Carleton Masters Swimming Newsletter #119                    Sunday, June 26th, 2005
 
To:  Carleton Coaches (11 addresses)

Bcc: Those Registered for Winter/Spring/Summer 2005 plus "Alumni": 6:30am Earlybirds (41 addresses), 7:30am Earlybirds (51 addresses), 8:30am Earlybirds (22 addresses), 6pm Whitecaps "A" (49 addresses),  6pm Whitecaps "B" (34 addresses), Nightcaps (29 addresses), Masters "Alumni" (36 members).

 
Upcoming Cancellations / Changes
The Spring session ends Wed Jun 29th / Thu Jun 30th, and the Summer session starts Mon Jul 4th.  So, please note that there are no workouts Fri Jul 1st or Sat Jul 2nd.  There is just one public swim on Jul 1st: 11:45am-3:30pm, but public swims run as usual on Sat Jul 2nd.  Also please note that starting Jul 9th the Saturday swims in July/August will be 10am-11am ONLY.  Note also that registration for July/August is separate from the May/June registration, so if you plan to continue swimming over the summer, please ensure that you have registered.
 
 
End of Term Morning Coffee / Dinner
All swimmers are invited for coffee at Treats on Wed Jun 29th -- the last 8:30am workout until September.  (The 8:30am group does not run in July/August due to Sports Camps.)  Meet by the Control Desk after workout, around 10am.
All swimmers are also invited to dinner after Whitecaps on Thu Jun 30th.  Likely a small crowd due to the Friday holiday, but all are welcome.  Meet by the Control Desk after workout, around 7:45pm.
 
 
Masters Swimming Feedback Questionnaire
A big thank you to Jim Lee (7:30am Earlybirds) for putting this together and to all those who completed the questionnaire (68 swimmers) and/or took part in the Jun 11th focus group (about 10).  A summary of the results will appear in the newsletters, starting with this one.  A common theme was that many swimmers said they would like more feedback on their strokes during workout.  Thus for the summer session swimmers will have the option of filling in a feedback request form where they can specify their priorities as to feedback and ensure their coach is aware of the areas they are focusing on.  If this works well, we will continue this in the Fall.
Of the 68 respondents, here is a summary of the first part of the data.  (Note that numbers may not add up to 100% due to rounding, and some swimmers selecting several responses for a question.)
Age Break Down: Under 30: 21%; 30-39: 24%; 40-49: 38%; 50-59: 10%; 60 and Over: 7%
Gender: Female 62%; Male 38%
Years Participating in Masters: less than 1: 30%; 1-5: 44%; 5-10: 10%; 10-15: 7%; 15 & Over: 9%
Work Schedule: Full Time 65%; Self-Employed 12%; Student 11%; Retired 8%; Part Time 6%; Shift Work 6%; Other 8%
Membership Type: Full 39%; Student 17%; Swim Only 14%; Early Bird 14%; Staff 8%; Alumni 5%; Other 8%
Masters Group(s): Whitecaps 42%; 7:30am 28%; 6:30am 21%; 8:30am 12%; Nightcaps 9%; High Intensity 8%
Attend Saturday?: Rarely 34%; Often 28%; Never 21%; Always 17%
 
 
Wed Jun 22nd 6:30am "Flood"
Thanks to the 6:30am swimmers on Wed Jun 22nd for their patience with the high water level and for doing kick and pull without the equipment that floated away during warm up!  The water level quickly returned to normal after Paul Blackman (pool maintenance) arrived.
 
 
Volunteers Needed
For the fourth (I think!) year, I will be coordinating the swim portion of the Kids of Steel triathlon to be held at the Uplands Base the morning of Sun Jul 10th.  I need one or two more volunteers to help with lining the kids up, counting lengths (no advanced mathematical skills needed as the majority of the kids swim less than 200m!), and (most importantly) encouraging them.  It's a fun morning and volunteers get a T-shirt and refreshments after the race.  (Thanks to those who have already volunteered!)
 
 
Competitions For All
While most Masters competitions are open only to those registered with Masters Swimming Ontario (MSO), there are some upcoming events open to everyone.  There are two Meech Lake open water swims open to all swimmers and triathletes (but if you wear a wetsuit you are considered "exhibition"!), a 3k on July 16th and a 4k on August 20th, and a postal 1500m and 1 hour swim.  Details in the "Masters Swimming Competitions" section below.
 
 
Swimmer Notes  
 
Found: Black (Goggles?) Case:  A black cloth zippered case was left on deck after morning Earlybirds in mid-June.  Let me know if it's yours!
 
Birth Announcement: Tamara Evers-Tate (7:30am Earlybirds) had a baby girl, Mikayla Olivia Tate, on May 20th.  Mikayla arrived a month early and weighed 5lbs 4oz.  She had to stay in hospital for a short while after her birth but is healthy.  By mid-June she was up to 6lbs 6oz, so she's doing very well!  All the best to Tamara, her husband, and Mikayla.
 
20 Steps:  Louise Rachlis (6:30am Earlybirds) has published a new book as a fundraiser for the Ottawa Hospital.  It’s called “The first 20 minutes are the hardest: Twenty steps to keep you going when you think you couldn’t possibly - in running and in life.”  Long title, little book.  It’s a compilation of some of the articles on running and other sports that she has written over the past few years.  The book can be purchased at the Ottawa Citizen front counter, 1101 Baxter Road, Ottawa, ON K2C 3M4; by mail order from lrachlis@thecitizen.canwest.com, from Running Room Ottawa 901 Bank Street location only, and from Cyclelogik, 358 Richmond Road.  Price is $9.95 plus GST; $10.65. There is a $1 charge for mail order.  Full details at: http://carletonmasters.tripod.com/20_Steps_Media_Release.pdf.
 
Wet Suit for Sale:  Used Sleeveless recreational wetsuit for sale: Made by Bare. Small size. Approx. 125-140 lbs. $45.00. Call: 730-0422 (Renee, 8:30am Earlybirds).
 
A Few Good (Older) Men:  The lone Carleton Masters representative at Nationals, George Tombler (Whitecaps "B"), had his camera with him and got a photo of most of the 80+ men who were in attendance. The photo shows Harold Johnston (81, Edmonton Masters), George Tombler (81, Carleton University Masters, Ottawa), Ted Roach (the "youngster" at 80, Alderwood Teddy Bares, Toronto), Harry Class (89, Granite Club, Toronto), and Roman Jezek (91, Pointe Claire, Montreal).  Check it out at: http://carletonmasters.tripod.com/050523meet/.
Interesting Heart Article:  There is an article about "Athlete's Heart" on the USMS (United States Masters Swimming) site that deals with an apparently common misdiagnosis of heart inflammation/enlargement in athletes:
http://www.usmsswimmer.com/200503/feature.pdf.
 
Carleton Summer Waterpolo League:  This mixed league is open to all.  It includes skill development sessions, informal scrimmages and league games. No water polo experience is necessary, however participants must be strong swimmers. 
Dates/Times: Sun 4:30-6:30pm, Wed 6-8pm, June 26-Aug 31st (except July 2nd/31st).  Cost: $50+GST
 
Nose Clips for Sale:  Cost $5.  Contact Lynn if you are interested.
  
Carleton Swim Suits:  Carleton swim suits (in a range of sizes) will be available in the October time frame.
 
 
Spring Session Information
The workout themes for the Spring/Summer sessions are posted on the web site for those who like to know ahead of time what the main set theme will be. 
 
The Spring Session time trials have started!  Thanks to all those who have done timed swims to date.  You have until Jun 28th to be timed in the event(s) of your choice.  Wed Jun 29th and Thu Jun 30th will be the last workouts of the Spring session.  Your coach will plan an "even more fun than usual" workout and your suggestions are welcome!  (The summer session starts Mon Jul 4th.)
 
Here's the attendance summary for the first three weeks of the summer session (weekdays only).  Congratulations to the 9 swimmers with perfect weekday attendance to date.
 
6:30am Earlybirds (May 9-June 24th [20 workouts]; range: 17-29; avg: 23.0)
Perfect Attendance: John B
Missed 1 Workout: Francois A, Mary-Lou, Stefani K

7:30am Earlybirds (May 9-June 24th [20 workouts]; range: 12-22; avg: 17.1)
Perfect Attendance: Leona
Missed 1 Workout: Tiffany

8:30am Earlybirds (May 9-June 24th [20 workouts]; range: 7-15; avg: 12.3)
Perfect Attendance: Alan H, Margaret K

Whitecaps "A" (May 9-June 23rd [20 workouts]; range: 15-33; avg: 24.9)
Perfect Attendance: Cam, Joanne D, Jose, Pat B
Missed 1 Workout: Nicole D
 
Whitecaps "B" (May 9-June 23rd [20 workouts]; range: 14-21; avg: 17.4)
Perfect Attendance: Rod H
 

Masters Swimming Competitions
You must register annually with Masters Swimming Ontario (MSO) if you want to compete in Masters Swimming competitions.  Contact Lynn for full details (cost is $26 for registration up to Dec 31/05).  
 
Here's a summary of upcoming local, nearby and championship meets.  Details on Ontario competitions can be found at: http://www.mastersswimmingontario.ca/competition/schedule01.htm.  For Quebec competitions see http://www.fnq.qc.ca/calendrier.html (Masters meets are shaded yellow). 
 
Sat July 16th Technosport 3k Swim (Meech Lake).  Note this is not a sanctioned event and is open to everyone (MSO registration not required).  Check in / Warm up: 7:30am at Blanchet Beach.  Start: 8am.  Cost $30.  You can pay on the day.  Register on-line at: http://ca.geocities.com/technosport@rogers.com/series/series.htm (also e-mail technosport@rogers.com due to occasional on-line registration glitches) by Wed Jul 6th.
 
July 22 - 31st World Masters Games, Edmonton.  Full details at: http://www.2005worldmasters.com/. 
 
Sat Aug 20th Technosport 4k Swim (Meech Lake).  Note this is not a sanctioned event and is open to everyone (MSO registration not required).  Check in / Warm up: 7:30am at Blanchet Beach.  Start: 8am.  Cost $30.  You can pay on the day.  Register on-line at: http://ca.geocities.com/technosport@rogers.com/series/series.htm (also e-mail technosport@rogers.com due to occasional on-line registration glitches) by Wed Aug 10th.
 
Sun Sept 11th  Twentieth Annual Ontario Provincial Masters 5k Swim Championships, St Marys (near Stratford).  Details and entry form at: http://soloswims.com/st-marys.htm.  Entry deadline: Sun Aug 28th.
 
Mon Sept 12th  Deadline to enter postal (actually postal or e-mail) 1500m, 1 hour, and 1 hour relay (4-16 swimmers) swims in association with Latin Caribbean Championships (MSO Registration not required).  Details at: http://www.latycar.org/english/postal.htm.  Swims can be done any time in 2005, up to the deadline.  Note that entry is free, but swims must be done no more than 2 per lane, swimming straight (not in a circle), and split times are needed for each 100m, along with signatures of timer and starter/referee.
 
Oct 10 - 15th Latin Caribbean Championships (open to all North American Swimmers), Sao Paola, Brazil.  Full details at: http://www.latycar.org. 
 
Aug 4-11th, 2006  XI FINA World Masters Championships, Stanford, California, USA.  Details at: http://www.2006finamasters.org.
 
 
Race Results: (Please send in your results!!)
 
Sat May 7th: Technosport Sprint Meet (Long Course)
George (Whitecaps "B"), Francois A (6:30/7:30am Earlybirds), Margaret K (8:30am Earlybirds), Esther (8:30am Earlybirds), Lynn (Whitecaps "A"), and Danny (Whitecaps "A", swimming for Technosport) competed.  Results are still not available, but should eventually be posted at http://www.technosport.ca. 
 
Sat Jun 11th: Sprint Triathlon du Lac Leamy, Gatineau Park (750m/20k/5k; 43 participants)
Congrats to Susanne for her top 5 placing, and top woman:
Susanne R (6:30am Earlybirds) 4th overall, 1st woman and 1st in women's 25-29 in 1:10:43
 
Sat Jun 18th Ottawa Riverkeeper Triathlon, Westboro Beach
Congrats to those who participated, especially Andy on his first overall result!
Sprint Triathlon (500m/20k/5k; 124 participants)
Andy J (6:30am Earlybirds) 1st overall, 1st man and 1st Clydesdale in 1:02:39
Chris C (Varsity) 5th overall, 5th man and 2nd in men's 20-24 in 1:05:01
Lily C (Whitecaps "A" / Waterpolo) 27th overall, 5th woman and 2nd in women's 30-34 in 1:13:53
Jenn E (6:30am Earlybirds) 48th overall, 11th woman and 5th in women's 30-34 in 1:18:13
Olympic Distance Triathlon (1500m/40k/10k; 104 participants)
J-P T (x-7:30am Earlybirds) 6th overall, 6th man and 1st in men's 25-29 in 2:14:53
John B (6:30am Earlybirds) 29th overall, 27th man and 7th in men's 30-34 in 2:30:36
Laurie O (8:30am Earlybirds) 79th overall, 17th woman and 4th in women's 40-44 in 2:55:57                              
 
Sun Jun 19th Muskoka Long Course Triathlon, Huntsville (2k/55k/15k; 670 participants)
Congrats to all on a great race!
Rich I (Whitecaps "A") 33rd overall, 8th male 35-39 in 3:03:22
Susanne R (6:30am Earlybirds) 126th overall, 6th female pro (her first race as a pro!) in 3:17:45
Koert (Volunteer Coach) 256th overall, 9th Clydesdale, 5th Clydesdale under 40 in 3:45:29
 
Sun Jun 19th, Do it for Dad 5k/10k, Ottawa (10k: 433 participants; 5k: 628 participants)
Good job everyone!
10k:
Andy J (6:30am Earlybirds) 76th overall, 68th man, and 18th in men's 30-39 (pushing his two daughters!) in 44:26.7 (44:20.9)
Susan N-Y (8:30am Earlybirds) 102nd overall, 11th woman and 5th in women's 40-49 in 46:20.4 (45:51.8)
Louise R (6:30am Earlybirds) 372nd overall, 136th woman and 13th in women's 50-59 in 1:03:47.3 (1:03:07.9) 
5k:
Jenn E (6:30am Earlybirds) 56th overall, 7th woman and 1st in women's 30-39 in 22:05.0 (21:40.5)
 
Sun Jun 19th, Triathlon Mont-Tremblant, PQ (1k/30k/8k; 204 participants)
Renee (8:30am Earlybirds) 185th overall, 3rd in women's 50-59 in 2:23:45
Andy R (her husband) finished 170th overall, and 8th in men's 50-59 in 2:16:00
 
Sun Jun 19th, Triathlon Mont Habitant, Saint-Sauveur, PQ (700m/30k/8k; 110 participants)
James Y (6:30am Earlybirds) 3rd overall, 2nd in men's 40-44 in 1:29:27

Sat Jun 25th Tinman Triathlon, Tupper Lake, NY (1.2mi, 56mi, 13.1mi; 690 participants)
Awesome job, Colette!
Colette K (8:30am Earlybirds) 334th overall, 16th in women's 40-44 in 6:10:24
 
 
Ask the Coach
 
Dear Coach:  What is the right head position in freestyle?  A Freestyler
 
Dear A. Freestyler:  Your spine should be straight with your neck in a neutral position (just as if you were standing and looking straight ahead), thus you should look straight down at the bottom of the pool, except as required to look for lane-mates who are not swimming straight or hanging on the wall in your way, or to sight in an open water swim.
 
Dear Coach:  How much should the body roll in freestyle?  Another Freestyler
 
Dear A. Freestyler:  Your body should roll an equal amount whether you are breathing or not.  You should roll ate least 45 degrees so that your navel is pointing to the side wall on each stroke.
 
Dear Coach:  What is front-quadrant freestyle?  Yet Another Freestyler
 
Dear Y.A. Freestyler:  When we swim, we want to be as "tall" in the water as we can be.  Thus, ideally, we want to have one arm above the shoulders at all times.  When your arms cross at the shoulders (one going forward, the other going back) you are able to be "taller" at the water level, and thus more efficient.  This partial catch up (as opposed to keeping the arms 180 degrees away from each other) is called front-quadrant swimming, as you always have one arm in the front quadrant, i.e. in the water between a horizontal line drawn straight out in front at water level, and a vertical line drawn through your shoulders.
 
Dear Coach:  Why do we scull?  This is Hard Work!
 
Dear T.I.H. Work:  Every swimming stroke is made up of a front-to-back motion and a side-to-side motion.  Being able to keep your hand at the optimal angle as you swim is very important, and is referred to a having a good "feel" for the water.  Practicing sculling (the side to side motion) on its own helps us develop a better "feel" for the water.
 
Dear Coach:  I find it difficult following an open water swim course.  Any tips?  A Triathlete
 
Dear A. Triathlete:  From the shore, swim courses marked with buoys tend to look like they'll be very easy to navigate.  However, once you are in the water (at water level), it's often a different story.  On top of that the bright red markers often look exactly like red canoes, red bathing caps, red life-guard shirts, etc.!  Ideally you want to find even larger landmarks to look for so that you can see them quickly while you sight (requiring a poor body position for less of the swim).  Try to find something very large on the shore that lines up behind each marker buoy, and the finish line (e.g. tall tree, bright coloured cottage, lifeguard chair, etc.).  This is easiest to do from in the water, but can also be done from the shoreline.  Another approach is the "lemming" approach -- i.e. assuming the people in front of you know where they are going.  Apart from the obvious drawback evident from the name (lemmings going off cliffs), this also won't work if you are the fastest swimmer (no "lemmings" to follow)!
 
 
Private and Semi-Private Masters Swim Lessons
The following days/times are available for swim lessons:
Mon 9:45-10:45am Jun 27
Wed 6-7pm Aug
Wed 7-8pm Aug
Mon/Tue/Thu 7:15-8:15pm Aug
 
Prices for private lessons for Carleton Members are $36.75 for 1 hour, $68.25 for 2, $94.50 for 3, $117.60 for 4 and $138.60 for 5 hours, all plus GST.  Private lessons are also available to non-Members at a higher cost ($52.50, $89.25, $120.75, $149.10 and $170.10, all plus GST, for 1-5 hours, respectively).

For those who want to take semi-private lessons (2-3 students), the cost per student for Carleton Members is $22.05 for 1 hour, $40.95 for 2, $56.70 for 3, $70.56 for 4, and $83.16 for 5 hours, all plus GST.  Semi-private lessons for non-Members cost (per person) $31.50 for 1 hour, $53.55 for 2, $72.45 for 3, $89.46 for 4, and $102.06 for 5 hours, all plus GST. 

Contact Lynn for availability and bookings.

 
Reminders
 
Spring/Summer Sessions
The Summer Masters sessions start on Mon Jul 4th.  Details and prices are on the Masters web site: http://carletonmasters.tripod.com, and on the Carleton Athletics web site: http://www.carleton.ca/athletics.  Note that we have separated registration for May/June and July/August this year so that you can more easily join Masters for just May/June, just July/August, or switch groups between May-June and July-August.  Please note the new Saturday morning time for July/August is 10-11am only.  You can register on-line for the programs (http://www.carleton.ca/athletics), but memberships must be purchased through the Athletics office, now on the main floor (520-4480 8:30am-4:30pm M-F), next to the new Control Centre. 
 
XI FINA World Championships, Montreal, July 16-31st
While competing in this meet is for the super-elite only (Michael Phelps was recently in Montreal promoting the meet), anyone can attend to watch the five disciplines (swimming, water polo, diving, synchronized swimming, and open water swimming) taking place on Iles Ste-Helene and Notre-Dame.  The Cirque du Soleil is performing at the opening ceremonies ($150 & $175!), but ticket prices for some of the other sessions are more affordable (e.g. $10 for the open water swimming, $20 for the cheapest seats for the swimming heats, etc.). 
Full details on the meet web site: http://www.montreal2005.org/. 
A cheaper way to see some of the events would be by volunteering, details at: http://www.montreal2005.org/eng/volunteer/signup.cfm.
 
Newsletter: An e-newsletter (like this one) is sent out about every two weeks.  If you have new lane-mates, please mention to them that they should give their e-mail address to their coach if they'd like to receive it.
 
Suggestions for Workouts or Interested in Making up a Workout or a Set?: If you have suggestions for the workouts (something you like that we never do, or something you dislike that we do too much!), or if you'd like to try making up a workout or a set in a workout, just talk to your coach. 

Interested in Copies of the Workouts?: Are you interested in getting copies of Lynn's workouts ahead of time?  Let me know.  I usually e-mail out two week’s worth of workouts on alternate Sundays.  (Note that these are only the workouts that Lynn coaches.  If Lynn is not your coach, the workouts will be different from the workouts your coach gives you!)

Weekly Social Events: All swimmers are invited to join us for:
Thursday Dinner (after Whitecaps workout): Meet by the Tuck Shop around 7:45pm
Saturday Brunch (after 9-10am workout): Meet by the Tuck Shop around 10:30am

Triathletes: Check out Rudy Hollywood’s website: http://www.trirudy.com and subscribe to the daily tri-news e-mail.
General Information: Program information, old newsletters and the Carleton Masters records can be viewed at: http://carletonmasters.tripod.com.

Your input to this newsletter is most welcome, especially for the Swimmer Notes, Race Results and Ask the Coach sections!  To be added to or removed from the receiver list, just let me know (lynnmarshall@sympatico.ca).

Happy lengths!