Nose to the Grindstone

School is out and I'm back to working full-time on the Lifeguard tower. The past week since finals ended has been really hectic: working 40+ hours a week and trying to squeeze in training before work, on my break or after. Suffice to say all that is really taking a toll on me. I'm burning the candle at both ends and the fatigue catches up to me eventually; it's only a matter of when.

I'm writing this as I'm getting ready for work so I'll just update a few things. James killed it at Xterra East Championships. Were it not for Trevor Glavin at the West Championships, James would have won three regionals in a row. As it stands, he's won two in a row. Way to go! I'm still trying to figure out how to strap a 5 pound weight to his bike to slow him down. I have a feeling the reason he's doing all the regionals this year is to see how he'd stack up against the Pro field so he can convince himself to race Pro. So far, he'd be 15th or 16th as a Pro; not cashing any checks, but not dead last either.

Luke did well at The 12 Hours of Temecula, finishing 3rd in the Solo Expert division after some nutrition problems forced him to take an extended break after lap 5. He'd go on to finish 8 laps. Stud.

As for me, the Rim Nordic XC MTB race series starts this weekend and it should be fun, though my fitness isn't so great and I'm not likely to do so well. I have to remind myself that these are training races and not the sole reason why I train. Xterra Nationals are still a ways off and staying focused on that proves difficult.

Ok, off to work Lifeguarding. Here's a few tips to make my life easier and keep you from drowning.

1) Swim near a lifeguard tower
2) Ask the lifeguard where the safest place to swim is
3) Learn how to spot a ripcurrent and how to get out of it (don't panic, swim parallel to the beach until you're out of the rip and THEN swim in)
4) DO NOT use a body board (called boogie boards in my day) without FINS. On a boogie without fins you're basically driftwood. The most common rescue I make is someone on a boogie board in a rip current that doesn't have fins on. Buy 'em...wear 'em or leave the boogie on the beach.
5)Don't drink and swim. EVER! The vast majority of drownings had some alcohol in their system. 6) When the lifeguards go home, STAY OUT OF THE WATER. Your chances of drowning in unguarded water are many, many times higher when compared to guarded water.

Seriously it's an ocean, not a wave pool.
E.