The last day of competition was a really good day for me until my last DE.

I was in a pool with Lisa Brown, Dawn Wilson, Delia Turner, Karen Lum, C. Randall, and Diane Hiatt. I'd fenced Delia and Karen the day before in V50 and I'd fenced Dawn more than a few times since she's a 2 hour drive away, but I hadn't fenced Randall in almost 2 years and I'd never fenced Hiatt.

I tried something a little different this time, which is taking a book to the pool with me. I found it difficult to look at the book versus watching the fencers, but Coach had pointed out earlier that I'm fencing the opponent in my head versus the one on the strip. Thus, I was glanciing at the Allison Wier book on Katheryn Swynford, looking up at fencers, forcing myself to look back at the book, looking back up at fencers.... etc. I also frequently checked the sheet to insure I knew when I'd be up as I tend to get rattled when I miss that call.

I'd watched someone in the DII pools doing this between DEs and had thought it a little odd but either I just had a really good day or this really does work.

I won 5 of 6 bouts. Karen gave me a lot of trouble at the end, as I walked into her PIL 4 times