Project Gratitude: My Swim Hero

I got to know Blain this year when he started coming down to ride with our awesome St. Augustine crew. It quickly became apparent that he was one of the nicest people I've ever met- and he's F-A-S-T! But he would never tell you that. He has to be one of the most modest people I've ever met. When race season started and he went to Miami 5150, he not only won his age group, he posted a sub 19 swim. Yes, 18:56. Blain can swim. Very fast.

I can't quite remember how our partnership started but somehow we became a team this summer and its been a blast. I can't keep up with Blain. Period. Not even close. So I felt bad initially as I didn't want to hold Blain back. BUT we've found a good synergy of modifying things so it works for him and for me.

I have a long love hate history with swimming. Since I started tri's, I've mostly just gotten progressively slower on my swims as I would lack motivation to really push in the pool. Years of getting yelled at by coaches and not fulfilling expectations kind of drains your love for the sport. I remember my high school coach telling me that once I turned 18 and finished high school season I could slack and not do sets any time I wanted (as he pointed over to the master's group). So far I've taken him up on that offer for the last 11 years pretty successfully.

Blain was quickly able to size up what I needed to work on and he knew just how to motivate me, when to get me to push hard and how to make it fun. I can't remember the last time I've enjoyed swimming this much or swam this fast. I'm still hot and cold, there are plenty of ugly workouts in there, but the breakthrough workouts he has pushed me to have been absolutely incredible.

So Blain, I want to thank you for all those early mornings. For all the laughs and all the hard work. You've helped me to slowly fall back in love with swimming and what's more you are an incredibly selfless friend and amazing athlete!! I'm going to do my best in Kona to snag a swim PR in honor of all your help!