It's February Meter Mania! Yahoo!

The Board:  Tracking our meters in the pool.

It's Meter Mania month!  We just finished Fitness Olympics, which was right after the triple crown, and without a day in between, we are into Meter Mania at PCC.  What is meter mania, you ask?  It's a quirky little annual event we do, as you guessed, every February!  As it turns out, it's not just us at PCC involved.  I believe it's a national thing.  I heard at the pool the other day, one of our members was #3 in the country for meter mania.  I don't want to even guess how far he went, but apparently it was a noteworthy celebration.  So, what we do during meter mania is count how many meters we do every day, and put it on the board.  Sound fun?  NO!!  Is it? well, yes! Strangely, it's a blast!

Jib Jab
I am not big on new year's resolutions and all that kind of thing.  Don't get me wrong, I like goals, and think they are important, but somehow, new year's resolutions seem doomed to failure.  I heard most people have one or more of the following goals.  Lose weight, get in shape, or improve their finances.  As it turns out, when asked, over 2/3rds say, they did not achieve their goal.  Anyways, there it is.

Having said that, I like meter mania.  Essentially, it takes it down to the minute by minute minuscule decisions we make every day.   Oh, the board, yes, I think I will do a couple extra meters today.  Or, I will skip the hot tub and start early today to get some extra meters.  And so on.  Pretty soon, those microscopic decisions change your direction.  They make a difference.  The silly little board does it.

Double Jib Jab
Interesting question.  On New Year's day, I was at the beach with family.  I wasn't there for the last leg of the Triple Crown.  So, unwritten protocol says, you can make it up.  Even in the next week or two.  Well, I got sick, and was traveling, and well, didn't get to making up the last leg.  So, it's February now.  So, yesterday, I swam 10,700 meters.  Yep, 10,700.  That's closing in on 7 miles.  How long does that take?  It depends on how you do it.  What I did, is started at the 6am workout, then did the 715am workout, and then the 830am workout.  When all was said and done, I did some additional laps between workouts, and finished the last workout with 10,000 meters!! Sweet!!  You know how your mind sets the goal, and your body can get you to THAT finish line, and no more?  I did that.  I was done, done, and done, but my buddy Rich joined me through the whole thing!  What a guy!!  So, actually, he arrived a little later than me, so he wanted to get another 750 meters after we were finished.  So, I said, okay, I will too.  I was tired, but if I started slow, I figured I could settle into it.  So, I follow him, and pretty soon he is pulling away from me, but I think we can circle up the next time he stops.  Well, after 650 meters, he hasn't stopped, and he lapped me!  So, I fall in behind him again, and 100 meters later, I am done.  10,700 meters! Yahoo!!

Is that double dipping?
I know.  Those who were paying attention, caught that.  I finished my Triple Crown 10,000 *and* counted those same meters in Meter Mania.  Is that fair?  Am I cheating?  Some would certainly say yes, but I say no.

Tell me what you think....!

Here's why I say no.
You know that feeling when you say, yes, I will make that up.  I owe you.  Next time on me, and you have the best intentions, but never quite get to it?  Yes, I already have my Triple Crown apparel I sport, but how can I wear it, knowing I didn't finish?!?!  I know, so much controversy.  Anyway, there it is, those little micro-decisions playing a role.  Meter Mania did help me finish Triple Crown.

The moral of the story?
It's all good.