Vanderbilt Y Masters

Swimpulse

2009-07-27T23:51:00.002-04:00

Introducing a new site for all things swimming: Swimpulse!

The mission of the site: "We're checking the pulse of the swimming community to find out what kind of support an independent, for swimmers by swimmers website, will get from you. Swimpulse isn't part of a bigger company or organization, which means our priorities and obligations to the swimming community will never come 2nd. Ask any great coach and he'll tell you the best approach to building something is to keep it simple, so that's what we're doing"

This site is the work of Garrett McCaffrey – the man who built Floswimming from the ground up. He knows swimming and knows what interests the swimming community. To make a long story short, there was what seems to be a falling out between Garrett and the folks behind flocasts. So, after a sudden departure from that site (where you can still see all his and his fellow bloggers/interviewers’ previous work), his dedicated followers have been anxiously waiting for his new venture to finally surface.

The site is pretty nifty for something built so quickly so keep in mind that it’s a work in progress. But, I’m excited that Garrett and those who also defected from Floswimming with him, are back interviewing, filming, blogging and just overall creating superb content (including coverage of Masters meets!) Let’s hope he’s able to continue providing the same type of coverage. The fact that he values swimming and swimmers at all levels is very much appreciated!

Thanks to The Screaming Viking (another great blog) for breaking the news (The Screaming Viking was also gracious enough to allow Garrett and others to use his blog to post while the Swimpulse was still being formed. I’ve added both to the blogroll on the right.)

Enjoy!

Understanding the Fly

2009-03-22T22:10:00.002-04:00

The fly has always perplexed me. It's a beautiful stroke but hard to get right. And, the more people who don't get it right, the fewer people I can watch in order to get it right. Finding someone whose stroke you can record in your head and visualize as you swim is a huge help. So, again, we turn to MP.

This video is almost 6 minutes long, has multiple angles and simply shows Phelps swimming lots and lots of fly. It's a lot more than you'd get from watching him in one of his races. The flexibility of his shoulders and upper body is absolutely remarkable. Most of us will never be like Mike, but, hopefully, just trying to emulate his stroke will have a positive influence on our own fly.

Untraditional backstroke

2009-01-26T23:44:00.003-05:00

Remember the drill with the dolphin kicks and backstroke pull? Well, this guy here does it really well. World-record-breakingly well. Yup, that's right. He competes that way. It's amazing to watch.

Here he is breaking the SCM 200 back world record for his age group. Oh, yeah, he broke the 100m and 50m world records too.

For more on Chris Stevenson's accomplishments, check out Swimming World Magazine.

Successful Crossing of the Strait of Magellan!

2009-01-24T15:04:00.004-05:00

Wow.

Really…wow.

On January 21, 2009, our very own (and by that I mean former Vanderbilt Y regular), Cristian Vergara and Rachel Golub (who has jumped in the pool with us before and is known by many on the team), along with Mark and Scott Lautman, successfully crossed the Strait of Magellan.

For a brief geography review, the strait is "immediately south of mainland Chile and north of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego.” I’ll let Wikipedia do the rest of the explaining here.

The waters are frigid, to say the least (40 degrees on the day of the swim) and the conditions not always the friendliest (according to Rachel’s blog, there are treacherous winds that can pick people up out of the water!). Yet, these brave swimmers trained long and hard to prepare themselves for this challenge. And, with the help of a useful sponsor, a little press, and a lot of support from friends, some of whom accompanied them to Chile, they all crossed the strait in under 2 hours.

Congratulations to all of the swimmers on your amazing accomplishment!

You can follow Rachel’s account of the swim on her blog: Magellaniana
And, here’s a story on Rachel and Cristian’s training regimen at Brighton Beach: NYTimes
Patricia Sener also plans to post pictures on her blog: Salty Tales
Y para los que leen español: La Prensa Austral

(Picture credit: La Prensa Austral)

Introducing Salty Tales!

2008-11-24T09:56:00.006-05:00

In case you ever decide to leave the lane-line behind, Patricia has started a new open-water swimming blog for her sea-faring friends called Salty Tales. It's a blend of ocean reports, swim adventures, news, upcoming events, and historical tales. Plus lots of pics and other fun tidbits.

Hope everyone has a great Turkey Day. You're all invited to join the CIBBOWS peeps at their annual Turkey Day (brrr) dip this Thursday at 10am at Grimaldo's chair.

Introducing Saturday Morning Swim - A Wonderful New Swim Blog

2008-10-28T23:23:00.006-04:00

Drawing by Christina Sun

Christina’s started a new blog, Saturday Morning Swim, in addition to her New York Harbor Sketchbook. It’s for her swim students at NYU but also for all of us :D You’ll find swim technique written in whimsical prose and lovely illustrations like the one you see here! Check it out, folks!

Unique Workout

2008-10-01T23:51:00.005-04:00

From our trusty friends at Floswimming, who documented a practice session at Nitro Swimming. Enjoy!

Visit Floswimming For More Videos

Speed is not the , it's the _!

2008-08-12T20:04:00.001-04:00

Some interesting quotes from the NYTimes regarding the principles of swimming fast that are very much in line with Igor’s main mantra: “Speed is not the goal, it’s the result” :D

“A lot of people think you’re just thrashing in the 50,” Weber-Gale said. “But there’s a lot more to it than that. You’re trying to go as fast as you possibly can without trying.”

Once the starting beep sounds, the trick is to hit the water sprinting but not all-out. “You’ve got to be able to dive in,” Jones said, “pop up and go and be able to get that tempo exactly right.”

“The more effort I put into it, the more I slipped in my stroke.” (Biondi)

The Zen of the 50 goes beyond slowing down to swim faster. The rule of thumb on breathing, said Ben Wildman-Tobriner, the reigning world champion, is that, “If you take a breath when you need it, it’s too late.”

The 50 is not a thinking person’s race. It is for swimmers whose minds turn off so all they hear is their inner metronome. “People who tend to be cerebral, who are thinking: ‘Don’t forget to breathe; remember to kick; am I ahead?’ are not going to excel in the 50,” Biondi said. “The more people hold onto those thoughts the slower they’ll end up going.”

The shorter the race, the longer it takes to master. “The only way you’re going to be able to get super fast,” Weber-Gale said, “is to be as efficient as you possibly can and perfecting your stroke takes a long time.”

Interactive Olympics Tracker

2008-08-07T00:56:00.000-04:00

I was having a hard time finding a place that listed out the full Olympic event schedule in a detailed but user-friendly format and that would allow for customization based on the sports I was most interested in. I think the one that the NYTimes has created is pretty nifty and the best interactive tool I’ve encountered so far. If anyone knows of other useful and fun sources, let me know!

Fly Technique

2008-08-07T00:54:00.000-04:00

So, one of the last swimming tidbits Igor shared with us (which was pretty novel to me) was: in the fly, don’t let your arms follow your head down or shoot them deeper/downwards as you would in breast, but keep your arms slightly above the head. You’re still leading with the head in terms of making the undulating motion, and as Igor used to say “pulling with your head”. And, you’re still making the second kick stronger than the first to “kick your arms forward”. But, by not letting your arms follow your head down, your second kick becomes a lot better and isn’t unnecessarily huge.

Since that was not that eloquent of an explanation, here’s an underwater video of Phelps doing it, which demonstrates it a lot better!

To Igor, with love

2008-07-16T22:54:00.000-04:00

Though we will never, ever be the same without you, we hope to always be your swimmers…igorswimmers :)

Speaking of the New York Harbor...

2008-07-01T23:07:00.002-04:00

Introducing the blog of one of our very own swimmers: Bowsprite. I think it's safe to say that Christina prefers the open water to chlorinated pool water and it definitely shows in her lovely New York Harbor Sketchbook. Check it out, folks!

Watercolor painting by Christina Sun

Olympic Profile: Dara Torres

2008-06-28T13:40:00.003-04:00

An extended feature in this weekend’s NYTimes Magazine on Dara Torres’ journey to make Olympic history.

Photo credit: AJ Mast/AP (via Washington Post)

Natalie Coughlin and the 200 I.M.

2008-06-28T13:33:00.004-04:00

Check out this article on Olympic favorite, Natalie Coughlin, and her overcoming her fear of the 200 IM.

Photo credit: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images (via NYTimes)

New York Harbor School

2008-06-26T07:52:00.001-04:00

A great article on a school that teaches confidence and leadership by connecting students to the water around them. The New York Harbor School’s maritime focus includes basic swimming lessons, hands-on sailing and navigation training on the Lettie G. Howard, “a 125-foot schooner that was used as a New England fishing boat 100 years ago,” and rowing trips on the East river.

Photo credit: Ruby Washington/NYTimes

Beaches and Lakes and Pools, Oh My!

2008-06-26T07:04:00.000-04:00

A nice, handy guide to beaches and lakes close to the city. It also mentions a few public and private pools at the end and points to a guide for pools by personality type. Fun, if not necessarily comprehensive.

Photo Credit: Brian Auer/Photoshelter (via NYMag)

Virtual Swim

2008-05-22T20:06:00.005-04:00

Found this really fun site created by Steven Munatones that has animations of all four strokes and a very basic start. You can choose how you’d like to view the stroke, be it in slow motion, at race pace, from the front, side, rear, etc. Found this via 10kswimmer, which I found through the SCAQ blog.

Flushing Meadows Meet

2008-05-19T23:08:00.005-04:00

The results are not in yet, but the pics are..Enjoy!

2008 USMS Nationals

2008-05-08T19:25:00.009-04:00

Congrats again to Fall on her amazing swims at Nationals. She won the 100 back in a blazing 1.00.98! Not all of the races were filmed, but you can see her in the following races:

50 free (lane 5, 24.01)
50 fly (lane 3, 26.95)
100 IM (lane 3, 1.01.87)

I’m going to try to embed the videos in this post, but until then, enjoy them on floswimming.org!

Additional team name and logo options

2008-04-09T22:03:00.002-04:00

There is additional option for the team name: Vandy
and an additional one for the logo: Other (vs. bear or no bear)

Since polling has already started on the other two, I had to add a separate poll (we'll just tally the counts later). Look forward to finding out which names and logos will win.

Thanks!

Vote for your favorite team name & logo

2008-04-08T00:12:00.005-04:00

In the right scrollbar you will see two polls. The first lets you pick which logo you’d like on the cap. The second poll lets you pick whether or not you’d like the bear on the cap. These images are just mock-ups so the exact shade of blue, typeface, etc. may differ a bit when the caps actually get produced.

Vote by this Friday!

Way to Go, Team!

2008-03-30T18:30:00.003-04:00

March 22 Asphalt Green Meet

New Team Pics

2008-03-08T22:53:00.014-05:00

Getting ourselves organized… startled by Igor’s sudden urge to take pictures of us!
Ok....SMILE!
About, FACE!

Flushing Meadows Corona Park Pool & Rink

2008-02-29T11:38:00.007-05:00

The parks department has a nice page on the new facility including a video of the pool filling up, more pictures of the construction of the pool and yet more of kids enjoying some splashing around in what looks like a test run in mid-January.

According to the site: "This $66.3-million complex features an Olympic-sized pool and NHL-regulation ice rink. It is the first of its kind in the city and includes ADA-accessible features. Flushing Meadows Corona Park Pool & Rink is the largest recreation complex ever built in a city park at 110,000 square-feet.The Olympic-size indoor public pool, the first to open in New York City in four decades, has an adjustable floor and diving tank for public swim and competitive meets."

Membership for adults 18 and up is only $75 for the year ($10 for 55+ and free for kids).

Straight from the website:

Hours of Operation
Monday through Friday 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sunday: 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Pool Details
Opening date: February 29, 2008
Size: 25 meters x 50 meters (7’-6” deep to 12’-9” deep) with ten lanes
Diving Boards: 3 (one 3-meter and two 1-meter)

Special Features The tank can be divided into three sections. One has a moveable floor to reduce the depth of the pool, one section at 7’-6”and a diving tank at 12’-9”.
Facility includes a mezzanine bleacher section that seats approximately 450 spectators.
An outdoor terrace adjacent to the pool deck.

Photo credit: New York City Department of Parks & Recreation

It's here!!! It's finally here!!!

2008-02-29T10:56:00.018-05:00

Ok, so maybe only a Queens resident like me would be this excited, but given the dearth of 50m pools in the city, I think this is a huge development! The pool which was slated for a late 2007 opening is finally open for swimmers! I'll put up more posts as I find more info and visit the facility myself. But for now, enjoy the pics, the article and the excitement :D

Photo credit: Chester Higgins Jr. for the New York Times

Australian Rock Pools

2008-02-23T12:39:00.013-05:00

Now if Australia's national love for swimming wasn't enough to make you want to go for a visit, this just might do it. Today's NYTimes has a scrumptious article on Sydney's rock pools - they are basically carved out sections of the ocean for casual splashers and committed lap swimmers alike to enjoy without the hazards of deadly riptides and sharks! Perfect! The pools, the facilities, the nearby dining and the ocean views all look gorgeous....Anyone for a pool-hopping trip down under? :D

Photo credit: Tony Semack for the New York Times

Time to renew your USMS registration

2008-01-03T12:53:00.000-05:00

Register today so you can be eligible for this year's events. Yes, right now! To register go to: www.metroswim.org/register.html. Our club code is VYMM

January events

-Team NY is sponsoring USMS 1 hour Postal January 20th and 27th. See how far you can swim in one hour! It will be at John Jay College

-Snowball Yard Meet-Kingston, NY January 26--Road trip, anyone? You need to register by January 12th. Contact Patricia if you're interested

For more info and other upcoming events, go to: www.metroswim.org/results.html

Polar Bear Plunge

2008-01-03T12:21:00.000-05:00

New Year's Day there was a big turnout despite the morning drizzles..

Time to get back in the pool...

2008-01-02T16:24:00.000-05:00

Igor's back, and the new session starts tonight. Prices have changed for the program, it is now $65 for members, $200 for non-members. Sign up today!

Registration deadline is January 16 in order to be permitted to practice with the team.

See you in the pool!
Cap'n P

Snow swim 12.2.2007

2007-12-02T14:23:00.000-05:00

We swam 20mins, it was snowing with a light mist over the water Water was 46F, air temp 26F.

Congrats Amir!

2007-12-02T14:16:00.000-05:00

Amir rocked it out at the Golden Jubilee Competition in Dallas Texas y'all. His time was 22.7 in the 50y and 50.8 in the 100. Way to go cowboy!

US SCY Nationals

2007-12-01T23:56:00.000-05:00

Watch the entire meet on swimnetwork.com and view highlights and commentary, pics and video on wcsn.com. Some highlights Lochte beats Phelps in the 200 IM and Natalie Coughlin sets a new 50 free American record.

Ziegler on a roll!

2007-12-01T00:02:00.000-05:00

Ziegler broke her American record in the 1650 free at the Tom Dolan Invitational at George Mason University. She swam a 15:29.15, going 25.53 the first 50, staying at around 28 for most of the swim and coming home faster than her first 50 at 25.45. Not bad.

Floswimming

2007-11-28T23:42:00.000-05:00

Big thanks again to the SCAQ blog for this find. Floswimming includes insightful blogs, news feeds from various swimming publications, photo galleries, and best of all, really interesting videos of interviews with college and elite swimmers and coaches, as well a bunch of workout videos that give you an inside look as to how the cream of the crop train. There is also a section for user videos, social networking and interactive swim logs.

Recent videos include dryland at Texas A&M, interviews with Bob Bowman, and workouts at Texas A&M, USC, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The Wisconsin one is really fun to watch and I got tired just watching the Texas dryland workout...yikes!

Dara Torres & Ryan Lochte in NYTimes

2007-11-28T23:27:00.000-05:00

Seems like the NYTimes is on a swimming streak. Two articles on swimmers over the past few weeks. Check 'em out [Torres link, Lochte link]. Thanks to the SCAQ blog for original post on the Dara Torres article.

Picture by Marc Serota for The New York Times

Water Exhibit at AMNH

2007-11-28T23:21:00.000-05:00

Interesting exhibit now on display at the American Museum of Natural History. Find out more on the museum's website.

Underwater video

2007-10-15T11:18:00.000-04:00

By now everyone should have received a copy of their underwater swim video. If you were videotaped and did not receive a copy, please contact Patricia. Stay posted for the review date.
PS

Swim vacation?

2007-10-12T12:47:00.000-04:00

For those of you un-afraid of swimming without lane lines and chlorine, there are two great open water swims in the Caribbean coming up this fall. One is in Bermuda (October 20th), the other, Bonaire (November 10th). Both are great events--I'll be swimming the 10k's, but there's also a 1 mile, 5k and everything in-between. Beautiful water, well-organized races, and drinks with umbrellas--what's not to love?
For more info:
http://www.aquamoonadventures.com/

Evening Practice Hours

2007-10-12T12:42:00.000-04:00

For those of you who don't know, our evening practice hours have changed. MWF practice begins at 8pm. Many of you that were polled have expressed a desire to go back to the previous (7:30pm) practice schedule, stay tuned to see what happens. As of now, plan on coming at 8pm. Morning TTh and Sun practice times remain the same. Ignore the YMCA program guide, it's riddled with misprints we are trying to have corrected.

Roosevelt Island

2007-10-12T12:31:00.000-04:00

Anybody interested in getting some practice dives in off the blocks at Roosevelt Island? Mondays at 7pm, who's game? Post your comment here! We will be meeting there Monday 10/15 at 7pm instead of at Vanderbilt. The pool is next to the tennis courts (look for big fluffy cloud). The rec center is a red brick building--entrance is near the back towards the East River.

Upcoming Masters Meets

2007-10-12T12:08:00.000-04:00

Hey Swimmers-
If you've never done a pool meet, now's the time to give it a try! It would be great if we could get a whole big group together (I get lonely with no one cheering me on the blocks!) Here's some of the upcoming events....the first one is coming up soon. So let me know if you're interested in going!
PS

Upcoming Metropolitan LMSC Events:
Sun Nov 4 BAMM SCY Meet--C.W. Post--Entries due Thurs Oct 25
Sun Nov 18th Westchester Masters SCM Meet--Joseph Caputo Community Center, Ossining NY
Sat Dec 8th Yonkers Masters SCY Meet--MTHS Yonkers, NY--Entries due Fri Nov 30
Sun Dec 16th SCM Metro Championships Nassau County Aquatic Center, Eisenhower Park LI--Entries due Mon Dec 10
Visit the Links page for more USMS Swim Info and entry forms at http://www.metroswim.org

Grimaldo's Mile 2007

2007-08-10T23:11:00.000-04:00

Results by overall standing and age group

Team pictures - don't we look cute?

2007-08-09T23:49:00.000-04:00

Thanks for taking these great underwater shots, Patricia! Working out some of the glitches of this photostream but enjoy what you can see for now!

Colonies Zone LCM Championships

2007-08-09T23:22:00.000-04:00

David will be competing at the LCM Championships in Maryland in just one week! He'll be racing in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 free as well as the 100 breast and 100 fly. Phew! We wish you the best of luck!

And, thanks, David, all the Grimaldo's Mile swimmers and NYC Tri folks, among others, for competing - now no one (i.e. our wonderful coach) can say we don't have competitors on our team :D

Therese Alshammar

2007-08-08T23:57:00.000-04:00

Wow - look at that underwater kick! Again, that must be what Igor means by kicking up and down with minimum amplitude. It's like she's on super fast forward! Therese Alshammar recently set a new world record of 25.46 in the 50m fly in Barcelona on the Mare Nostrum circuit [video] but this video is of her winning the 50m fly race in Melbourne earlier this year at the FINA World Championships. Watch the underwater replay!

Man, talk about flying!

2007-08-08T23:48:00.001-04:00

Just thought this was an awesome picture. The photo is from guyomedw at Flickr and I first saw it via the SCAQ blog which has posts on Therese Alshammar and got me looking for more pics and videos of her swimming fly.

Guess this is what Igor means when he says we have to throw our arms forward!

NYC Triathlon - Go Kate! Go Libby!

2007-07-22T15:59:00.000-04:00

Update: Kate and Libby both finished with great times! Congratulations to both of you! View the results at the tracking site. And, check back in two days for a 30-second clip of each athlete crossing the finish line.

Kate and Libby will be competing in the upcoming NYC Triathlon this Sunday, July 22. The race consists of a 1500 m swim in the Hudson, a 40 km bike through Manhattan and the Bronx and a 10 km run through the Park. The Finish line is on Dead Road (great name), just west of the bandshell on the 72nd Street Transverse in Central Park.

Good luck to both of you! We're rooting for you even if we can't be there in person to yell out your names :)

The Floating Pool is in business

2007-07-15T22:40:00.000-04:00

(c) Julienne Schaer

The NYTimes CityRoom blog chronicled the well-received opening (and re-opening) of the barge pool floating on the Brooklyn Heights waterfront. Hope some of you get to check it out soon.

The Floating Lady is almost finished!

2007-06-30T00:26:00.000-04:00

Swimming with the city's skyline in full view...I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty cool and I'm excited! The 25-meter, 4-feet deep, 7-lane pool officially opens on July 4th. According to a NYTimes article:

"A shuttle will be available to take people to the pool, with stops at Cadman Plaza and Borough Hall and in Brooklyn Heights. And shiny gangways will reach from shore to barge. There are locker rooms. The pathways to the pool from the locker rooms pass large translucent seascape murals. Next comes a spray-pad, where children can get wet without swimming, and a sitting area for adults. Lifeguards will watch over the swimmers, and in the background is the Manhattan skyline, a view all can behold. "

Hours, directions, and more, can be found on the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy's website.

(Picture taken by NYTimes photographer, Ruby Washington)

Free outdoor pools officially open

2007-06-29T23:48:00.000-04:00

(Picture taken by NYTimes photographer, Nicole Bengevino)

For those of us who won't be going on a nice, sunny, breezy, beachy vacation this summer, or who envy those west coasters who seem to have an overabundance of great pools, sulk no longer! We can get our fair share of fun in the sun even if we are stuck in the city over the summer.

Though I can't vouch for their cleanliness or their conduciveness (is that a word?) to real workouts, the city's outdoor public pools have officially opened. They even have designated adult lap swim hours from 7am-8:30am and 7pm-8:30pm, Mon-Fri. Plus, you don't have to pay a thing. Not bad.

A photographer for the NYTimes, Nicole Bengevino, captured some great images of people enjoying the start of the summer pool season (click on "more images" underneath the leading photo).

So, for those of you with an affinity for strange tan lines, suit up and get on out there! And, don't forget the sunscreen!

Practice update & registration reminder

2007-06-23T15:21:00.000-04:00

The current session ends this Sunday, June 24 and the new session begins Sunday, July 1.

Important: There will be no official practices Monday through Friday (June 25-29).

Registration is open for the new session. Sign up as soon as you can at the membership desk!

1500m in 15:42.54. Simply amazing...

2007-06-19T00:07:00.000-04:00

18-year-old Kate Ziegler shattered Janet Evans' 1500m world record of 15.53.10 - set in 1988 - by an unfathomable 9.56 seconds at the TYR Swim Meet of Champions on June 17, 2007, breaking the longest-standing world record in swimming history.

There has been a lot of coverage on this incredible swim, but you can check out the SCAQ blog for a great summary, including Kate's split times. Can you imagine swimming close to 31 seconds consistently for each of the 30 laps including sprinting the last 50m in 29.27?!

Take a look...the video speaks for itself...amazing!

Fall's backstroke

2007-06-16T12:50:00.001-04:00

See how it's done:

Grimaldo's Mile 2007

2007-06-15T11:38:00.000-04:00

If you're intimidated by swimming around Manhattan, Grimaldo's Mile might be for you! One mile ocean race in Coney Island, complete with costume wave! The swim takes place Sunday August 5th 2007. To sign up or for more information, go to cibbows.org and be sure to check out Christina's wonderful illustration for the race.

Last year's pictures [more]:

"The worst part is that it's 9 hours of swimming and the best part is that it's 9 hours of swimming"

2007-06-15T01:00:00.000-04:00

For those of you who don't know, our very own Alan Morrison is competing in his first Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, this Saturday, June 16. That's 28.5 miles! The race begins bright and early at 8:30am and goes from South Cove, Battery Park City, around the southern tip of the island, up the East River, around the northern tip and then all the way down the Hudson...and to think that some of us (and by that I mean moi) complain about an 800 yd swim!

To have decided to do this and trained for it is in itself an amazing feat. Alan is even featured in a NYTimes video about the event. (For all of you cibbows swimmers, Brighton Beach gets a shoutout in the video too!). The accompanying article also gives a nice overview of the race.

We hope you have the most amazing 9 hours of swimming on Saturday and wish you the best of luck! GO, ALAN!

New session starts July 1

2007-05-31T00:24:00.000-04:00

A bit early, but it never hurts to get a reminder - the new session starts July 1 and sign up begins two weeks prior. The Y will try to make it possible to register online by that time (big yay!). We'll keep you posted...

Underwater videotaping session June 3

2007-05-31T00:17:00.001-04:00

Igor's bringing his underwater video camera again! For those of you who did not get taped the last time, you'll get another chance this coming Sunday. Please arrive as early as possible, starting at 5 pm so that we can get as much of the taping done as possible before the regular workout from 6 to 8 pm.

Cristian & Patricia to swim the Potomac

2007-05-30T23:59:00.000-04:00

Take a look at this swim that Cristian and Patricia are attempting and will no doubt finish in grand style this Saturday, June 2. The swim is a 7.5 mile crossing of the mouth of the Potomac River where it meets the Chesapeake Bay and divides Virginia's Northern Neck from Saint Mary's County, MD. The swim benefits the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, the Southern Maryland Sierra Club, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Potomac River Association, the Potomac River Conservancy and the West Virginia Rivers Coaltion.

Don't party too hard at the pre-swim dinner, put on lots of sunscreen and swim your heart out, guys! Good luck! We're cheering for you!

SCAQ Swim Club Site

2007-05-12T18:06:00.000-04:00

Found a great swimming blog recently, created by a member of the Southern California Aquatics Masters Swim Club. He's got great pictures, videos, and interesting commentary on all things swimming. I've also included a feed on the right that points to the blog's most recent postings. Check it out!

Floating Pool in Brooklyn to open July 4

2007-05-11T23:31:00.000-04:00

This must be our our lucky year...a floating pool is coming to Brooklyn on July 4th. According to a May 4 article, the public pool "will open for the summer on the East River between Brooklyn Heights piers 4 and 5....The Floating Lady’s pool can accommodate 174 people, though 400 can be onboard the barge, which will also have a children’s pool, a snack bar, changing rooms and showers. " See more pictures on the Neptune Foundation's site.

New 50-meter pool coming to town!

2007-05-10T22:49:00.001-04:00

That's right - a brand spankin' new 50-meter pool is currently being constructed and is set to open this fall in Flushing Meadow Corona Park. "But that's in Queens!" you're probably exclaiming to yourself. Check out the details about the pool and you might soon find yourself echoing the sentiment of one New York Magazine writer instead: " We're looking forward to toting our flippers and goggles on the 7 train."

According to a press release from the parks department, this will be the largest recreation facility ever built in a City park. It will "house an Olympic-size pool and a NHL-standard ice rink. The public pool and ice rink will serve as a year-round facility for competitive and recreational use...The building is uniquely designed with a cable supported roof system that will allow for potential expansion to a larger venue...The pool and diving tank will be on the second floor with dramatic views of the park. The movable floor makes the Olympic-sized pool very flexible, creating the potential to have recreational swimming and competitive events simultaneously. An outdoor terrace will be accessible from the pool deck."

Here are some more pictures from the architects of the new facility and from the parks department.

Kudos!

2007-04-30T22:42:00.000-04:00

Congrats to David (our "swim meet director") and Judy for competing in last Saturday's SCY meet at Yonkers. It was Judy's first meet (yay, Judy!) and David swam the 500 free and 100 fly (100 fly? who does that? :P), among other events. Will update this blurb once the results are posted.

And, Congrats to Cristian who competed in the Tenth Annual 24 Mile Tampa Bay Marathon Swim on April 21 as part of the two-swimmer team "Los Dos Conquistadores de Brooklyn".

Calling all open water swimmers

2007-04-30T22:24:00.000-04:00

Summer's coming and that means lots of open water swimming. Cristian's been enthusiatically handing out "his cards" at practice (he likes to leave out the part that Christina was the one who did the design :) but I have heard from Patricia that Cristian does indeed organize some majorly fun swims). Just in case you haven't gotten a card, you can go to cibbow's race page for more info on how to register. Or....just ask Cristian!

First Friday Night Social - April 27

2007-04-23T22:51:00.000-04:00

From Patricia: This Friday will be our first in what I hope will be many socials. After lively debate (sorry Christina) I've chosen Angelo's Pizza as our place to meet after practice this Friday. Some of you will be competing the next morning, so what better way to carbo load than a big pepperoni pie? One of the topics we'll be discussing (besides why swimming at the Y is better than swimming the Amazon) is an official team name. So bring your ideas to the table--I'll buy the most creative a beer!

When: Friday 4/27 after practice (probably around 9:15-9:30)
Where: Angelo's Pizza at 1043 Second Avenue (55th street)
Who: Lovers of the aquatic

See you there!

Awww...don't we look cute :)

2007-04-22T00:57:00.000-04:00

More views from the deck on the right!
Underwater pics coming soon...

Upcoming Meets

2007-04-13T18:11:00.001-04:00

April 28 - Yonkers SCY Meet
Entries due April 20

David's email:

Hi Everyone,

Hopefully you are able to attend the upcoming Yonkers Masters "International Pride" swim meet. The entry deadline is this Friday 4/20. The information you will need to register is posted below. Please note, you need a USMS registration card to compete. I will be driving to the meet and can take 3 or 4 people who need transportation. It would be great to organize a relay race for our group if enough people register to compete. Please let me know if you will be attending and if you need transportation. If you can't make it to this meet, the next one is on May 6th in NYC so hopefully more people will be able to attend.

Best regards,

Your "swim meet organizer",
David Mishkin

May 6 - NYC SCY Meet and Commissioners Trophy Relay
Entries due April 16

Entry Forms

Registration Reminder

2007-04-10T22:25:00.000-04:00

Registration for the May-June session begins April 16. The fee is $60. Please sign up as soon as you can!

About our members

2007-04-10T22:22:00.000-04:00

Our team welcomes swimmers of all ages (18+), abilities and goals. Among us are competitive pool swimmers, open water swimmers, triathletes, and general fitness swimmers. We have folks who have been swimming for most of their lives and some who are just getting comfortable with all four competitive strokes.

Our team boasts World champions, National champions, All-American record holders, Manhattan Island Marathon swimmers, English Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar crossers, Polar Bear swimmers, and former high school and collegiate swimmers. For the rest of us, our laurels lie in making all intervals within a workout, mastering weird stroke drills, holding a handset for 15 seconds, and doing pretty dolphin dives, among other things...

About our coach (he's the best!)

2007-04-10T22:20:00.000-04:00

Igor Shoukhardin has been coaching swimming for over 38 years. A former Olympian himself, he has developed eleven Olympic, World, European, and University Games Medalists. He has a Ph.D. in Sports Science & Biomechanics and has researched the most efficient ways of achieving swimming propulsion and endurance.

Just testin' out the wares...

2007-04-10T18:10:00.000-04:00

Michael Phelps getting his seventh gold at Worlds in the 400 IM

Vanderbilt Y Masters

Swimpulse

Understanding the Fly

Untraditional backstroke

Successful Crossing of the Strait of Magellan!

Introducing Salty Tales!

Introducing Saturday Morning Swim - A Wonderful New Swim Blog

Unique Workout

Speed is not the ____, it's the _____!

Interactive Olympics Tracker

Fly Technique

To Igor, with love

Speaking of the New York Harbor...

Olympic Profile: Dara Torres

Natalie Coughlin and the 200 I.M.

New York Harbor School

Beaches and Lakes and Pools, Oh My!

Virtual Swim

Flushing Meadows Meet

2008 USMS Nationals

Additional team name and logo options

Vote for your favorite team name & logo

Way to Go, Team!

New Team Pics

Flushing Meadows Corona Park Pool & Rink

It's here!!! It's finally here!!!

Australian Rock Pools

Time to renew your USMS registration

Polar Bear Plunge

Time to get back in the pool...

Snow swim 12.2.2007

Congrats Amir!

US SCY Nationals

Ziegler on a roll!

Floswimming

Dara Torres & Ryan Lochte in NYTimes

Water Exhibit at AMNH

Underwater video

Swim vacation?

Evening Practice Hours

Roosevelt Island

Upcoming Masters Meets

Grimaldo's Mile 2007

Team pictures - don't we look cute?

Colonies Zone LCM Championships

Therese Alshammar

Man, talk about flying!

NYC Triathlon - Go Kate! Go Libby!

The Floating Pool is in business

The Floating Lady is almost finished!

Free outdoor pools officially open

Practice update & registration reminder

1500m in 15:42.54. Simply amazing...

Fall's backstroke

Grimaldo's Mile 2007

"The worst part is that it's 9 hours of swimming and the best part is that it's 9 hours of swimming"

New session starts July 1

Underwater videotaping session June 3

Cristian & Patricia to swim the Potomac

SCAQ Swim Club Site

Floating Pool in Brooklyn to open July 4

New 50-meter pool coming to town!

Kudos!

Calling all open water swimmers

First Friday Night Social - April 27

Awww...don't we look cute :)

Upcoming Meets

Registration Reminder

About our members

About our coach (he's the best!)

Just testin' out the wares...

Speed is not the , it's the _!