I started training in June over in Croatia. The Hall Family headed over to Croatia to train and attend a couple of competitions. What sticks out in my mind is the meet organizer guy that dropped me off at the airport. He said as we pulled up to the gate, “I hope that you come back again next year …………. And TRY!!!” He didn’t even slow down that much as I was thrown from the car. I rolled a few times and dusted myself off.

But that’s where it all began, a 23.9 after just one swim practice after taking nearly two years off. I continued training though and by the Janet Evans Invitational a little over a month later I had my time down to a 22.7. Nationals saw another drop for me, a pleasant surprise of 22.49 which tied me for fourth place. I don’t understand how the selection process works but I was placed on the Pan Pacific team.

The Master’s World Championships were going on in Stanford, and I was up there representing The Race Club with my father and sister. I snuck out one night and went to see Talladega Nights. I came out of the movie and there were about twelve messages on my phone. Nationals had just ended and I had made the Pan Pac team, and “if you want to attend you need to get back to Los Angeles by 5 PM tomorrow.” So I bailed on my Masters friends.

It’s really too bad because I was going to break the Master’s World Record, currently held by fellow Race Clubber Mark Foster. I was going to race Felipe Delgado, who was part of the crew for years and Race Clubber Ozzie Quevedo who was trying to break my 50 meter butterfly WR. Maybe next time Ozzie! That Masters Swimming is a lot of fun and the meet in Stanford was a huge success with many exciting swims.

So I got back to LA the next morning and checked in. It was a great meet for the US team. I was voted Team Captain. The CEO of a company isn’t totally responsible for the company’s success, but they take all the credit. So it is with the Team Captain. Thanks to those that were on the team; we did incredibly well and I am going to take all of the credit. Here is a funny article:

Click here

Pan Pacs was a great meet for me too, not just for everyone else. I went a season best with a 22.46 which tied me for third among the Americans. Second place was a 22.45. So I was tied with Jason Lezak for third and neither one of us really wanted to do a swim off. The top three swim again. I suggested a coin toss. The coach used one of those chintzy Canadian dimes. Heads or Boats was mine to call. Initially I was a heads guy but I like boats and it was unexpected (it’s tails in the United States of America) so I changed as the dime spun and went with boats. Heads it was and Lezak swam again.

Mind you I had now been sitting in a hotel room for nearly three weeks gorging myself with Protein Shakes. Three weeks of taper off of a six week season. I milked as much out of six weeks of training as I could have. My time was fast enough to break the tie from Nationals and qualified me for the Pan American team, which is headed to Rio De Janeiro. I’m very happy.

Oh! I also swam the 100 free, which was the first time I had swum it since the prelims of the 4×100 Free relay at the Olympics. A 50.0 earns me not only my Nationals cut but also qualifies me for the Olympic Trials. Yippee!

It was a good season. Now it’s time to resume training.

HURRICANE SEASON, BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES!

Instead of being in Chicago today, I now sit hacking this out. I was due in the windy city for a diabetes event but my flight was cancelled due to wind. You got nothing on us, Chicago!

I don’t know why they shut down the airport really. This “hurricane” Ernesto didn’t blow hard enough to kick up decent waves to surf. Despite the news crews’ bloodlust cries of “ARMAGEDDON!” over the airwaves for the last two days, not a lot happened.

I was disappointed about the waves being so small and about not being able to make the event in Chicago. The news people were disappointed that there wasn’t more to cover than the olde timey whose mailbox roof blew off. They gloat, “Isn’t it great that people are finally taking what we say seriously? It’s too bad that it took a catastrophic event like Katrina and Wilma to get everyone to pay attention.”

Folks, the reason why people didn’t pay attention is because every time a breeze picked up in the Atlantic you start screaming, “ARMAGEDDON!” Have you
ever heard the story of the boy who cried wolf? This sensationalized coverage may bring higher ratings for the news buddies and weather channel (how else can they hype their show?), but for the rest of us who have to fight the mayhem in the checkout lines buying up gasoline, batteries, candles, ice, water, plywood, cyanide pills, dog food, canned goods, diapers, and aloe for that nasty windburn it gets old fast. Then this hurricane comes through and it’s barely enough to affect my tee off at the local golf course.

Well, I did surf yesterday and small waves are better than no waves. It sounds cool too to be able to say that you surfed the hurricane. I rode them all last year.

THE ARTS

Sometimes I include things that I like, such as the lost art of reading or music. Here now are this newsletter’s recommendation.

MUSIC

This summer when I was up in Berkeley training I crossed the bridge and attended a very special concert. I have been an Os Mutantes fan for a long time. Here is the story on them.

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Inspiring! A real treat.

ACUPUNCTURE

If ever you are in San Francisco go to the corner of Geary and Baker to see Yat Ki Lai for some acupuncture. He is the very best in the world! I had dinner this summer with he and his family, and he is truly a remarkable man with an incredible story. I have been going to see him when I am in the area for many years now, since 1998. He is amazing! If you go tell him that I sent you. He has my stars and stripes boxing shorts hanging on his wall.

READING

Hotel room reading included:

• The Bell Jar- Silvia Plath
• The Maltese Falcon- Dashiell Hammett
• Treasure Island- Robert Louis Stevenson
• Moby Dick- Herman Melville

All right all,

Gary Hall Jr.
(A.K.A. Captain Gary Hall Jr.)