our lanes so we can race. 3:30pm will be the start of the first heat and then we will switch and the second heat will go off at 4:15pm. A third heat will be at 5-515pm if it is necessary. Awards will follow at my apartment, but more about that later.

This is going to be another 66 lap race in the Naz pool consisting of 1,650 "yards" (actually it's meters, but we've been doing a 66 lap race for 2 months before we figured it out…so for consistency's sake, we're keeping it this length. It comes out to like 1.019 miles, so it's really nothing.) We are going to have either two or three heats and after you swim you are going to need to count for another swimmer. If you don't know how to count, don't worry, we'll show you.
The winner gets a case of their favorite adult beverage purchased for them by the losers and we usually all take part in the spoils of war at my apartment afterwards and we all eat, drink and be merry. Good times. Last time we had cheese, crackers, shrimp, chicken legs and pizza. There was quite a spread, and there is always beer, wine, and mixed drinks if you like. We have awards for the best of times/and the worst of times, door prizes (yes that's right, more than one) and there is a new installment this month (it just keeps on getting better and better!!!!) there are bumper stickers that will be either raffled off with the door prizes or just handed out in "goody bags" if I am so ambitious to make those… we'll see. But yeah, the stickers that we clogged up everyone's inbox with voting slogans came in and they look super uber snazzy so they will be utilized this month. The other award that we do is the coveted tin foil and wire coat hanger trophy for the swimmer who spends the most time in the pool on Sunday. Rachel, if you could bring it to pass it on, that would be cool. Thanks :) Wait till the rookies see that, we might just have a fight for last place!

Well to date we have six people signed up and rip roaring ready to go. It's Kelly Boerschlein, Irah King, me, Erin Varley, Phil VanPeursem and Sam Powley. If you want to come and rip it up with us on Sunday, email me so I can "register" you. The Hammerfest all time top ten list will be amended after this Sunday's race and I feel like my kung-fu grip on a trifecta for the podium might be in jeopardy thanks to all of the new fast swimmers we have recruited (friggin Powley…haha) Seriously, best time this year is 24:58, it's the one to beat.

So in closing, Sunday at 3pm (gives everyone enough time even if you are doing the Spring Giro Primavera with GVCC) get to the Otto Shultz building on Nazareth's campus and bring $2 to swim in Hammerfest part III. Email me so I can "register" you and put you on the list. We will have some food and drink afterwards for everyone at my place on Rowley Street and you can follow someone if you don't know how to get there. Email me to register. See you all in the water. Cheers.

~Travis