[PacMasterUpdate] Update June 3, 2002
pacmasterupdate-admin at PacificMasters.org
Mon Jun 3 00:34:33 EDT 2002
UPCOMING EVENTS:
WALNUT CREEK INVITATIONAL
The annual Walnut Creek Invitational June 7th and 8th. June 7th is
the 800 M freestyle is Friday evening. The pre-entry deadline was
June 1 and race day entry is available for all the events EXCEPT the
800 M Freestyle.
http://www.pacificmasters.org/comp/02wcmlcm.pdf
Ann Hirsch of Walnut Creek said swimmers could use the regular
consolidated forms for meet entry. You do not have to use the pink
and blue forms.
SHADOWCLIFFS OPEN WATER
Registration for the TriValley Masters Shadowcliffs Open Water Swim,
June 29, 2002, can be done on the internet. Go to
http://www.trivalleymasters.com/news
and click on the internet icon.
BURLINGAME SPLASH AND DASH
The Burlingame Splash and Dash is a sprint LCM meet on June 30th.
The 200 meter relays and the all the 50 events are the only events
on the schedule. The deadline is June 19th, with race day entry
available.
http://www.pacificmasters.org/comp/02bmwlcm.pdf
LONG COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
A couple of extra things about the Long Course Championships in Santa Cruz
Facility: "Dogs or other pets are not allowed on the campus."
Entries: "All relays will be deck seeded."
Events 17 and 18 are the 200 meter freestyle events, not the 800. The
800 meter freestyle are events 43 and 44.
Entry Fees: Add after the address "PLEASE DO NOT SEND ENTRIES THAT
REQUIRE A SIGNATURE. THEY WILL BE RETURNED TO SENDER. If you want
an entry confirmation, include a SASE or post card. Sorry, entries
cannot be confirmed by phone.
TRANS TAHOE RELAY OPEN WATER SWIM
The Olympic Club sponsors the Trans Tahoe Relay every year. This is
the Nevada to California relay swim. Get five of your swimming
buddies together to make up a relay team. For more information
contact Scott Williams (415) 775-3088 x 1241.
http://www.pacificmasters.org/comp/02tocow.html
For those who are not tired of traveling to swim meets, THE
INTERNATIONAL BERIMBAU SWIMMING MASTERS 2002 1st CUP will be held
June 26th through 29th in Mexico City, MX. Regina Brittingham will be
giving a swim clinic there also. If you are interested in swimming
and participating contact Regina mailto:swimmers at inreach.com
Information on the meet is at http://swimmex.homestead.com/b.html
SAFETY TRAINING FOR SWIM COACHES
Carol Berendsen will be teaching an Safety Training for Swim Coaches
Class at Mills College the evening of Tuesday June 18 (You are asked
to register by June 10th. Contact Carol Berendsen for further
information 510-430-3351 or mailto:carolb at mills.edu
RULES YEAR
This year's USMS convention will focus on the Rules part of the Rule
Book (articles 1 and 3). If you have any suggestions about changes
for the Rule book, please contact Alan Levinson, the Legislation and
Rules chair of Pac Masters mailto:swimdogz at pacbell.net
This year the Championship Committee will be considering the order of
events for the National Championships. If you would like to see
changes to the order of events please contact Barry Fasbender, the
USMS Championship Chairman, mailto:fasbenderb at aol.com
Pacific Masters AFFILIATE - LANDS END
Lands End is a maker of fine sports apparel for the active person.
Click on the link to Lands' End from the Pacific Masters web site
Lands' End will rebate some of the money of your purchase to Pacific
Masters.
http://www.pacificmasters.org
REGISTRATION UPDATE
If you have moved or changed your address be sure so update your
address with Pacific Masters so that you will continue to receive
your copy of Swim Magazine.
http://www.pacificmasters.org/admin/members/memberupdate.shtml
====
FROM THE DESK OF COACH MIDNIGHT
More Power to you !!!
Given two swimmers of equal ability, aerobic fitness, and body size
-- which one would be the faster sprinter?? Which one would be
better at an endurance event??
In both respective cases it would be the one who was able to generate
more power. As David Costil, PhD (in Exercise Physiology) and an
Internationally respected researcher in Human Performance once said:
"......research has verified that powerful swimmers are faster."
So what exercises are best at helping one swim faster?
Luckily recent findings using Electromyography (EMG) has shown
which dryland exercises are best in pinpointing the "Prime Movers"
for swimming. In the case of swimming you want to increase the
strength of those muscles used to actively propel you up and down the
pool; as there is no sense in building up other muscles that would be
just going along for the ride!
So what are the "Prime Movers" for swimming??
Upper Body:
1) Pectoralis major
2) Pectoralis minor
3) Medial, Posterior, and Anterior Deltoids
4) Triceps (mostly outer head)
5) Latissimus dorsi
Lower Body:
1) Rectus femoris (quadriceps)
2) Bicep femoris and Semitendinosus (hamstrings)
3) Gastrocnemius (calf muscle)
"Torso/Trunk" (Power zone)
1) Abdominals; especially internal and external obliques
2) Lower back muscles; especially erector spinae
The next issue will give some specific exercises that most
effectively work those muscles mentioned above as indicated by
research using EMG machines. Basically these machines measure the
electrical charges that are generated during maximal muscle
contractions by each exercise.
The ones with the greatest percentage of maximum 'EMG' readings will
be the ones that will best develop strength in the Prime Movers for
swimming. I will list the top three exercises (and the percentage
EMG readings) for all of those listed above.
Coach Midnight
====
TITLE IX
Jessica Gavora, analyzes government-enforced gender quotas in college
athletics in "Tilting the Playing Field: Schools, Sports, Sex and
Title IX." From Amazon.com "For more than a generation, liberal
women's groups have used a piece of federal civil rights legislation
called Title IX to expand opportunities for women to play sports in
college. In a classic case of unintended consequences, however,
they've wrought enormous damage on men's sports programs. The cost of
complying with Title IX has led to the abolition of hundreds of men's
sports programs, including some heralded ones. In 1993, for instance,
UCLA dropped its men's swimming and diving teams, which had produced
16 Olympic gold medalists." (If you want to find out more about the
book, either click to Amazon through http://www.usms.org or hit
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subst/home/home.html/103-6497009-1991823
- USMS will be rebated).
have a good week
michael
OFF THE WALL
OOOPS
In swimmers who medaled at the USMS SCY Championships, I forgot to
include Jeanne Duncan who scored a second in the 200 fly women 65-69.
SOMETIMES THINGS DO GO RIGHT
Saturday morning, I drove up to Lake Berryessa for the open water
swim. I left early and had plenty of time to get there and register.
I had just made the turn from Napa to go on the windy road to the
lake. I am listening to the Doors "Light My Fire" and singing along
with Jim Morrison. A Toyota pickup is ahead of me.
Now when I am not in a hurry, I enjoy driving windy roads where you
can go between 25 to 45. I like going through the curves, down
shifting, braking and just the challenge of driving through the
curves as fast as possible - staying inside the lines and not
skidding the tires. Being a little aggressive, but not crazy.
I am singing along to Light My Fire and just driving behind the pale
yellow van. After a few curves, I realize the driver knows what he is
doing. He brakes before the curve and accelerates through the curve.
Not only that, but he was using his entire lane in going through the
curve. He never crossed the line nor did he skid. Empty pickup trucks
are a little more difficult to drive in the mountains as all the
weight is on the front axle and this driver knows how to drive windy
roads.
I stayed about a few car lengths behind. Racing was IN the lake not
TO the lake. For me I was just behind him enjoying the driving and
watching the driver hit every curve right. When he finally turned
off, I saluted him. There are not many drivers who are very good at
mountain road driving and this guy was good.
* * *
Thanks to Congressman Mike Thompson of Napa who helped Davis Aquatic
Masters work with the Bureau of Land Management to ensure that the
Lake Berryessa Swim was able to continue. He spoke for a minute just
before the beginning of the two mile swim. His speech was short, to
the point and well received. Thank you Congressman for your work for
Masters swimmers.
* * *
I swam Lake Berryessa for the first time last year. This year, my
goal was to break an hour for the two mile swim. Overall that is the
goal, but I have no idea how much time has elapsed when swimming and
I am not going to check my watch to see what the time is, then try to
figure out where I am and where I should be. (I would lose time
looking at the watch anyway). But as Coach Midnight has pointed out,
swimming is doing all the little things correctly. After the first
200 yards and the adrenaline has burned off, it is reminding myself
to keep hips up - dont sweep the arms, think narrow arms. Half way
through the race, it is being sure that I finish the stroke, it is so
easy to only pull about 3/4 the way instead pulling through.
My division, the 40+, wore white swim caps. On the last leg, I
notice another white cap on my left about five yards ahead of me and
about 10 yards to my left. I start thinking that if I pull all the
way and pull just a little harder, I can beat him. (We have swum
about 1 3/4 miles so there is not much difference in our speed). I
breath on my left so I can see him, he breathes on his right so he
can see me).
I passed him. My arms hurt and my legs hurt (why do my legs hurt, I
have a horrible kick and my kick barely keeps my legs in line with
the surface). I come to a yellow buoy and it is on my left. I stop
for a second and have to think, can that buoy be on my left. I did
not see any balloons on it so I decide that it can be on the left. I
look to see the finish area. Then I notice that the white cap is now
about 8 yards ahead of me. But I have a better line to the finish
area.
I start swimming again. My arms ache - I wished there was a way to
avoid latic acid buildup (Note to coach Midnight I really dont want
to hear about longer more intense sets). They only reason I am
pushing it, is that I might beat the guy ahead of me. Slowly I pick
it up and close the distance between us. We are even with about a
hundred yards to go. At fifty yards I am about a body length ahead.
Finally when the water is too shallow to swim, I stand up and want to
run to the finish line, but dont have the energy. I walk as fast as I
can to the finish line.
I cross the line just ahead of the other white cap. I am tired and
out of breath. I am leaning over just trying to catch my breath and
hope the latic acid will make a quick exit from my arms and
shoulders. Doug Huestis starts making good natured bantering about
having to wear sunglasses because of my San Francisco tan. I just
lean over, too tired to reply.
I look over to see the race clock. 1:09:30. Less ten minutes since
our wave started late. Yes, I made it - broke an hour.
* * *
For those of you who ask, as of 9 pm Sunday night, I have not
received the results of the Spring Lake swim or the Lake Berryessa
swim (I want to see how I did at Lake Berryessa, I swam it two and
half minutes faster than last year).
--
michael w. moore
michael at mwmoore.org