Summer Swimming Part 1

We've done a lot of swimming this summer. In fact, if you looked at our pictures, that's about all you'd see. (We have done a few other things like read (everyone finished the library reading program--reading 1000 minutes--in 2 weeks or less) but we don't have pictures of that.) Megan would tell you that she swims 6 times a week--swim team Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings plus swim lessons on Friday afternoon and swim meets on Saturday morning. And then they ask to go to the pool to play, too. It's a good thing to like around here since it's one of the only things to do outside in the summer!

We've had two meets so far. Here are some pictures and the swim times.

Team picture day

Team photo. Close up of the kids below in case you don't see them here.

Matthew. (Bet you can spot him in the group shot!)

Megan.

Sarah.

Matthew, Sarah and Megan.

Cheese!

Meet 1

For the first meet, the swimmers swam against other members of their team. It made for a shorter meet. Sarah didn't swim as she was at Girls' Camp.

Megan (25 yard)

Freestyle: 41.00 s

Backstroke: 38.72 s

Breaststroke: 49.76 s

Butterfly: 55.47 s

Matthew (25 yard)

Freestyle: 1 min 9.87 s

Backstroke: 1 min 16.06 s

Breaststroke: 1 min 36.4 s

Butterfly: 1 min 25.96 s

Megan checking out the scene before her race.

Megan swimming backstroke.

Megan ready to enter the water.

Megan swimming breaststroke.

Diving (jumping) in for a swim.

Megan swimming butterfly.

Matthew swimming backstroke.

Matthew climbing out after a race. (Me was timing the next lane over.)

Matthew ready to go.

Matthew swimming breaststroke.
The coaches teach the kid to swim breaststroke by having them do snack time (when they scope up the hands and kick the legs) and nap time (when they glide). With the younger kids, the coaches will whistle to let them know when to do "snack time" during practice. Matthew says that he is really good at nap time, but not so good at snack time.

Matthew checking out the pool.

Matthew swimming butterfly.

Meet 2

The kids swam against another team for this meet. It was a cooler day, with a few raindrops falling sporadically during the first part of the meet. And then it poured! In case you're wondering, the shade structures at the pool may protect against the sun but they have lots of little holes in them so those of us who were under them still got quite wet. We stuck it out to the end, though, although Sarah didn't swim the butterfly since she wasn't feeling well. (She ended up in bed with a fever for the next day and a half.) Megan and Matthew each improved over 10 seconds on the main stroke they've been working on at swim lessons (butterfly for Megan, freestyle for Matthew). We weren't able to get pictures of every kid on every stroke since U and Me were helping out with the meet.

Megan (25 yard)

Freestyle: 39.96 s

Backstroke: 42.34 s

Breaststroke: 45.49 s

Butterfly: 43.21 s 

Matthew (25 yard)

Freestyle: 54.92 s

Backstroke: 1 min 19.79s

Breaststroke: 1 min 32.46 s

Butterfly: 1 min 26.05 s

Sarah (50 yard)

Freestyle: 33.59 s

Backstroke: 40.44 s

Breaststroke: 48.93 s

Butterfly: didn't swim 

Matthew taking in the scene before his first race.

Sarah dives in for freestyle.

Sarah swimming freestyle. Notice how she's telling us she loves us with her fingers.

Megan ready for backstroke.

Megan swimming backstroke.

Matthew ready for backstroke.

Megan ready to dive in for breaststroke.

Megan doing breaststroke.

Matthew ready to dive in for breaststroke.

Matthew swimming breaststroke.

Sarah ready for breaststroke. The rain is really coming down at this point.

Sarah swimming breaststroke.

Megan standing in the rain waiting for butterfly.

Megan swimming butterfly.

Matthew waiting for butterfly in the rain.

Matthew swimming butterfly.