Six out of seven days in the pool was one too many last week. Or perhaps the swimming gods have struck me down for talking smack about the breaststroke. Either way, according to my doc, I’ve torn or severely strained a left intercostal muscle, and I’m out of the pool.

Excuse me while I whine… Is it just me, or are there other U.S. Masters Swimmers who take two steps forward and one step back? I had two seriously huge breakthrough moments these past two weeks. I finally grocked the breaststroke kick, and I added a couple extra feet to my glide off the wall. By ...

Tags: breaststroke, Pacific Masters, U.S. Masters Swimmer

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Sitting at home last night with my leg elevated and my knee on ice, enjoying ibuprofen-enhanced mango sorbet, I actually wondered if the same people who invented the breaststroke invented the mammogram machine. They both involve contorting body parts in unnatural positions.

Curious to know the origins, I googled “who invented the breaststroke” and found on Wikipedia that the breaststroke dates back to the Stone Age. <There goes my above-mentioned theory.> It is thought that the leg action of the breaststroke may have originated by imitating the swimming action of frogs. Our local U.S. Masters program, TCAM, gave breaststroke instruction all week. The week prior was the butterfly stroke. Next week they’ll instruct us in backstroke ...

Tags: breaststroke, TCAM, USMS

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I kid you not; last week on the way to the airport, a friend asked me if the swimming convention I was about to attend would be held in a pool. Was I really just in Chicago surrounded by hundreds of U.S. Masters Swimmers (USMS)? Those 3 ½ days are like a blur. Did I know * anything * about the USMS structure prior to attending that convention? Heck no! To be honest, I’m still trying to figure it out. If I understand correctly - USMS is a non-profit organization run by a Board of Directors. The new Board of Directors, who assumed their new roles on the final day of the ...

Tags: U.S. Masters Swimmer, USMS

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Back after a well-spent 3 1/2 days at the U.S. Masters Swimming convention. Still humbled by the kindness and encouragement I experienced in Chicago. More after a good night's sleep.

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A rare, half-hour break mid-day between meetings, and where am I? Sitting in the computer room wedged between USMS’s Account Executive Kyle Deery, Northern California Rolling Hills Mud Shark’s Susie Powell and my Tuolumne County Aquatics Masters teammate, Arlene Proebsting.

Ever the consummate swimmer, Susie got up in the wee hours to swim in Lake Michigan. A group of about 20 USMS folks met at the Ocean Street Beach for an approximate 2-mile swim. Did I mention the wee hour? 4:45 AM   I asked Susie why she became a Master’s Swimmer. (I didn’t ask why she got up so early to jump into the cold, dark water.) Her reply? “For the huge monetary ...

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Day Three – USAS / USMS Convention… My friends at the Tuolumne County Aquatics Masters are wondering why I haven’t updated my blog recently.  Well, to be honest, I’m just having too much fun meeting other US Masters Swimmers here in Chicago. AM to PM I’m in meetings, voting on important USMS legislation and networking. I decided almost immediately not to be intimidated by these world-class-athlete-looking, hard-bodied, bronzed gods and goddesses, which has allowed me to meet some very interesting, weird and quirky people. I knew from the first night when I walked into the hotel I was in for some fun. Literally 15 minutes after my arrival I was asked to attend a regional meeting. At ...

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Me? Speedo? Not so much. I’ll be honest. If I could swim in a brown paper bag, I would. However, a Speedo-style suit is a necessary evil in order to swim with the local US Masters Swimming program. (Actually, I like Dolfin Uglies for practice; their patterns are colorful and playful.) The professional instruction, the sense of community and the health benefits of being a part of the US Masters Swimming program far outweigh the humiliation of being seen in a skintight competition swimsuit in public. What would it take for you to become a U.S. Masters Swimmer? United States Masters Swimming (USMS) is a national organization that provides organized workouts, competitions, clinics and ...

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I am heading to the Midwest later in the week as a Pacific Masters Swimming delegate to the US Aquatic Sports Convention. The convention is where representatives from all over the country come together to come up with ideas to improve, promote and govern U.S. Masters Swimming. What would it take for you to become a U.S. Masters Swimmer? In case you don’t already know, United States Masters Swimming (USMS) is a national organization that provides organized workouts, competitions, clinics and workshops for adults aged 18 and over. Programs are open to all adult swimmers (fitness, triathlete, competitive, non-competitive) who are dedicated to improving their fitness through swimming. If you are already ...

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According to a recent article in the Anchorage Daily News, a San Diego woman swam across Sitka Sound with stinging jellyfish, 54-degree water and strong currents – without a wetsuit. At one point in her 4-hour, 36-minute swim, Claudia Rose seriously considered calling it quits, but then she was stung by a jellyfish and "didn't remember to quit." Rose completed what is believed to be the first recorded swim across the Sound, an eight-mile journey from Kruzof Island to Sitka. You can read the full story here.

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Congratulations USMS...

U.S. Masters Swimming reached a historic milestone, registering its 50,000th member. This marks the first time U.S. Masters Swimming has ever registered more than 50,000 members in a given year. The mission of the U.S. Masters Swimming program is to promote adult health, fitness, wellness and competition through aquatics.

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