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Pacific Update
Week of April 12th, 2021
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Hello!
In this issue you will find information on upcoming swimming events being held in the next couple of months. Keep in mind that April is Adult Learn-to-Swim Month and don't miss the Community Talk, with special guest Abbie Fish on April 14.
The next issue of the Update will appear on April 26, 2021. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, April 21, 2021.
Stay fit,
The Pacific Masters Swimming Committee
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Current and Upcoming ePostal and Virtual Meets |
Don't let the pandemic get you down. There are competitions! We invite you all to participate in the Pandemic ePostal Challenge Series. Details here.
If you have ideas for events to offer, or represent a club that would like to host one of the months, please contact Meet Operations Coordinator.
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April 500 Free ePostal
April 1 - 15
Only four more days to swim in the April 500 Free ePostal and earn points in the Pacific Masters Pandemic ePostal Challenge Series.
Benchmark your return-to-fitness with a 500 yard (or 400 meter) swim for time. If you do not have a friend or coach with a stopwatch, use your pace clock and self-time.
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TYR Last One Fast One
April 16 - May 2
This fun event gives you the chance to race Masters swimmers across the country in your favorite pool using the Swim.com app. Times can be submitted manually or via a smartwatch. $5 from each entry benefits Adult Learn-to-Swim grants.
May ePostal Challenge
May 1 - 31
The May ePostal Challenge offers 100 Fly, 100 Back, 100 Breast, 100 Free, 200 IM and our return-to-fitness benchmark 500 yard or 400 meter Free. Information and Registration
June Summer Fitness Challenge
June 1 - 15
Mark your calendar! You have a choice of a 2K swim or dryland workout in the Swim.com USMS Summer Fitness Challenge. What a great way to check your fitness level as well as benefit a worthy cause, Adult Learn-to Swim.
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Pacific Masters Community Talk and Social Hour
Kicking it with Abbie Fish
April 14, Starts at 7 PM
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Please join us on Wednesday, April 14 at 7 PM for our second virtual community talk and social hour. Get a kick out of hearing from Abbie Fish talk about the importance of kicking in swimming. Abbie started Swim Like A. Fish in 2019 after 25 years of success in competitive swimming and 10+ years of elite swim coaching. During her swimming career, Abbie was a 6x Olympic Trial Qualifier, SEC Finalist, NCAA Qualifier, and 2x USA Junior National Champion.
Abbie is a University of Georgia "Double Dawg", where she swam and graduated with her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Exercise Science. Abbie is a swimming nerd at heart and loves everything when it comes to stroke mechanics, underwater video, and swimming technique. Abbie's goal with Swim Like A. Fish is to help any coach or swimmer (no matter their age) get faster through stroke technique education. Register here.
Stick around after hearing from Abbie; we'll split into smaller groups so you can socialize and catch up with your swim buddies.
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Dryland Training for Pacific Masters Swimmers
Sunday Afternoons, Extended Through April!
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Join Steve Trutane and your fellow swimmers for a swim-specific dryland workout from the comfort of your home.
Steve focuses on movements designed to increase strength and improve efficiency without risking injury.
This program is a free benefit to USMS-registered swimmers and has been so successful with Pacific Masters swimmers, that it's been extended through April. Go to Athlete Body Shop and click on the Zoom link every Sunday from 4:30-5:15 PM.
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April is Adult Learn-to-Swim Month!
Pacific Masters has a new Adult Learn-to-Swim (ALTS) Committee that is promoting ALTS initiatives and creating ALTS resources for coaches and swimmers. Check out our new webpage on the Pacific Masters Swimming website and let us know what your club is doing (or planning to do) in terms of ALTS programs for 2021.
The webpage is updated periodically and contains links to instructional videos, local ALTS programs, and information on applying for an ALTS Grant through the USA Swimming Foundation. It is easy to get started at your pool with ideas from The Adult Learn-to-Swim Panel. See video here.
Any questions? Contact our Pacific Masters ALTS Committee Chair, Kim Elsbach.
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Annual Coach Appreciation Week
May 2 - 8
Our coaches have always been the backbone of Pacific Masters, but never more so than during this past, crazy year. Many of us depended on our coaches to keep us together as a community – even if we couldn’t have our regular workouts.
Whether it is providing stroke instruction, helping us stay injury free, or just keeping us sane, our coaches are an essential element of our swimming routine.
Despite their importance, it is easy to take our coaches for granted and forget to thank them for their efforts. For this reason, Pacific Masters Swimming established the Annual Coach Appreciation Week designated as the week beginning with the first Sunday in May. This year, the Annual Pacific Masters Coach Appreciation Week will be May 2 to 8, 2021.
While we encourage our members to regularly thank their coaches, please consider Coach Appreciation Week as an opportunity to let them know how much you value their efforts. Here are some ideas:
For individuals:
- A card or email telling the coach how their instruction helped you accomplish a goal
- A gift card for coffee, ice cream, a movie or other treat
- Flowers, candy, book, wine or whatever you think your coach will enjoy
For clubs:
- A massage or spa day
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A certificate for a weekend away or a special meal
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FINIS Smart Goggles Now Available!
Along with CIYE (Coach In Your Eye), FINIS is super excited to announce that their Smart Goggles are now available for pre-order, with delivery in May. You can find the press release here.
Pacific Masters Swimming has approved this message from FINIS about the new Smart Goggles. FINIS donated prizes that were given away at the Annual Celebration. We thank FINIS for their partnership with Pacific Masters.
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Pacific Masters Monthly Meeting
April 21, Doors Open at 6:45, Meeting at 7:00 PM
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The meeting will begin promptly at 7 PM via the Zoom platform. If this is your first time Zooming, we suggest you sign on a little early to ask questions and address technical issues. Even if you are familiar with Zoom, sign on early to say "hi" to your fellow swimmers. All members are encouraged to participate. Our monthly meeting reminder email will provide the Zoom link. If you are not on that list and would like to attend, please contact Chris Ottati, Administrator, for details.
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2021 USMS Annual Meeting - Call for Delegates
September 23-27, Virtual
Here is your chance to become more involved with Pacific Masters!
The 2021 USMS Annual Meeting (formerly Convention) will again be held virtually, and Pacific Masters is putting together its team of delegates. To learn more about what is involved in being a delegate, read section 102.6 in our Pacific Masters Handbook. If you have questions or think you'd like to put your name in for consideration, please contact Chris Ottati.
Please note that USMS has not finalized the details, so the dates listed for the House of Delegates meetings are approximate. Additionally, delegates will be expected to attend scheduled committee meetings, times to be determined. USMS will publish updated meeting information as it becomes available.
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Blue Mind
By Wallace J Nichols
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Ever wonder why you feel so good after a swim and so terrible when it’s been days since your last session in the water?
In Blue Mind, Wallace J. Nichols explains why being in or near the water reduces stress and brings us peace. He strengthens his case by including personal stories from athletes, gifted artists, and military veterans about how water amplifies creativity, expands compassion, increases professional success and improves our overall well-being. If you want to know the science behind what you instinctually believe, this is a must-read.
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Olympic Swimmer Gail Roper
Still inspiring us at age 91!
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Pacific Masters' own Gail Roper, 1952 Olympian, who has coached us, swam with us and cheered us on for decades, is back in the pool just months after a heart attack sent her on an ambulance ride to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. After spending the night, her doctors gave her good news: her heart was strong and no stent implantation was required.
She attributes her health, strength, and vitality to our favorite sport and continues to be a fine ambassador, inspiring others to "keep swimming!" For more on Gail's story, check out this link: Full article.
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