New
England
Masters
August 2000
Many NEMs in Mashpee 3-mile and 1-mile swims
Rich Axtell signs on for
Coaches Representative
Warm weather, fairly smooth water and extended mileage
Rich will offer support to coaches of
all workout groups and clubs in the
New England LMSC
I want to help as many coaches as possible get involved in spreading some good coaching—and
spreading it thick—throughout New England. I will
be asking everyone to work together to ensure
coaching for our Masters swimmers is eventually a
model for the rest of the country. I will be asking
coaches to be more visible at meets, get splits, and
be more involved in “on deck coaching.” I think clinics are great, but we need coaches to be visible after the clinics and not just disappear back into the
hallows of their training sessions. I will be emailing
the coaches group directly in the near future and will
propose a “homecoming” gathering of coaches in
September. (Coaches Call on page 3.) Editor’s note:
The LMSC coaches rep position was recently established by USMS for all LMSCs across the country.
Over 120 swam in the USMS national three-mile championship over a triangular course
on June 24 allegedly laid out with the precision of Global Positioning System (GPS) wizardry. We muggles agreed the course was at least one-third longer and may have been
40-50% longer. No matter. We just swam longer and finished in about the same order.
NEMs splashed all over the top spots in both the men’s and women’s placings. Stuart
Cromarty was first, non-NEM Joe Sheehan was seond, Rob Copeland from New Jersey
slipped into third, Tom Mack was fourth, Ed Gendreau was fifth, and Fred Schlicher was
sixth. For the women, Danielle Ogier (a friend of NEM) from the west coast was first. Carol
Prescott was second, Paula Pollard (another friend of NEM was third, Tracy Grilli and
Connie Hallett came in fourth and fifth.
The following report about the large group of Great Bay Masters who participated is
by its coach, Ed Gendreau.
Matt Gilson is the
new Treasurer of the
New England LMSC
Living in Barrington, Rhode Island, and married to Hyun-Sook
Kim, 32 year-old Matt is a financial
services representative for
MetLife Financial Services (401247-0100/ [email protected]).
Matt joined NEM in 1998 and works out with the East
Providence Masters. A Masters high was placing first
in the 100 free at the 1999 New England short course
yards championships. Matt notes that was his first
first in 21 years.
Inside
Mashpeee, Coahces Rep, Treasurer
Self Czoched Swimmer, Ask the Coach
How do they do it?, Calling coacheds
News for NEMs, The Blow Out!
Alcatraz 2000, Malchow and bodysuit
Alcatraz 1999, Swimming 101
Dover results, workouts, meets (cont)
Meets, Dr Swim
NEM News
•
August 2000
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5
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8
Front row (left to right): Patti Seiders, Jeannette Strickland, Connie Hallett and a youngster, Jodi Shaw;
Middle Row: David Monsees, Nick Paquette, Louise Valois, Manya Hult, Kendra Garrow, Britta Hult, Gail
Pentheny, Carol Prescott, Debbie Edin; Back Row: Tom Mack, Jim Bouldoukian, Dave Bright, Warren Wise,
Ed Gendreau, Mike McAfee, Marc Scheele, Jana Slezak; Missing from photo: Craig Stephan
Twenty one Great Bay Masters attended the 11th annual John’s Pond Super Swim on
Saturday June 24, 2000. The race has a history of beautiful weather, and we were greeted
by yet another warm and sunny race day. Despite an extremely cool, rainy May and early
June the water was very comfortable, probably in the middle 70’s. One week of warm
weather before the race was enough to do the trick.
Two races were offered: a three-mile and a one-mile. This year the three-mile swim was
the USMS Masters National Open Water Championship. Three Great Bay Masters earned
the title “National Age Group Champion”: Britta Hult, Carol Prescott, and Kendra Garrow.
The course was much longer than the 3 miles billed in the race literature. Considering
the times of swimmers who know their typical open water pace, best estimates say it was
actually at least four miles. Since the course was about 25% short last year, one of our
swimmers to suggested the event should be renamed the “John’s Pond Mystery Swim”!
Mashpee GBM: continued on page 2
1
Ask the Coach
The
Self-Coached
Swimmer
by David Grilli
From time to time we can get distracted. Other things in life
take precedent and our swimming gets put on the back
burner. Then we notice a favorite swim meet or open water
swim is imminent and we are not ready. It is time to cram!
You remember cramming from your academic years. With
little time left in the semester you would compress 3 months
of study into 3 nights. This often did not result in an outstanding performance, but sometimes it did. Similarly, “cramming”
for a swimming event may not always work but sometimes it
does. I know of a few swimmers who have done it successfully.
These swimmers have had a few things in common. They were
all pretty decent athletes, they had a psychologically motivating factor and they were all women. Now, two of these factors
you have some control over, one you do not. But that’s not to
say that cramming is not for you.
There is much written about preparing for a marathon in 14
weeks or getting ready for Ironman in 6 months. There is
nothing about getting ready for a swim meet in 4 weeks.
Probably with good reason.
There are two components to the successful cram. The
physical part and the emotional part. The physical component
is the hard part. You must get in the pool and swim hard. If
your usual workout consisted of 3000 yards your cramming
workout should be about 2500 yards. The trick is to heighten
the intensity. When you were at the top of your game and you
could handle 10 x 100 free on 1:30, now you need to go 5 x
100 free on 1:25. “But how can I hold 1:25’s when I am not in
shape,” you ask. Hey I didn’t say it was easy and stop whining!
The emotional factor is key here. You need motivation. Try
challenging a swimmer friend who will be at the meet with a
“Hey, I bet I can beat you in the 100 back stroke.” Keep the
stakes low, however. Remember, cramming doesn’t always
work. A workout partner is helpful as well. Especially if they are
already in shape. They will enjoy trying the higher intensity
sets, the reduced yardage, as well as kicking your butt.
Not that I have ever had to cram, but if I did, this would be
the workout I would use.
1) Warm-up 4 x 50 free, 4 x 75 free, 3 x 100 IM all on a 30
second rest interval.
2) Main set: 3 x 100 on 1:40 3 x 100 on 1:30 3 x 100 on 1:25.
Choose the interval that works for you but keep decreasing it
by 5 to 10 seconds.
3) Stroke Set: 8 x 50 IM Switch on 1:05 / 1:15.
IM switch is fly-back, back-breast, breast-free, free-fly. The 25’s
of each stroke help you maintain quality, but you want to use
an interval where you only get 15-20 second rest between 50s.
4) Cool Down (very important) 8 x 25 free on 30 seconds or on
a 10 second rest interval.
2
Question: What can I learn from watching Olympic swimming on TV? What
should I look for?
Answer from Rich Axtell, New England LMSC Coaches Representative and
coach of the Minuteman Masters Swim Club, Bedford MA.
There are all sorts of tips you can learn from watching the world’s greatest
swimmers in competition. The camera will reveal all from breathing patterns
to their movements under water. What should you look for? Anything you
want.
Avoid trying to watch everything at once.
A great starting point in swim analysis is breaking swims into sections. One
bit of advice I always give my swimmers is “keep it simple, one step at a time.”
I tell them we will work on one thing and they will, instinctively, attempt to
bring it a step further. That will only complicate step one. It would be like
trying to build an infrastructure around a city. (Reference: the “big dig” in
Boston. What a mess!) A “section” of a swim can be anything you may have
trouble with or want to improve on. If you have trouble with your starts, let
the start of a few races be your first “section.”
Watch for detail, not just flight off the blocks.
Take a moment and really analyze the section. Watch the swimmer’s feet for
the entire start. Do they rock? Are their toes wrapped around the edge of the
block through the entire start? Look at the swimmers’ hands for a start, nothing else. Are their hands together before they hit the water or do they pull
them together late, just after they break the surface?
Tape the swims on your VCR and break them into all the sections you wish.
Be like a sponge and learn as much as you can. Do be cautioned though.
When you present your new observations to your coach (avoid trying new
concepts on your own – “only a fool represents himself”), take it one step at
a time and “keep it simple”.
U.S. Olympic swimming trials on TV this month
ISC Ticket Coordinator Kelly Chernausky (kelly.chernausky@Indiana
SportsCorp.com) sent this message to NEM Marian Coakley on July 17:
RE: Olympic Swim Trials TV Schedule: “NBC is broadcasting the Trials, but
the times of this broadcast has not yet been determined. We will post this
information on our website (www.trials2000.com) when it becomes
available.”
Bodysuits OKed for Indy. Suitable for Sydney?
Turns out swimmers can wear bodysuits at next month’s Olympic Trials
after all. USA Swimming reversed its ban last week after manufacturers
insisted they could provide a bodysuit for every entrant. What exactly is a
body suit? As far as USA Swimming is concerned, it is anything that
extends below the knees or covers any part of the arms.
7/25/00 Boston Globe
Mashpee GBM: continued from page 1
After the race we went to South Cape Beach and enjoyed a sunny afternoon. Those of us who went swimming found quite a strong current parallel
to shore. We were too tuckered out from the extended race distance to fight
the current, so we let it take us down the beach and walked back to the
group.
For most of the group the event started on Friday as we commuted from
New Hampshire and Maine to the Otis Trailer Village. There we camped and
cooked dinner, and were visited by an uninvited guest, a scavenging skunk!
Thanks to everyone who prepared food for the occasion and to those who
had extra camping equipment for those of us with none. Special thanks to
Marc Scheele who did a lot of organizing, planning, and research to make
our camping trip a success.
NEM News
•
August 2000
How do they
swim so fast?
Win Wilson
72 years old and 25 years. in Masters
Competitive Background
Swam for Brown University. Also competed in two professional
marathons. Holds many NEM records in fly. (Editor note: Win has also
held several Masters world records.)
Taper
Always a challenge. I typically taper for 2 1/2 weeks. I plot my daily
yardage back from ”C” (Championship) Day.
C Day minus 1 would include a 700-800 wam up followed by 2 - 3
x 50s (on pace) as the main set.
C Day minus 2 would include 1000 yards (slowly), some pulling
mixed with some sprints on pace.
C Day minus 3 - 1200 yds. mixing up sprints, pulling, etc.
C Day minus 4 - 1500 yds. ( same as above)
C Day minus 5 - 1700 yds., etc.
Additional Info
My typical training prior to taper for a nationals would be about 3500
yds. - 6 days per wk. So... my 1st taper day would drop down to 3000
yds. I feel my way through the yardage, dropping off until I am one
week out (‘C Day minus 7’) when I would be around 2100 yds. During
the first week and one half, I cut back on the hard stuff and do some
limited ‘on pace’ work. I pretty much stay with my program which
also involves extending my fly so I can complete 100 yds. I do about
1/3 of these workouts pulling. During this period, I try not to overdo
and limit the anaerobic work.
Personal goal(s)
Right now I am having shoulder problems. My goal is to overcome
these and be able to continue to swim.
M
A
S
H
P
E
E
Calling all Coaches—but not for a blind date
Have you ever been on a blind date? High expectations of a perfect
match accompany you to the big day. Now, switch gears and think
back to your first masters workout. You probably found out about the
workout through a friend, local newspaper, sports publication or
through your computer and good ‘ole Mr. Web.
The odds that you found a perfect match are probably much
greater than your blind date. For some of you the perfect match was
a pool minutes from your house, a big team with a winning record, a
social haven or maybe the “right” coach.
Unfortunately for some swimmers, their first Masters workout is the
blind date that went terribly wrong. Everything that it had been billed
to be ends up being a mixed bag of false hope and dissapointment.
Why the dissapointment? How many of you have been to a workout
where the workout was scribbled on a grease board with no coach in
sight? Have you ever been to a Masters workout where you really
couldn’t tell if it you were at your local pool’s “lap swim” or an actual
workout? Have you ever seen a coached workout group advertised
only to find that the coached workout only happens sometimes. When
you arrive the info sheet handed to you explains that “Workouts will
be coached on these days and the other days workouts will be
posted.”
It is wonderful that so many pools and workout groups are offering times where Masters swimmers can swim. I challenge the coaches
of NEM and potential coaches of NEM (yes anyone can do it) to increase the quality of what we arleady have. Together we can fill in the
blanks and empty spaces to ensure all swimmers (beginners on up)
are receiving the guidance they need to achieve their goals.
As your coaches representive for NEM I will strive to ensure workouts in New England are coached and coached well. If you already
coach and wish to be proactive in improving the workouts of New
England, please contact me today. If you are not a coach yet, and
would like to get your feet “wet,” contact me today. Let’s get started
and tackle our needs together starting today.
Rich Axtell
Head Coach, Minuteman Masters Swim Club
781-377-2455
[email protected]
minutemanmasters.virtualave.net
Pond vs lake answer according to Tom Mack
To those of who were debating the definition of a lake verses
a pond as we sat (tired and sore) on the shore of John’s Pond
in Mashpee last weekend I have the definitive answer. In my
(nearly) exhaustive search for the technical classification of a
lake verses a pond I ended up having to resort to Webster’s
third edition (1988) dictionary.
Lake: an inland body of usally fresh water, larger than a pool
or a pond.
Pond: a body of water smaller than a lake. There you have it.
David Bright’s addendum to Tom’s answer
After Mashpee we were debating why or when something is
named a pond or a lake. We turned to our “hydrologist” (Tom
Mack) for an answer. At first, I thought the Webster definition
was a great circular definition. I get it now. A lake is a lake
because it is bigger than a pond and a pond is a pond because
it is smaller than a lake. To think I avoided geology in college
because I thought it was too complicated! OK, all you Einsteins,
what’s the difference between a rock and a stone?
From top left: Stuart
Cromarty, Ed Gendreau
& Tom Mack, Tracy
Grilli & Connie Hallett,
Fred Schlicher, Paula
Pollard
(Most of these photos
were taken seconds
after the swimmers
crossed the finish line.)
NEM News
•
August 2000
3
News for NEMs
NEM News is always looking for contributions from
NEMs. Stories, ideas for stories, suggestions of others who may
send something in, clippings—send them in!
NEM Top Ten times
These two lists are now on the web to check before August 1st
1) Proof-reading National Top Ten is up and will go to print on August
2nd. Swimmers should check that they are listed. If they believe there
is an error they should contact me with the information. When they
did the swim, what meet etc. etc Go to: http://www.usms.org and
then link to “competition” and from there you will find a link to the
Top Ten. Click on USMS Top Ten.
2) The NEM 1999-2000 SCY season (17 meets) is listed on our NEM
web page. Swimmers should check that all their times are included
and email me with corrections.
Go to http://www.swimnem.org and look for two pdf files to download
The final 1972-2000 NEM Short Course Yards All-Time Top Ten list will
be available in mid-August on the web and a hard copy will be
produced.
Please tell your friends about the two lists. The more people that
proofread and check their times, the more accurate the lists will be.
NEM is putting together its team to win the USMS Long
Course National Championships at the University of
Maryland this month
We’ve received reports that MinuteMan Masters and Cambridge
Masters will muster a significant contingenct of swimmers to compete under the NEM banner at USMS Long Course National Championship in Baltimore, MD August 17th through August 20th. This Spring
NEM Men finished third in the medium team division. This Summer
the goal is to win the men’s, women and combined medium team
championships. Entries must be received no later than Thursday July
13th. You can enter on-line at: http://www.usms.org/comp/lcnats00/
If you are planning to swim at USMS LCM Championship please send
an email to: [email protected].
“Against The Tide” swim on June 24 at Hopkinton
State Park
Report by Lisa Ackerman: About 250 swimmers participated in the
7th annual “Against the Tide” one-mile fundraising swims, which
raised approximately $130,000 for the Massachusetts Breast Cancer
Coalition.Thanks to the generous support of our family, friends and
co-workers, David and I raised $2,354, which was $854 more than last
year. Lisa was the fourth woman to complete the competitive swim,
placing eighth overall; David was the first person to complete the
fitness swim. Little Robert ( now just over 2 years old) stayed on shore
cheering for everyone. We also had a nice family photo in the Boston
Globe mentioning our efforts over the years for the swim. We are still
happy to forward any contributions to the Massachusetts Breast
Cancer Coalition. Just make them out ot MBCC and send them to us at
246 Davis Road, Bedford, MA 01730.
Lowell
On July 4, 1999, a certain World Champion NEM swimmer from the
Andover area was disheartened when his one piece speed suit failed
him and he was passed in the water during the 2 mile Mike Rynne
Memorial Swim in Lowell – by Lisa Ackerman.
One year later, the NEM returned, with a vengeance. Donning the
4
speed suit again, he took off into the river. And, success
abounded. Sort of. Lisa Ackerman was not in the lead pack, Dan
Rogaki was. Dan did beat Lisa this year. In fact, according to the
results, Dan finished as the fourth place woman.
Once that little mishap was corrected, Lisa was the fourth place
woman, Dan the 6th place male. Fred Schlicher took the men’s first
place, and Tracy Grilli emerged hand in hand with Danielle Ogier
for the first place women. Oh, that means that Tracy and Danielle
beat Dan.
Unofficial results: (NEMs with ✩)
1. Danielle Ogier
1. Fred Schlicher✩
2. Pete Caldwell
1. Tracy Grilli✩
3. Owen Scollan
3. Ashley Dixon
4. Lisa Ackerman✩
4. Chris French✩
5. Jeremiah Fitzgibbon
In a footnote, a tall, handsome young man was second place
overall in the high school mile—and first for the men. It must be a
trend, Luke Grilli was edged out by a 12 year old woman for first
overall. However, he also was last seen scouring the beach for said
woman – to keep track of her for future reference…Definitely a
NEM in training!
Thanks for the gift
From president Bob Seltzer: I want to thank all of the NEMs who
contributed for my surprise gift presentation of the Olympus 2500
digital camera at our NEM social on June 17. I very much appreciate all of the NEMs who contributed to this gift. I’ve wanted this
model for some time but simply couldn’t bring myself to spend
that kind of money on a camera. Also, much thanks to everyone
who helped with the NEM social and special applause for our
event co-directors Alison Goulder and Lisa Sinclair.
The Blow Out!
by Gudarz Davar, Cambridge Masters Swim Club
Although I now swim with the Cambridge Masters, I used
to swim with the Masters program at Simmons College.
One early morning, at the end of practice when we were
doing sprints, one of my lane mates laughingly said
something to me about a “blowout” as I came in from
my 50 yard sprint. Not having any idea of what he was
referring to—perhaps my blistering pace, “blew out” the
competition—I ignored him and “blew” even harder on
the next 50. But something didn’t feel quite right and as
I cruised back into the wall I felt a flapping sensation
around my upper leg. It turns out that the “blow out” was
my swimsuit, which was completely missing on one side,
and that I had been sprinting with my exposed rear end
bobbing merrily along the surface of the water, at full tilt,
without any awareness of my appearance. More than
chagrined, I tried to exit the water gracefully, with one
hand on my decimated suit (try it some time…it’s hard
to get out of the pool with one hand) and then used a
kickboard to cover myself ‘til I reached the safety of the
men’s locker room (no Jacuzzi today). The moral of the
story might be (you pick): 1) always check the integrity
of your swimsuit before swimming, or 2) listen when
your lane mate tells you’ve had a blowout, or 3) no matter how invincible we think we are, there’s always an opportunity for us to be proven wrong.
NEM News
cvv
•
August 2000
SHARKFEST 20000
Alcatraz to Aquatic Park in San Francisco
make her move. She knew she had to pull away before they were too
close to the finish because he could out sprint her. Diane took advantage of a pack of swimmer they were passing to “pick up a block” and
get away from him. Good move on her part because Mark almost
caught her at the end as she beat him by one second.
by Frank McQuiggan
Tid bits
1. The Federal Penitentiary at Alactraz was built in the 1930’s as an
escape proof prison. A mile and a half from shore, it was alleged to be
surrounded by very cold, shark invested waters with very strong currents. Thousands of swimmers have swum from the island from the
main land over the last 20 years with the only real threats being the
cold, the currents, and the boat traffic.
2. With the course closed to traffic and most swimmers wearing wet
suits, the most difficult challenge was the currents.
3. This was my first time in San Francisco. I now understand Mark
Twain’s comment about the coldest winter he ever spent was one summer in the Bay City.
4. After a briefing from the event staff, 800 swimmers paraded from
Aquatic Park to two ferries at Fishermen’s Wharf to the theme music
from Jaws.
Name
It was a beautiful sun shiny day with little wind compared to the days
before and no chop. Almost 800 swimmers piled onto two ferries that
took us out next to Alcatraz. The boats turned around facing Aquatic
Park 1.5 miles in the distance. When the doors of the ferry opened,
swimmers in groups of 3 jumped into the bay. The 7-foot plunge into
the 55-degree water was invigorating to say the least. I can only imagine what it felt like to the 100 or so brave souls (nut cases) that were
not wearing wet suits. During the swim I did have a chance to reflect
on one wetsuitless swimmer’s remark that “ People in wet suits look
like seals, the favorite food of the sharks in the bay”.
Most of our crew was on the top deck and some of the last to get
off the boat. (bad move # 1). As we swam toward the starting line
some 100 yards away, the horn sounded to start the swim. Unable to
see the kayakers guiding the swimmers across, I could only aim for the
center of the back of yellow caps ahead of me and hope they were
going the right way (bad move #2). They weren’t. The current was
moving left to right, toward the Golden Gate Bridge. As it turned out,
the swimmers on the left would have the fastest times as the current
would pull them toward the finish.
After about 10 minutes, I caught up to a large pack of swimmers
who must have made it to the starting line on time. The swim now felt
more like a punt return as I zigzagged between the swimmers I was
passing. Occasionally this would lead to a hand, foot, knee, elbow or
even some full body contact. I was now feeling more comfortable as I
had started to warm up. More importantly, with all of the maneuvering, there was always a swimmer close behind me. (Most shark attacks
come from behind.)
As we approached the entrance to Aquatic Park things started to
get crowded. From a practice swim the day before I knew that the
current would be moving out, so I started to pick up the pace to get
though this area as quickly as possible. On to the finish line, a chance
to get warm and to get the taste of salt water out of my mouth with a
cold Anchor Steam ( San Fran’s famous micro-brew of Tim Morse fame).
ICrossed the finish line just ahead of Susan Knight who also started in
the back of the pack. She had a great swim finishing 3rd out of 51 in
her age group. Had she started up front, she would have had a good
shot at first.
Behind me, Mark Formica and Diane Robitaille were doing their
usual “open water dance”. They swam together as Diane waited to
NEM News
•
August 2000
Susan Knight
Diane Robitaille
Frank McQuiggan
Ron Phipps
Mark Formica
Peter Ottmar
Jim Dorsey
Overall
Within Sex
Age Group
91
239
85
178
240
350
333
18
68
69
133
172
245
230
30-34
35-39
50-54
40-44
50-54
50-54
55-59
Place in
Age Group
3/51
12/44
3/33
21/63
11/33
17/33
10/15
Time
34:28
40:23
34:22
37:30
40:24
46:24
45.31
World 200 fly record holder Tom Malchow
and his bodysuit
From an article by Philip Hersh, June 1, 2000, Chicago Tribune
Some still want the suit banned on grounds it violates FINA rules prohibiting devices that aid a swimmer’s speed, endurance or buoyancy.
“[Manufacturers] say it’s not buoyant, but I had the sensation of riding
higher in the water,” said Tom Malchow of the University of Michigan,
a 1996 Olympic silver medallist in the 200-meter butterfly.
That was only one of the pleasant sensations Malchow had after
wearing the short-sleeved version of the neck-to-ankle Speedo
bodysuit at last weekend’s Key Bank Swim Classic in Ann Arbor. Sunday, in what was a low-key tune-up meet, Malchow clocked 1:55.68 for
the 200 butterfly, missing his U.S. record by just .28 of a second. It still
was the third fastest time ever. (Editor note: He set the 1:55.18 world
record on June 17.)
“I would have been happy with anything under two minutes,” he said.
Malchow, who never before had raced with clothing on his torso, said
the bodysuit made him feel as if he were “sliding through the water, and
my legs didn’t feel as fatigued.”
He did not know how much could be attributed to the suit. “I just
came down from three weeks training at altitude, and that could have
been a factor too,” he said. “This isn’t going to turn an average swimmer
into an Olympian, but it may give a great swimmer another tenth or twotenths [of a second].”
The 6-foot-7-inch Malchow said he may benefit from it more because
of its size. “I have a lot more fabric to work with,” he said.
Malchow’s coach, Jon Urbanchek, believes some of the benefit may
be psychological, and that advantage may owe in part to the novelty
of wearing the suit. That is why Malchow won’t use it much before the
U.S. Olympic trials in August.
“I don’t want to abuse it,” he said. “I want it to feel awesome and new.”
5
My 1999 Alcatraz Swim
by Jim Dorsey
Everything I had read and heard about San Francisco Bay while preparing for the 1.5-mile Alcatraz Sharkfest swim warned me that the
water was cold, colder than anything generally confronted in the Atlantic during the summer. But no warnings, no folk tales about the
criminals who disappeared trying to escape The Rock, not even the
nervous teeth-chattering bravado of the 599 other swimmers who
joined me for this year’s Labor Day weekend swim from Alcatraz to
Aquatic Park (it’s adjacent to Fisherman’s Wharf), prepared me for the
shock I got when I leapt from the Blue Line Ferry into the Bay’s icy chop.
My breath escaped in a gasp. Within seconds, my head was pounding with one of those awful ice cream cone headaches. Worst of all,
already in the water and with a mile and a half to go before I staggered
up the beach, I wondered about the wisdom of taking on this challenge.
And then, just as quickly I began to thaw out from swimming and
the doubts burned away, unlike the fog over the Golden Gate which
never did lift.
At a mile and a half, Alcatraz is shorter than a number of swims
NEM’s do each year, such as the 1.7-mile Save the Bay Swim from Newport to Jamestown, or the boffo 2-mile Save the Kikimuit Swim. But the
cold, the chop and the swift current probably make up for the shorter
distance. Even so, the Alcatraz swim is wildly popular.
The swim, sponsored by Enviro Sports, a California club for bikers,
swimmers, trekkers, marathoners and assorted other punishment seekers, was limited to 600 swimmers, a total they reach without much
trouble. This year, there were 99 hearty souls in swimsuits and caps
only, while the remaining 501 of us chose caution over courage and
opted for wetsuits. Many of the swimmers wore insulated swim caps
(Barracuda seems to be popular) and a number of us wore two or three
swim caps.
After registering at Aquatic Park and getting the safety and course
lecture, we 600 swimmers and assorted friends, loved ones and hangers on paraded past Ghiradelli Square and other famous tourist spots
to the ferry terminal where boats regularly run visitors out to the Rock,
home now only to seabirds and ghosts since it closed as a prison a
quarter century ago and was taken over by the National Park Service.
The trip out took about 15 minutes. As the tour boat approached
the Alcatraz boat dock, the captain turned it around so we were facing the city. He then gently backed off the engines, opened the port
and starboard doors and gave the swimmers the word to hit the water, three at a time from each door. After we recovered from jumping
in, we all swam toward a line of buoys bookended by a power boat
and a kayak. When the last six-some hit the water, the captain blew
the horn and the swim was on (the water is judged too cold and turbulent, and the timing too close with the tide, to allow for all the swimmers to get to the line before the starting horn).
With power boats on the left to haul out those who got in trouble
and kayaks on the right acting as guides, we all swam to the left of our
destination, following advice aimed at compensating for the tide which
would ebb as we approached the finish. And ebb it did. Right on schedule, those of us swimming toward Fisherman’s Wharf were pushed/
pulled back to the right and the breakwater entrance for Aquatic Park.
The first swimmer made it in slightly under 30 minutes. The last one
in about 90 minutes. It took me a little over 47 minutes, about a minute
slower than my target time. (To help NEM’s with context and comparison, I usually do the 1.7-mile Save the Bay Swim in about an hour.) My
6
lips were blue, my right hand was numb, and my addled tongue kept
chattering “Hi, babe,” to my wife when she met me with a towel. But
all in all, it was a great swim—cold water but no sharks; choppy water
but hot chocolate and good beer; and strong currents going in the
right direction.
By the by, I’ve already registered for next year’s Sharkfest.
Swimming 101
While swimmers may not have much in common with the National
Rifle Association, both believe in the right to bear arms. Masters are
not going to cite the Constitution of the United States as justification. They can cite their own physical constitution as proof that the
proper use of arms is importanjt to life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness in the water.
The proper use of arms is usually the difference between the
Master in the middle and the few who touch the wall first.
Frequently, when someone seems to swim with less effort for the
distance covered than others, that person is a scholar of the proper
use of each arm and hand. Yes, some are born with it or started
young (Tiger Woods is Exhibit A), but most can improve and hone
their arm use.
Recognize that there is much more to the arm’s path in and out of
the water than simply pressing pushing, or pulling, against the
water. Just as a violinist knows early on how the bow is supposed to
be held and moved, the swimmer may start out with swimilar good
basics. This stage is where many swimmers stay. They learn the
basics , find they produce acceptable movement in the water, and
then forget about the subleties of those motions.
New world record holder in the 50 meter free (21.64) Alexander
Popov doesn’t spend more than half his workout on drills because
he is trying to duck the hard stuff. Rather, he knows that even
someone as skilled as he is can improve his arms and hands. Ditto
Inge de Bruijn with her recent world record 50 free (24.39). She is
keenly aware of the need to refine her arm moves by the hour.
Remember that many swimmers work out hard and many
swimmers are strong even before they get in the water.But also
remember that these swimmers are not necessarily those who swim
most efficiently or, in many cases, the fastest off the energy input.
Conclusion: Listen to your coach if you are fortunate enough to
have one. Listen to your lane and pool mates. Listen to your own
body. Observe smooth stroking swimmers around you in the pool at
meets, and on TV at the Olympic Trials and at Sidney. See Rich
Axtell’s Ask the Coach column in this issue for amplification.
Current American fifty free record holder Dara Torres
Fitness Swimmer photo
NEM News
•
August 2000
New England Masters Swim Club meet — LCM
Jenny Thompson Pool, Dover, NH • July 16, 2000
Ed Gendreau: meet director and meet results
The two watch times are preceded by an asterisk and are official. (When hand timing is used, two watches are required for official times.)
The one watch times are unofficial. The inclement weather contributed to a low volunteer turnout, resulting in many one watch times.
USMS# Club
WOMEN
NEM 23
787 NEM 26
123 NEM 26
47 NEM 31
126 NEM 38
1010 NEM 38
298 NEM 43
14 NEM 44
166 NEM 45
322 NEM 45
520 NEM 47
22 NEM 55
388 NEM 59
CONN 66
387 NEM 72
321 NEM 76
MEN
1217 NEM 26
618 MESC 31
584 NEM 35
NCMS 37
1412 NEM 39
1171 NEM 40
453 NEM 46
1 NEM 49
993 NEM 49
259 NEM 53
289 NEM 54
763 NEM 55
705 NEM 59
591 NEM 59
1371 NEM 60
167 NEM 62
565 NEM 63
568 NEM 63
4 NEM 65
50 FR
100 FR
200 FR
400 FR
Nicole Ciancarelli
Rebecca Kupcinskas
Kendra Garrow
*2:45.28
Carol Prescott
32.15
5:27.68
Deborah Edin
Gail Pentheny
1:15.96
Tracy Grilli
35.00 1:16.16 2:42.13 *5:45.07
Jennifer Luker
1:13.27 2:32.90
Karla Nisley-Black
Sally Fellows
36.17
2:57.09
Marty Pasquali
Ann Fredette
40.00 1:32.12 3:18.75
Aagje Caron
Ronnie Kamphausen
41.25
*3:15.69 7:00.47
Joan McIntyre
Barbara Boley
1:17.67 *2:01.30
9:00.78
Brian Fehlau
Brian Newbegin
Scott Vankuilenburg
Keith Moon
William Bond
Paul Griffin
David Grilli
Robert Seltzer
Stanley Longstaff
Douglas Walther
Marc Scheele
Laszlo Eger
Eric Jensen
David Henshaw
George Coupe
Larry Dunham
Richard Clapp
Wayne Pickering
D Barr Clayson
2:17.43
29.47
32.49
50 BA
100 BA
200 BA
50 FL
2:59.81
1:15.40 *2:47.32
6:26.88
6:02.28
3:12.03
7:24.83
6:17.97
100 FL
200 FL
1:34.40
39.67
34.62 *1:17.53 *2:55.46
200 IM
47.88
1:47.53
6:35.16
3:51.91
34.09
43.43
1:30.44
3:12.99
*3:28.26
44.34
*3:23.73
1:40.47 *3:44.75
*2:01.49
2:10.12
*2:19.81
3:57.50
1:11.88
*10:44.15
dq
29.53
40.09
*1:28.57
1:21.26
41.72
*41.42
43.76 *1:35.43
1:08.94
1:22.79
*2:37.12
3:06.37
33.07
3:08.25
3:57.06
*1:30.10 *3:10.23
*1:56.81
36.00
6:14.60
1:23.07
1:31.75
2:58.25
33.43
32.97
33.50 1:20.22
1:10.75 *2:35.35 *5:19.12 *11.10.90
*1:28.96 *3:35.44 7:35.26
400 IM
3:23.34
*1:27.98 *3:09.07
33.22
32.85
100 BR 200 BR
5:01.43
1:08.35
1:17.41
1:20.17 *2:59.45
1:14.53
2:50.63
1:20.16 *3:11.58
50 BR
3:04.45
dq
dq
41.60
*1:53.37
1:24.69
41.37 *1:33.68
3:51.75
workout groups
Community College of Rhode Island, Lincoln, RI
Adult swim classes on Tuesday nights at 6:00 starting on September 5th. Of the three classes for
different levels, Swimming III (Fitness Swimming PHED 1420) is apprropriate for experienced swimmers.
This will in effect be a coached workout. It is about $75 for 15 weeks and is a one credit class.
Kevin Salisbury and Dave Hanson will teach the class. Kevin is the aquatic director at CCRI and
former head coach of men’s and women’s swimming at Clark University. He is also a former assistant
coach at Providence College and former head coach at the East Providence Boys and Girls Club. He was
the captain of both the Bishop Hendricken and URI swim teams. He has a Masters degree in Sports
Psychology. Dave Hanson is the head coach of Bishop Hendricken, 12 time Rhode Island state champion. Both are in the Rhode Island Aquatic Hall of Fame.
For more information, call the Office of Admissions and Records at 825-2285.
Editor note: This information is from Frank McQuiggan, who added: “I got this information from Kevin
Salisbury who used to train with the East Providence Masters. I strongly suggest this CCRI class to anyone
who wants to get some real on deck coaching.”
Swim meets: continued from page 8
Univ. of Maryland, near
Baltimore, MD
■ August 13, 18-20
New Hampshire Senior Games
Laconia, NH
Swimming is on August 18.
603-622-9041
■ September 6-30
Maine Senior Games
Portland, ME
207-775-6503
■ May 17-21, 2001
USMS Short Course Champs
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara is south of San Francisco
and between San Jose & Palo Alto.
■ August 16-19, 2001
USMS Long Course Champs
Federal Way, WA
Federal Way is between Seattle and
Tacoma
■ March 29 - April 11, 2002
VIII FINA World Masters
Championships – LCM
Christchurch, New Zealand
“Gruelling as this is, it’s not a total-body workout.”
The New Yorker
NEM News
•
August 2000
http://www.eventnz.co.nz
Start of the Mashpee three mile swim.
7
Open water swims
Compiled by Lisa Ackerman
This information is not guaranteed for accuracy.
A list of other swims in the country is at www.usms.org
8/4/2000
HAWC Swim (1 mi) Marblehead, MA, Devereaux Beach
Donna Bremberg/ Deborah Walker, 276 Congress Street,
Salem, MA 01970, 978-744-8552,
[email protected] (rain date 8/11/2000)
8/5/2000
Great Hudson River Swim ( 2.8 mi) NYC
Manhattan Island Foundation, 888-NYC-SWIM
www.nycswim.org
8/5/2000
Ironguard Lifeguard Competition, Nantasket Beach, MA
Gary McKinnon, Metrowest Y, 280 Old Connecticut Path,
Framingham, MA, 01701, 508-879-4420 x 37
8/6/2000
Nantasket Beach/MDC Open Water Swim (1 mi), Nantasket
Beach. MA
Gary McKinnon, Metrowest Y, 280 Old Connecticut Path,
Framingham, MA, 01701, 508-879-4420 x 37
8/6/00
Great Bay Rough Water Swim, Portsmouth, NH (1 Mi)
7:30 registration; 8:00 start. 78º
Terry Ficher, 603-778-0015, [email protected]
8/11/2000 (NEW DATE)
22 Mile Swim Across America Boston Harbor Relay, Boston
Harbor, Start at Rowes' Wharf, $1500 minimum fundraiser, ;
Kitty Tetreault, 30 Bullard St, Walpole, MA 01721, 508-6601720, [email protected]; Mary McCullagh, Swim Across
America, 508-881-3779, [email protected];
Fundraising swim for cancer research.;
swimacrossamerica.org
8/12/2000
One Mile Harbor Swim - Gloucester, MA
Jennifer Cullen, 9 Hodges St, Salem, MA 01970, 978-744-5169,
[email protected]; Richie Martin, 978-281-0670, 978281-8349 (fax), [email protected]; Pre-entry & Deckentry - deadline 8/5/2000
8/12/2000
One Mile Against the Tide - Brewster, MA
Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, 24 Crescent St,
Waltham, MA 02453, 781-899-7170, [email protected];
Fundraiser; www.mbcc.org/swim
8/12/2000
Jantzen Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, Boston, MA
617-451-2860, [email protected]
8/12/2000
Boston Light Swim (10 mi), Boston, MA
Race Cordinator: John Werner - 617.474.2400, 63 Van Winkle
Street, Dorchester MA 02124, [email protected]
8/18/2000 (NEW SWIM)
6th Annual Melissa Blaise Memorial One-Mile Swim
Salisbury State Beach Reservation. Check-in starts at 4:30.
Check-in ends at 5. Race starts at 6. $20 entry or #25 deck
enttry. Entry form and more info: thecudas.com and Colleen
Fallon 978-465-6403.
ask Dr. Swim
Q.What is a good after workout recovery treat, especially in the summer?
A. Be cool, real cool, and freeze it.
Here are four make-your-own frozen foods to satisfy your need for something
special and to replenish your energy, according to Lisa Dorfman, R.D., author of
The Vegetarian Sports Nutrition Guide (August 2000 Runner’s World)
1. Take a favorite fruit juice—or even Hawaiian Punch or a sports drink—and
freeze it.
To make sweeter tasting fruit pops, use frozen fruit juice concentrate and mix in
only half the amojnmt of water the dierecitons call for. I fyou don’t own plastic
Popsicle molds, simply pour the juice in to paper cups or an ice cube tray, cover
with plastic wrap, an poke tongue depressors or tootpicks through the wrap.
2. Freeze your mushy , spotty, overripe bananas (peel them first).
Once frozen , rthey take on the consistency and sweetness of ice cream.
3. Remove a bunch of grapes from the stem, place them in a plastic bag, and
freeze them.
You can also freze blueberries and raspberries is plastic bags.
4. Make a drink by blending sweetened frozen straw berreis with frozen mixed
fruit, crushed ice, and juice.
Or add yogurt or low-fat milk for a tasty smoothie.
Q.What is a good running workout for cross training?
A. Lynn Williams, a 40-year-old Canadian and 3000 meter bronze medalist at the
1984 Los Angeles Olympics, says this is her farorite.
About every 10 days my “bread and butter sessions” are three sets of 3 minutes/2
minutes/1 minute with 1-minute recoveries between hard efforts, and five minute
recoveries between sets. (August 2000 Runner’s World)
More info
Mastering it
1-888-SWIMNEM
“There’s no shame in losing
if you try hard as you can.”
■ NEM web page
B.J. Kramps
professional bull rider
■ NEM telephone
swimnem.org
■ Colonies web page
colonieszone.org
■ USMS web page
usms.org
■ NEM News
Tom Lyndon
9 Sunset Road
Wellesley, MA 02482
[email protected]
781-235-8587
8/20/2000
Battery Park One Miler, (1 mi), NYC
Manhattan Island Foundation, 888-NYC-SWIM
www.nycswim.org
9/9 or 9/10/2000
Mi Te Na (Swim Like a Rock) (1 mi) Camp Foss/Willey’s Pond,
Stafford/Barnstead, NH, David Grilli, 603-437-1375,
[email protected]
Swim meets
■ August 17-20
USMS Long Course National Championships
New
England
Masters
August 200 0
Swim meets: continued on page 7
8
NEM News
•
August 2000