Pacific Masters Swimming Update, Week of August 3, 2020

Disappointed that all those pool meets have been cancelled and need some training motivation? Join Sebastopol Masters and pull your heart out in August by participating in the 400 Fastest Pull postal event. The top 3 men and women in each category (paddles and no hand paddles) win a prize! Ribbons awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers in each category for men and women by age group. This is another great way to get back into shape! Registration.

2020 Toyota USMS Virtual Championships

August 12-23

Are you back in the water? Are you beyond being gassed after a 50? If so, you are ready for the next step in your training. USMS has partnered with Swim.com to create the 2020 Toyota USMS Virtual Championships. This will be a unique, socially distant pool and open water championship event that allows you to race anyone across the country in your favorite events. Fast times are not important. Pace clock times will be accepted. Entry feel is optional. Why not use this event to jumpstart your shelter-in-place recovery?

2020 USMS 5K/10K ePostal National Championships

June 1-September 30

C omplete a timed swim of 5 kilometers and/or 10 kilometers in a 50-meter pool of your choice, then submit your times online. Some people swim for competition, some for the challenge, some for fitness, and others do it for fun. All who wish to participate are welcome. Hosted by Southern Oregon Masters Aquatics. Click here for more information.

Go The Distance

On-going

Go the Distance is a USMS sponsored self-directed program intended to encourage Masters swimmers to regularly exercise and keep track of their progress. There's no time limit for distance milestones, only that they must be completed in this calendar year. Since most of us have been out of the water for a while, participating in this program could be a great way to track your progress as you get back into shape.

Open Water Swim Season

Due to ongoing safety and health concerns in our communities, events have been cancelled and r efunds are being processed for those people who have already registered.

August 15 Donner Lake has been cancelled.

Other Open Water Races

Save the Bay, a virtual swim to fund raise for the beautiful Narragansett Bay in New England, is ongoing from May 6 - August 31. For more information click here.

July 1-October 31 Swim Across America Virtual Coast to Coast Challenge to raise money for cancer research. For more information click here.

U.S. MASTERS SWIMMING NEWS

USMS Championship Bidding

Bidding for USMS Open Water and ePostal Championships for the year 2022 remain open until August 24. Click here for more information.

PACIFIC MASTERS NEWS

The Pandemic Video - How to Contribute

Pacific Masters is documenting how our members have responded to the Coronavirus pandemic. We want your stories! Show and tell us about your experiences, places you've swum, how you stayed in shape, connected with teammates, or anything else that memorializes this strange year.

What to submit:

1. A photo with a caption.

2. A series of photos that tell a story with a written explanation.

3. A selfie with a written explanation.

4. A selfie video with voice comments.

5. A video clip of an experience that could only occur during a pandemic.

Include your name and club and send to [email protected]. For larger files, email Rich and he'll send you his Dropbox credentials.

Pacific Masters Monthly Meeting

August 12, Meeting at 7pm, Doors Open at 6:45

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. 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.

Note: The September meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 16 at 7:00pm via Zoom instead of during the convention. On the agenda for this meeting is the 2021 budget.

2020 Oceana Zone Meeting

Thursday, September 10 at 5pm

Normally, this meeting occurs during the convention and all Pacific delegates are expected to attend. This year the meeting will take place via Zoom and is open to everyone. Want more information? Look for Oceana zone on this schedule.

Calling All Writers

The Update Editors are looking to welcome a new editor to the team. If you enjoy writing/editing, have a keen eye for detail and are interested in volunteering a bit of time each month to help produce this newsletter, we'd love to hear from you. Interested? Contact Clare Kubiak for more details.

EDITOR'S NOTE

Swimming Books

Recently we've been sharing some of Kate's favorite swimming books. Click here for the full list. This month we are celebrating open water swimming and highlighting books that celebrate marathon swimming.

Check out Sally Friedman's Swimming the Channel: A Memoir of Love and Loss (1997). This is a story not only about one woman working to fulfill a lifelong dream to swim the English Channel, but also about her journey to accept the loss of her true love and embrace a different sort of life than the one she had expected.