Racing, Honeymoon, and Clinics!
In this edition I will discuss all the happenings of October and November. After the wedding ceremony, it was right back into racing with the World Cup. After the final stop in Toronto, Audrey and I spent a week driving around Lake Huron and Lake Superior before stopping in Duluth. There was some interesting meteorological activity in Missouri and after Thanksgiving I ran a clinic with West Express in Minnesota.
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What’s Happening?
Swimming World Cup Road Trip
With a greater focus on life and not so much on training leading up to the Swimming World Cup, you can imagine how well that went. The answer is: quite poorly. Across all three stops, I added multiple (or several) seconds from the times I was going last year at this series. Two highlights were a 12th place finish in the 200m backstroke in Carmel and a 10th place finish in the 100m butterfly in Toronto. Much worse than the several top eight finishes I had last year (which included a 200m backstroke bronze in Singapore). However, I did not think I would be in top form, so my expectations were in the right place.
I got to spend lots of time with my parents, as they joined for the road trip across mid-North America. I was towing my camper, and they rented an RV. Camping during a swim competition was a much different vibe than I was used to!
Honeymoon in Canada
Upon the completion of the Toronto stop, Audrey and I started our honeymoon. All of the sights were accentuated by the vibrant fall colors and panoramic lake views.
Niagara Falls
We took a day trip to Niagara Falls while we were staying in Toronto.
Tobermory Ferry and Manitoulin Island
It is not often that you get a chance to take a car ferry, so we jumped on the opportunity. The name of the ship "Chi-Cheemaun" can be translated from Ojibwe to "Big Canoe". After transiting across Lake Huron to get to the island, we first stopped at Bridal Veil Falls. We admired the waterfall and then a short hike along the creek brought us to a picturesque bay. The next day we adventured on a more serious hike through the Cup and Saucer Trail. Forested hills gave way to sheer cliffs overseeing the entire island.
Batchawana Bay
We continued our trek around the Great Lakes and stayed at a campsite on the beach in Batachawana Bay, just north of Sault Sainte Marie on Lake Superior. The following morning, we got up to watch the sunrise over the bay. Sitting on our chairs in the sand, a bald eagle flew right over us hunting fish along the coast.
Thunder Bay
Eventually, we made our way to Thunder Bay which is nestled on the northwest shore of Superior. Audrey has some family there that we got to see. While we were there, we saw Kakabeka Falls and Sleeping Giant Mountain.
Duluth
Along the drive down the north shore of Minnesota, we stopped at Split Rock Lighthouse and then stayed the night in Duluth at Pier B resort. The hotel rests right on the water with a fantastic view of the Aerial Lift Bridge. I was looking forward to watching a couple Great Lake Freighters come through in the morning, but one of them anchored right outside the harbor and the other changed course to come through on the Wisconsin side of the harbor which is a couple miles down the shore. I was extremely disappointed! Duluth was still a great spot to cap off the honeymoon before driving back to the Twin Cities and eventually Missouri.
Northern Lights
The electromagnetic storm on November 11th allowed me to see the aurora borealis from Missouri!
West Express Clinic
I recently ran a clinic with West Express, a club from my hometown. I enjoyed sharing my knowledge with athletes who will go on to represent my high school. Working with Heidi and the rest of the staff was a breeze, and they made it easier for me to focus on the swimmers. Communicating my story and some of my favorite drill progressions to this group meant more to me.
Thank you to West Express for having me out!
Looking Ahead
Upcoming Clinics
I will be running a series of clinics with Columbia Swim Club in December and January
Audrey and I purchased a house in Columbia, MO! It has already been fun putting everything together and doing projects.
Available Opportunities
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