I had two goals today at the pool:  swim 1,200 meters (200 more than normal) and do flip turns.

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Now, let me say – the 200 extra meters was no big deal, but the flip turns – oh my, so scary!  I usually do a tap and turn, not a flip, because no one has ever ‘taught’ me to flip, and whenever I watch YouTube videos, it always looks so difficult. 

However, the other day, I read a guest post  by Amber on Beneath It All.  Amber provided this awesome breakdown of how to do a flip turn and addressed my biggest concern – water up the nose.  Something about the simple way she described a flip turn really clicked for me in a way videos never have… or maybe I was just feeling confident today.   But I did 9 flip turns and only got water up my nose once.  Hollar!

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Also, I’m trying to lengthen my swims.  I would like to get to point where my ‘normal’ swim is 1,500 meters, not 1,000, so I’m going to add on distance bit-by-bit, just like you would with running.  I’d like swimming to be able to replace a bulk of my cardio, and since I now get out of the pool after 20 minutes, I need to work on make my swims longer.  Plus – maybe I’ll be able to do longer triathlons, like Olympics!

 

Breakfast:

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Mmm. I cooked some oatmeal, and then stuffed it in an almost-finished almond butter jar.  Never done this before but it was so good.  And convenient – no bowls to wash!

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In the mix:

 

  • 1/2 cup oatmeal
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 banana
  • Toppings: Maple syrup, almond butter, and blueberries

 

Why I Call the Husband ‘the Husband’

 

Recently, I’ve had a few people ask me why I call Kristien ‘the Husband’ on the blog.  I thought I’d explain!  When I first started to blog, I wrote about planning my wedding (my blog was called See Bride Run).  Kristien wanted to stay as anonymous as possible (I tried to be discreet about our last names, too), so it made sense for me to call him ‘Future Husband’ or FH instead of his real – and very unusual – first name.  Also, Kristien’s name kind of looks like a girl’s name (Kristin) even though you pronounce it Christian.  I didn’t want to confuse new readers who might think, “Who is this Kristien girl?”  Plus, when I read other blogs and they refer to family members by first name, sometimes I get confused about who is who unless they specifically say, “My husband John” or “My sister Mary.” 

caitlin2

So, three years later, I’m still calling the Husband the Husband on the blog.   Honestly, although neither of us are anonymous anymore, he’s still a little shy about being in front of the camera and on the Interwebs, which is why you don’t see pictures of him a lot.  And I know he likes to be called the Husband.  He loves it when he meets people and they say, “Ohh! The Husband! Hi!” 

{ 90 comments }

 

  • Brittany (A Healthy Slice of Life) July 7, 2011, 10:22 am

    I started calling David, Hubbs, and now have to stick with it because no one would have a clue who David is otherwise- haha 🙂

    Well done on the flip turns!

  • Victoria (District Chocoholic) July 7, 2011, 10:23 am

    You could totally do an Olympic tri. Go for it!

    Another way to keep water out of your nose is to curl your upper lip over your nostrils on the turns. It’s sexy.

    • Christine July 7, 2011, 11:02 am

      I just spent like two whole minutes trying to do this at my desk. Fail. I must be lacking the upper-lip muscles necessary 😉

      • Caitlin July 7, 2011, 6:36 pm

        It’s impossibleeeee!

        • Christine July 7, 2011, 9:09 pm

          Okay, so I’m not a swimmer (unless walking around in the shallow end counts…), so I actually had to google this whole lip curling thing to see if you meant “impossible” because of anatomical limitations or because it’s just hard. I think you just need to practice, haha (says the girl who hates putting her head under).

        • Caitlin July 7, 2011, 9:33 pm

          Did you find a YouTube video or something? I’m trying again to do it.

          Victoria, please weigh in!

  • Andrea @ Onion in My Hair July 7, 2011, 10:24 am

    He should be in more pictures…he’s so cute!

    Your explanation makes total sense. Especially given the spelling of his name. On my blog, I refer to my spouse as “the Hubs.” Someone called him that over the weekend and we all laughed out loud!

    Those nicknames get a life of their own. 😉

  • MegaNerd July 7, 2011, 10:28 am

    great job on the flip turns! I still need to work on those.

    I can never remember how to spell his name which is why when I talk to you I call him “K.” LOL

  • Michelle (The Runner's Plate) July 7, 2011, 10:30 am

    Flip turns freak me out as well, but now that you have conquered them, it gives me confidence I can as well!

    I’m surprised this was your first time having oats in a jar! I agree it is so nice to have little clean-up afterward.

  • Stephanie July 7, 2011, 10:31 am

    That makes sense. I laughed at the thought of strangers meeting him and calling him “The Husband”. He’s notorious! Ha!

  • Aine @ Something to Chew Over July 7, 2011, 10:38 am

    Your swimming skills are impressive! I’ve never been able to progress with it, I just have no confidence in the water. Go you!

    Wow I LOVE putting my oatmeal in a nearly empty almond butter jar, I get so excited when it’s nearly ready 🙂

  • Gina @ Running to the Kitchen July 7, 2011, 10:38 am

    I feel like it’s normal in blogland to refer to significant others with some sort of anonymity. So many people don’t call their bfs or husbands by their real name so I never thought much of it when you refer to him as “the husband”. When I started my blog a few months ago I at first called mine the same thing but quickly got tired of writing that so now he’s just referred to by his real name. He’s fine with it and it makes my life easier when writing 🙂

    • Jen @ Light Enough to Travel July 7, 2011, 12:41 pm

      Heh.. Gina your husband’s name is awesome; one of our movers had the same first name and we thought it sounded kinda badass. In a good way. My husband just likes to go by his first initial on the blog, so I don’t have to get tired of it, at least. 🙂

  • Claire @ Live and Love to Eat July 7, 2011, 10:40 am

    I similarly use “the fiance'” until he cares enough to read the blog and gives me his okay to use his name.

    I really want to start a swimming routine!

  • Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table July 7, 2011, 10:42 am

    Overnight oats in a jar are my favorite “treat” when I’m almost through a nut butter. I’ve never tried it with cooked oats though… I bet that was delicious! (P.S. that TJ almond butter is my new fav!)

    I think it’s cute you call him “The Husband.”

  • Cait July 7, 2011, 10:42 am

    haha so cute 😉 I def was doing the same thing even now that I’m engaged saying “the fiance” or “future hubyby as well” 😉 And to tell the truth i HATE doing flip turns for the exact same reason of getting water up my nose.. I may try that technique you mentioned on Amber’s blog! xo thanks girl!

  • Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday July 7, 2011, 10:44 am

    Flip turns are a lot easier than they look and they cut a tonne of time off your swim. I also find that doing them keeps me from taking breaks unnecessarily at the wall in betwen laps.

    I’m not sure whether they’d be a help or hindrance to a lake swim where there is no wall to push off of for extra speed. But I guess the same goes for not flip turning (ie. there’s no wall in a lake to stop at).

    • Caitlin July 7, 2011, 6:39 pm

      Good point! But at least it’s not giving me a true break. RIght? Maybe!

  • Jen July 7, 2011, 10:44 am

    That’s cute that he likes to be called “The Husband”. I call my fiance by his name (Chad) on my blog, because he told me he was fine with that. But in real life, I tend to refer to him as “my man” when I’m talking to people. It’s more fun to say! You two are a gorgeous couple, by the way. 🙂

  • Maria July 7, 2011, 10:47 am

    I refer to my Fiance by his real name because he’s introduced in my About and Wedding section…though you make a good point – new readers may have no idea who I’m talking about. I need to come up with a clever nickname for him 🙂

    Congrats on the flip turn! I’ve always been amazed by swimmers doing them.

  • Hillary July 7, 2011, 10:48 am

    Haha I refer to my boyfriend by his first name, but kind of wanted to refer to him as “The Professor” at first (he’s getting his PhD). But every time I think of doing that, I giggle! “Nick” fits for now.

  • Ash @ Good Taste Healthy Me July 7, 2011, 10:49 am

    When my fiance was just my boyfriend I called him sexy boyfriend. Now he’s upgraded to sexy fiance and will soon be sexy hubby. 🙂

  • Sarah @ The Strength of Faith July 7, 2011, 10:51 am

    I think calling him The Husband is kind of endearing actually! I go back and forth between referring to my husband by his name on my blog and as ‘My Sweet Husband’. Because he is!

  • Holly @ The Runny Egg July 7, 2011, 10:52 am

    Good job on the flip turns — I’d be totally scared of getting water up my nose too!

    I like cooked oats in a jar better than overnight ones — the PB gets super melty and tastes so good!

  • Jacqueline July 7, 2011, 10:53 am

    I like that you call him “The Husband.” Nice picture of you two.

  • Cait @ Beyond Bananas July 7, 2011, 10:54 am

    Hmm I never thought of new readers having no idea who people are when I refer to them by their names. I may have to make some changes!

  • Ciera @ Rose and Thistle July 7, 2011, 10:56 am

    Great job with the flip turns! I don’t do those, I can kind of *sort of* do them but I wimp out in the pool. Think I might have a couple of swimming lessons to try and get a bit better so I can do a tri – thanks for all your triathlon inspiration!

  • Linzi @ Beyond Destination 26.2 July 7, 2011, 11:01 am

    I have to laugh because my significant other refuses to let me use his real name on the blog too. So we made up his blog name of “J. Alabama” and it’s totally stuck. Even my family and friends refer to him as J. Alabama in real life now. And the best was when he sent me flowers at work one day – love J. Alabama. All my work associates were like ???? Since they only know him by his real name. I am a fan of calling your husband by “the husband”. I get this whole blogging thing can be uncomfortable for some people.

    • Caitlin July 7, 2011, 6:40 pm

      That is an awesome story! I think J Alabama is a pretty cute soundin’ name.

  • Beth @ 990 Square July 7, 2011, 11:09 am

    So my husband’s middle name is actually Cristian prounounced Kristen. hehe. He’s got the serious name confusion going on though, since his first name is Noel, and people always think it’s Noelle.

  • Rachel July 7, 2011, 11:12 am

    you & “the husband” are a really cute couple. just sayin’ 🙂

    • Caitlin July 7, 2011, 6:40 pm

      thank you 🙂

  • Sarena (The Non Dairy Queen) July 7, 2011, 11:16 am

    I go back and forth between calling my husband Tony and the illustrator on my site. He’s more in the public eye than I am so I don’t worry about keeping him a secret as much as it was a good description of him to begin with. Now that I’ve got more personal relationships with a lot of my readers, I just get to the point.

  • Shelly July 7, 2011, 11:21 am

    I love referring to significant others by a nickname on blogs- I guess it’s kind of an affectation, but I enjoy it. Mine has gone from Dear Boyfriend to Darling Fiance and finally Dr. Hubby (since we got married right before he graduated from med school) over the years. 🙂

  • Leah @ Why Deprive? July 7, 2011, 11:29 am

    I like that you call him the Husband on here. Its definitely easier, and way more clear that way. I always called my ex boyfriend “the boyfriend” on my blog too. That way there was never any confusion.

  • Marci July 7, 2011, 11:33 am

    I have a suggestion to help make your swimming longer. I recently replaced some of my cardio time with swimming. It annoys me to get on the treadmill in one set of clothes and then put on a bathing suit, or vice versa, so I wanted my swims to take 45 minutes-an hour. I spend a lot of time rotating between kickboard, buoy and freestyle. Some days I try to do more freestyle and less with “props,” but it really helps add distance and not get worn out. I also LOVE kicking with fins. Makes you go so fast!
    I also sometimes take classes where a coach calls the drills, similar to what you said is on a bulletin board. It keeps you focused on small amounts of laps and eventually they add up.

  • Sarah for Real July 7, 2011, 11:38 am

    Why is it you want swimming to replace the bulk of your cardio? Are you still wary of running on your knee for the majority of your cardio or are you just really starting to enjoy swimming?

    Double question today… Any advice on timing your stroke and flip on the approach to the wall? I’m terrified of flipping too late and bashing my skull against the wall so I end up flipping too early and don’t get any push off the wall.

    • Caitlin July 7, 2011, 6:41 pm

      I guess I just really like it, and it’s too hot out to run outside now!

      I would flip once I could reach out and almost touch the wall. Not just if that’s technically a good idea though.

  • Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife July 7, 2011, 11:45 am

    Teaching flip turns to college students is even harder. Hah. Not fun. But eventually they got it, so good for you for catching on SO fast!

  • Donna @ Life of a Happy Blonde July 7, 2011, 11:46 am

    Water up my nose is my biggest swimming fear, glad you overcame the flip 🙂
    I love that picture of you and “the husband”!

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat July 7, 2011, 11:47 am

    I used to be so scared of flip turns because for the life of me, I couldn’t keep the water out of my nose! I was on a competitive swim team at the time, and eventually I realized that 1) I was the only person swimming with a nose plug because they insisted that I do turns, and 2) it was really inconvenient to put on, and 3) it looked terrible! I made myself learn how to do them and now it’s just a natural thing. I’m sure it will be for you too!

  • The Teenage Taste July 7, 2011, 11:48 am

    I think it’s cute when bloggers don’t refer to their spouses by name. I especially like it when bloggers say Mr. (Blog Name). Makes me smile! 🙂

    • Lisa @ Sunny Seed Stories July 7, 2011, 12:33 pm

      Me too! That’s my favorite! (Maybe I should do it then ?)

      • Caitlin July 7, 2011, 6:42 pm

        I like “Baby [blog name]” So cute.

  • Kate (What Kate is Cooking) July 7, 2011, 11:51 am

    I did swim team when I was a kid and I never mastered flip turns or diving off those diving blocks. Come to think of it, I never really mastered swimming in general, haha

  • Angie @ Musings of a Violet Monkey July 7, 2011, 11:53 am

    You guys are adorable!
    Sweet story. 🙂

    ~

  • Kelly July 7, 2011, 11:56 am

    Thanks for the shout out to Amber’s guest post! She did a great job at teaching me the water. I had previously been way too scared to try! I still get water up my nose from time to time but I think I am getting better at flip turns. It definitely makes the swim workout more efficient.

  • Khushboo July 7, 2011, 11:58 am

    Is it weird that just by seeing picz and hearing abt, I can tell that K is a really sweet guy?

    • Caitlin July 7, 2011, 6:42 pm

      Naw, he really is that sweet!

  • Amber July 7, 2011, 12:09 pm

    Dude! That is so Awesome! Congrats on the flip turn! I am really glad that it helped you out. Keep up the great swimming distance it is super good for you! Thank you for reading :):) I am a long time luker and learning to comment 😉

  • Stephanie July 7, 2011, 12:27 pm

    I’ve always called my hubs the husband on my blog too! It started with him also wanting to remain pretty anonymous and it just stuck. I also get kind of confused when names are thrown in during blog posts, and it’s so much easier to understand “the husband”. 🙂

    • Mary July 7, 2011, 12:30 pm

      Me too! I refer to my Fiance as HB (Handsome Boyfriend) as he was when I first started blogging) I’ll probably always refer to him as HB, even after we’re married. That’s just who he is! 🙂

  • Mary July 7, 2011, 12:29 pm

    Look at youuu! Flip turn queen!

    I swam competitively for a lot of years and it took me at least 2 years when i was starting out to master flip turns. I still don’t always do them untiless i’m “racing”.

    After all of these years I still cant seem to catch my breath after doing them!

  • Lisa July 7, 2011, 12:31 pm

    I LOVE love swimming but HATE flip turns. They make me so dizzy when I do it!

  • Yolie @ Practising Wellness July 7, 2011, 12:40 pm

    Congratulations for the filp turns, that’s amazing! 😀 And my bf is the same, he is shy and doesn’t really like being on the blog/internet, so I call him the Kiwi. Your breakfast looks so good! xyx

  • Laura @ Cookies vs. Carrots July 7, 2011, 12:44 pm

    Good job on the flips! Its one of those things that seems difficult until you give it a try, and then you realize how simple it is.

  • Jen @ Light Enough to Travel July 7, 2011, 12:47 pm

    Caitlin, I have a question about your flip turns. In your tri which you’re training for, it will be an open water swim, right? When someone does flip turns or tap turns or whatever in the pool, the propulsion of their legs from the wall can sometimes send them pretty far before they have to do any arm strokes or kicking. Do you extend your training mileage in the pool to compensate for this, because in the actual event you don’t have a wall handy? Just wondering.

    Also, yeah you and The Husband are super cute together. 🙂

    • Caitlin July 7, 2011, 6:43 pm

      It might be a good idea, but I don’t think you or I should really stress out it. 🙂 It really can’t make that big of a difference (not like, I swam 1000 but it only counted for 500). Just dont kick too hard!

  • Carly July 7, 2011, 12:49 pm

    I asked my bf what he wanted me to refer to him as on my blog. His response “Ridiculously good looking man”. I vetoed that and refer to him as Chris. 😉

  • Steph July 7, 2011, 12:49 pm

    Hey Cait! Uh, love reading your blog everyday girl! I am finally unwinding from working 24-7 and I would like to know where you recommend I buy a bike(minus craigslist, the idea of meeting people from that site kind of freaks me out aha). I would like to know all the gear I will need to keep track of my progress. My boyfriend and I and two of his co workers are going to start bike riding after work.

  • Aja July 7, 2011, 12:52 pm

    I have a friend who on her blog always calls her boyfriend “the Boy” and I always just say “boyfriend” on my blog. It makes sense.

    Awesome job with the swimming by the way. I can’t do flip turns, but I’d cerainly like to try.

  • Lauren July 7, 2011, 12:52 pm

    I think its adorable that you call him the husband. My husband’s name is Toly and everyone gets really confused when I try to state it as well.

  • Amber K July 7, 2011, 12:53 pm

    I never really know how to handle this on my own little blog. I try to say “my husband, Aubrey.” Because even though Aubrey is an English male name, it is sooo common now over here as a girl’s name. And I don’t want to confuse people!

  • Keri July 7, 2011, 1:10 pm

    I just want to say thank you for all of your swim posts. It makes me think one day I can get over my fear and loathing of pool time, and save my achy-runner knees. Maybe after seeing your success a little while longer, I can brave the big bad pool myself! 🙂

  • Beth @AttemptBalance July 7, 2011, 1:11 pm

    Those are the same reasons I call my husband by a generic term on my blog. I use “Bond” on because he is a huge fan!

  • Tiff @ Love, Sweat, and Beers July 7, 2011, 1:19 pm

    Good for you with the flip turns! I haven’t mastered them yet, but I’m not much of a swimmer.

  • Kim July 7, 2011, 1:35 pm

    My husband is also very blog-shy! He saw you calling your husband “The Husband” and asked if i would follow suit. He is becoming more okay with pictures but would like to keep his name out of it, looking for a job and all.

  • Marissa July 7, 2011, 1:38 pm

    You’ve NEVER done OIAJ before?! Oh my goodness! Its like the best thing ever. I sometimes scoop the peanut butter out of the jars and put it in tubberware containers so I can have a jar to use when I’m really craving it. lol… it just tastes better than normal oatmeal for some reason! Kinda like eating ice cream straight out of the carton. 🙂

  • Kristin @ Wounded Fawn July 7, 2011, 1:40 pm

    In the past, with other blogs, I made up names for people that I wanted to keep anonymous but that confused me and probably everyone else.

    With my current blog and boyfriend I just keep it real and say the boyfriend. It’s too difficult any other way especially since he wants to be completely anonymous and I don’t show his face or even his first name online.

  • Meaghan July 7, 2011, 1:58 pm

    I call my FH The Boy on my blog. Similar reasons to The Husband, he wanted to be anonymous especially since he’s a teacher he’s a little weary of how much personal info gets on the interweb. He’s fine with pictures – thank goodness that would be too awkward for me. Family members think it’s weird and I thought when we get married (in almost 9 weeks!) I would mark the occassion by changing his name to The Man or The Husband. But he vetoed. He likes being The Boy. So much so that when he calls my phone it’s not his name that comes up, but his picture and “The Boy.” It just works.

  • karin July 7, 2011, 2:18 pm

    I call my husband hubby, hubs, the husband. We also refer to our 16 year old as the teenager …others do as well bc we do so much. lol

  • Amy July 7, 2011, 2:23 pm

    TOO FUNNY! My boyfriend’s name is Kristian, and I call him Kman on the blog 🙂 And in real life sometimes too for a nickname. But yeah, same reason! People always mistake his name for Kristina.

  • Angela (Oh She Glows) July 7, 2011, 3:07 pm

    I love that pic of you two!!! ADORABLE.

    Eric is pretty shy about being on the blog too…more so when I first started it, but I think he always will be a little bit. He’s been spotted by readers a few times in Toronto and he gets a real kick out of that and then asks me how many pics I’m posting of him, heh.

  • Courtney @ girl in the pink July 7, 2011, 4:12 pm

    I was on a swim team for several years and never got over my hatred of flip turns!! They are a necessary evil, I guess!!

    I love that TJ’s pb!! It’s one of the only reasons I ever go there!

  • Molly @ RDexposed July 7, 2011, 5:57 pm

    I’ve always called my older brother “Brother.” It’s just a habit! Sometimes peoople have to have me remind them of his actual name.

  • Abby @ Abz 'n' Oats July 7, 2011, 6:05 pm

    I never know if the people in my life would be okay with being on my blog either so I usually don’t refer to them by name. There are a lot of people that don’t even know that I have a blog so I would feel weird asking them in a way! :S

  • Karlee @olivewineandfood July 7, 2011, 6:20 pm

    ahhh! i am the same way with flip turns! i used to know how when i was younger and then i just forgot? now i feel stupid when i do them! i hate it. i love swimming…i can usually swim for an hour without stopping, i also just tap, but flip turns are def more exhausting. i will have to try them out again.

    • Caitlin July 7, 2011, 6:45 pm

      I feel stupid when I do them too 🙂

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin July 7, 2011, 9:38 pm

    For some reason it surprised me that today was your first time trying OIAJ! I figured as a veteran blogger you would have already tried it! 😛

  • chelsey @ clean eating chelsey July 7, 2011, 9:53 pm

    I always call my husband “the Husband” on my blog (with the H capitalized) – his name is like a secret – only not.

  • Delia July 7, 2011, 11:29 pm

    OT, but any house updates? Is no news good news?

    • Caitlin July 8, 2011, 8:48 am

      Aw you are so nice to be thinking of us. I should hopefully have an update soon! It’s been a long and draining process, that’s for sure. 😉

  • Lindsay Loves Veggies July 8, 2011, 12:14 am

    I started out calling my boyfriend “the bf” on the blog, but for no particular reason, I switched to calling him by his first name after a few weeks. Hopefully no one gets confused!

  • Steph @ A Life without Ice Cream July 8, 2011, 7:59 am

    Awww this post actually elicited an audible “Awww” from me about “the husband.” Beautiful couple!

    And congrats on the flip turn! That’s a scary one 🙂

  • Kori July 8, 2011, 12:09 pm

    I like “The Husband.” I call my boyfriend “The Boyfriend,” because he wants to be anonymous and frankly, I hate the weird cutesy names people come up with for their significant others. I’m sorry, but I do. However, you guys are adorable together, and I’m jealous that you married a man with an accent.

  • Kristine @ Running On Hungry July 8, 2011, 1:26 pm

    I agree completely – I call my boyfriend “Boyfriend” on the blog because he too wants to be anonymous and not all over the internet. I think it’s kind of witty and funny too when people do that!

  • Jamie @ Stuck Outside The Box July 8, 2011, 2:08 pm

    Good luck with the flipturning. Most of the triathletes I swim with do open turns instead of flipturns since they don’t need them for open water swims. But flips do make practices a lot better in my opinion! I looove turns and love doing them fast as possible – one of my old coaches would time us from the flags, flip, and pushoff to see who could flipturn the fastest. 🙂

  • Shayla @ The Good Life July 28, 2011, 7:21 pm

    Love your explanation on this! I finally just started a blog about a month ago (yay!) and I call my husband “the hubby”, and I think it just sounds more cute than using his name all the time 🙂

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