From Twitter 07-12-2009

• 08:52:49: Up & warmed up. Just want to *go* already. Waiting for pool announcement. #summernationals09
  
• 09:09:04: Foot taped - fasciia ain't moving! #summernationals09
  
• 09:16:11: Initial seeding: 105 of 110 #summernationals09
  
• 11:26:25: My goal today was to win 1 pool bout. I won *2*! #summernationals09. Now to change shirt in case I go to DE(!)
  
• 11:46:51: Seed after pools: 82 of 110. To 80%=I'm going to DE! #summernationals09
  
• 12:25:47: Lost DE 15-5. But hey - 5! #summernationals09 off to cheer for my friends.
  
• 17:58:02: @kmpark & @dayalmohammed - thanks!
  
• 20:39:56: My final place in Div. III: 83 #summernationals09
  
• 22:29:19: Just in from walking around old/historic Grapevine TX - thought it might be nice to see part of the locale.
  
• 22:30:22: Grapevine is sun-bleached and quaint, w/ lots of birds & a Monty Python festival - who knew?
  
• 22:31:57: RT @quasigeostrophy geek girls are THE coolest bitches out there. Any guy who doesn't love nerdy girls has no idea what they're missing
  
• 22:35:32: To bed. Tonight's book: Mieville's Un Lun Dun. Gotta love a book that has "extreme librarians" and "bookaneers".
  

Tweets copied by twittinesis.com

final Summer Nationals notes

If you read my posted Tweets you have a complete, if rather bullet-pointy, account of how Div III went. Needless to say I was pleased with the day, but even more so with my headspace than with my performance in terms of touches made, bouts won.

Best thing I did for myself was eat and sleep healthy the night before and have all my gear and "strip side bag" prepared the night before. All I had to do in the morning was dress and take everything to the car. No shoving water bottle and pen into bag last minute or wondering if I had all my equipment - saved me a lot of anxiety.

Also got there early and "parked" my gear/had my foot bandaged, so no rushing about last minute to warm up or find a place to be.

All this logistics prep helped me keep my mind on what I was about to do/was doing. I stayed focused and alert, and kept moving even when I was short of breath and tired.

Yesterday was a glimpse of the headspace I want and need to be in to really perform. The physical stamina and strategy will come with time if I can just retain that clarity!

The knowledge that adequate prep saves me a ton of worry is also something I can use outside of the strip - work, travel, whatever.

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Speaking of off the strip: my regular practice and competition will resume, but no more extra training at least for awhile. Life got out of balance there and I'd like to do other things: family is visiting this month, I've got some sewing I want to do and I'd really like to see my non-fencing friends!