2007-07-31

LCM State Meet Results

This past weekend the Long Course State Championships were held at Hillenbrand Aquatics Center in Tucson. Here are the final team scores from that meet:

Ford Aquatics Masters - 3335
San Diego Swim Masters - 1220
Brophy Swim Club - 1020
Sunfish - 894
Sun Devil Masters - 705
Tucson Jewish Community Center - 349
Prescott Masters Swim Team - 271
Arizona Mountain Masters - 160
Sunwest Swimming - 160
Westside Silver Fins - 106
Sun City Grand Masters - 82
Edmonton Dragon Aquatics - 77
Sedona Swordfish - 76
Sun City West Swim Team - 74
Ventanna Canyon Masters - 67

For complete results, go to the Ford Aquatics website.

2007-07-28

Getting Uncomfortable

Many of us have seen Laura Smith (along with her husband Paul) at our meets in Arizona. Both of them are fast swimmers and have a long list of accomplishments to their names.

But what happens when a swimmer takes on new physical challenges outside of the pool?

Laura write about this in an article she posted on the USMS website. It offers some great insights into the mind of somebody who took on new challenges...and struggled. She writes about how these new challenges enabled her to grow and gain new experiences. I highly encourage everybody to read it!

So get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to do the things that scare you. When you do that, you will begin to live life more fully and develop as a person.

2007-07-27

From Sandpoint, ID to Sands Point, Long Island

Patrick Brundage is an Arizona Master’s swimmer, training with Sun Devil Masters up in Scottsdale. He says he's been tracking this blog and wants his fellow swimmers to know about another great upcoming open water event: The USMS 1-3M Open Water Championships in Sandpoint, ID on August 4th. Patrick is planning to attend and hopes to see some other Arizona swimmers up there. He hasn't done this swim before, but says it looks to be a fun one – straight line lake swim with a nice ‘sighting line’ of a bridge that you follow. He promises to bring back a full report. Thanks for the info, Patrick.

If anyone else has info to post, please let me know. Meanwhile, I'm back east to participate in the Swim Across America Long Island Sound Swim tomorrow, four miles from Sands Point, Long Island to Larchmont, New York. This event raises funds for various local cancer-fighting charities. I was just in the Sound this morning and it was relatively warm and clean and calm. I can't wait. Hopefully, those thunderstorms will hold off. I will give you a full report.

2007-07-17

Duffield on Newstands Today


They're really using up the cover ink, those Arizona Masters swimmers of Ford Aquatics in Tucson. First it was Jeff Commings on the cover of USMS Swimmer. Today, Newsweek came out with our boy Brian Duffield on its cover, afloat in a pose sure to be familiar to his fellow swimmers. You may recall Brian's article in Swim Arizona last summer, chronicling his miraculous recovery from cardiac arrest immediately following a swim workout. The Newsweek article addresses the new technology used in Brian's case, whereby his body was "cooled" to aid in his recovery. Having corrected the blockage that caused his episode in the first place, and now monitoring his heart health carefully, Brian has recovered completely from his ordeal and will be swimming in La Jolla this September.

2007-07-14

2nd ASUA Pan American Masters Swimming Championships 2007

Amateur Swimming Union of the Americas will be holding the 2nd ASUA/UANA. Pan American Masters Swimming Championship 30th of August to September 3rd, 2007 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Experience the flavor of international competition as Masters Swimmers from all around the America’s come together, in this world class facility, to meet and compete with other adult athletes and share in Masters Swimming.

The Natatorium of San Juan is located in the "Parque Central" and is the most modern aquatic facility in the Caribbean. The facilities construction was based on the Atlanta Olympic Pool and has ample parking available.

TRAVEL NOTE TO US CITIZENS: USA passports are NOT required for travel between USA and Puerto Rico. US citizens returning directly from a US territory are not considered to have left the United States and do not need to present a passport.

For more information and on-line entries, please go to the 2nd ASUA Pan American Masters Swimming Championships website.

2007-07-12

Getting Your Feet Wet in Open Water

Hey pool swimmers. If you've been hearing how much fun open water swimming is, but have been nervous about trying it, why not take a lesson with the pros? There is a group out of San Francisco Bay area called Swim Art that will take you under their fins and get you comfortable swimming open water in no time. And you'll be doing it where it counts: out in the Bay. (What a great excuse to get out of the heat!) Next thing you know, you'll be escaping from Alcatraz, too--and loving every minute of it. Swim Art puts on lots of small group swims (like the one depicted in the photo, July 1st at Gas House Cove by Fort Mason) and one-on-one clinics, too. Check out their website, or email: leslie@swim-art.com


2007-07-06

Cover Boy Commings

According to usms.org, the July/August 2007 issue of USMS SWIMMER has been mailed to members. A familiar face graces the cover. In this issue, Arizona's own Jeff Commings does double duty as the author of the Short Course Nationals feature and the cover model. [As you may recall from the July/August issue of Swim Arizona, Jeff didn't perform too shabbily in the meet, either.] Rounding out the feature well is a technique feature, narrated by Mo Chambers, on activating the core; an inspiring story of four women who learned to compete late in life; and an interview with Todd Smith, USMS new Executive Director.

Entries Close July 13 for Long Course Nationals

The meet surcharge for the 2007 LC Nationals will stay at $45 until entries close July 13th, 12 midnight Central Daylight Time (CDT). For entry form, click on www.usms.org.

2007-07-02

Dickson Swims Around "The Rock"--First

The petulant waters of the San Francisco Bay were a mere 53 degrees on the last Saturday in May when Kurt Dickson stepped into the water without a wet suit at Aquatic Park. One of 50 "elite class" contestants in the 2nd Annual Swim Around the Rock, the 39-year-old emergency room doc and Arizona Masters swimmer returned to the same spot 1 hour, 14 minutes and 45.21 seconds later to win the event. His closest competitor finished nearly four minutes behind him, wet suit and all. Click here to view the Channel 5 News Feature Story. Then, read more about Kurt's amazing Alcatraz swim in the September/October edition of Swim Arizona, the official newsletter of Arizona Masters Swimming.

2007-07-01

SPMA Long Course Meters Championship Meet

If you can't get enough Long Course swimming in this summer, you may want to check-out this meet.

The Mission Viejo Nadadores are hosting the SPMA Long Course Regionals during the first weekend in August at their pool. This is the same facility that LCM Nationals was at a few years ago and has hosted many masters meets over the years. If you want to get in one last meet in before the end of the summer or want to prepare for LCM Nationals, this is a good event to swim in.

Plus, the weather in Southern California during August is a lot more pleasant than it is throughout most of Arizona.

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