Masters of South Texas

For those that did not get a chance to pay for any relays at Nationals, it is $3 per relay. You can bring to practice or mail off to me at 302 Happy Trail, SAT, 78231

Monthly payment charges went out late this month, don’t be alarmed if you end up with 2 charges on your next monthly statement.

Last call for Grand Canyon (Oct 6-7) hikers. I need a definite number by this weekend in order to make travel/hotel arrangements complete. I need your name, any traveling friend’s names, if you need a hotel for any night (this is already done-just want to release any unwanted rooms), and day/time you arrive in Las Vegas. Please also give me a contact (cell) number for use on the trip. I need to hear from you by Saturday. All cars / hotels / arrangements / will be finalized on Sunday.

Alcatraz Swimmers should be ready to go, as per your flights / cars / hotels and wetsuits. Let me know if you have any problems with your arrangements. Let’s plan for a team dinner Friday night on the wharf. You will most likely have friends or places to visit the rest of the weekend. I’d like your cell phone numbers so we can hook up or if you get lost in the city.

Our annual Stroke Days are coming, so set the dates aside to slow things down a bit and develop good training habits for next year. For those that are new, we will set the entire hour to focus on one stroke. The coaches will break things down to the basics and build the stroke up so that everyone can swim each with proper form. If you do not care to join us on that particular day, there will always be a swim set to follow instead.

August
22- Free
24- Fly
27- Back
29- Breast
31- 800 timed swim plus Turns

September
3- Labor of Love (8:30 JCC only)
4- Davis Pool re-opens
5-Free
7- Back
10- Breast
12- Fly
14 - Starts/Breakouts/Turns
15- Alcatraz Swim
23- JCC Closed
24- JCC Closed

On August 27, 12:30 a.m., the Moon and Mars will appear to be the same size. This is a once in a lifetime event, because none of us be alive to see it again.

For anyone still considering swimming the 5 or 10 K swims, you have until September 15. Don’t wait until the last day; anything could come up to deter your plans!

Catch ya’ in the water,
Susan

Weekly Inspiration: Every man has three characters: that which he shows, that which he has, and that which he thinks he has.

Weekly Family Tip: The secret of a successful marriage is to treat all disasters as incidents and none of the incidents as disasters.

Masters of South Texas announces a special program for our members in which we now can purchase the most advanced line of sports drinks, energy gels and recovery drinks and receive a 30% discount on all purchases.

I’m sure you are familiar with the Accelerade, Accel Gel and Endurox R4 brands. These products are unique in that they contain a patented 4:1 ratio (4 grams carbohydrate to 1 gram protein). This ratio has been shown to provide significant benefits to endurance athletes including extended endurance, faster muscle recovery, reduced muscle soreness and better rehydration.

For easy, secure purchase go to

http://www.accelsport.com/mastersofsouthtexas.

Receive a 35% discount and pay a flat rate of $5.99 for shipping regardless of size. Limited time offer - get a FREE WATER BOTTLE for the next 30 days.

Henry’s photos of the Long Course Nationals meet are in the photo pool of our Flickr group.

Others who took photos are urged to upload them to the pool. Here’s how. 

Congratulations to MOST for capturing

3rd Place at USMS LCM Nationals!

A fantastic overall finish for our team which competed with 132 teams that traveled to Houston for last weekend’s National Championships.  Lots of great races, personal bests, and team records.

National Champions

Graham: 400 Fr, 100 Fr, 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 Fr, 1500 Fr

Chase: 50 Br, 100 Br, 200 Fr

Chuck: 50 Br

Laura: 50 Br, 50 Ba, 100 Br, 50 Fl, 100 Ba

Georgia: 100 Fr, 50 Fr

Jan: 200 Ba, 100 Ba

Elaine: 100 Fl, 50 Fl

Graham set the World Record in the 400 IM and is now tied for setting the most Masters Worlds Records. 

Relay National Champions

Chris W., Chris M., Alonzo, Chase - Free and Medley

Sara, De Ette, Nancy, Diane - Free

Everyone on the team finished within the top ten on at least one relay.

Some notable relay teams were:

Bald and Beautiful - (7th Free) - Brent, Les, Craig, Graham

Sexy Sixties - (5th Medley) - John, Pete, Dan, Nate

BB & J’s - (12th Medley) - Brent, Brian, Jerry, Jim

Oldies but Goodies - (5th Free) - Paula, Betty, Shelly, Jan

Maidens of MOST - (1st Medley) - Sara, Nancy, DeEtte, Diane

Gator Gals - (2nd Free) - Elaine, Deb, Ronda, Susan

Babes in the Woods - (1st Medley) - Chris, Chris, Alonzo, Chase

We swam hard every day and partied every night with plenty to celebrate.  Throughout the week, we had anniversary’s for Susan and Linda, spouse birthdays for Guy Seivert and Diane Baldwin, team birthdays for Patricia, Diane, Dan and awards for last year’s National Top Ten Swimmers.

No more Blossom workouts until Sept 4.

Lake swim at Boerne Lake on Saturday, Sean goes off at 6:30 and I will be up at 8:00 a.m.

Water polo at the 1604 pool at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.  Had 3 new ladies out there last week!

Congratulations to Kushan (UTSA group) who, just last weekend, became a US citizen!

Our prayers go out to Lee Zinn who lost her father recently and is tending to family affairs.

Titta will undergo surgery (hopefully the last time) on her ankle next Wed.  That will leave us without a coach on deck until Elaine and myself return from Nationals on the following Tuesday.  I will be sending out copies of the workouts to several people for all workout locations

Did anyone check out Dara Torres in her 100 Free at US Nationals!?!  Forty years old, a 15 month baby and swims the 100 Free LCM in 54 seconds!  Gotta love it!  Trains extremely hard and follows the Zone Diet.

National Notes:

For those watching at home, you should be able to pull up results each day within this site as well.

Psych Sheets, Heat/Lane assignments, and estimated Timelines are now all posted on the USMS website.
Click here: 2007 USMS Long Course Nationals Heat/Pscyh Sheets

Click here: http://www.usms.org/comp/lcnats07/timeline.pdf

Last call for a room at the Residence Inn.  $90 gets you a 1 king bedroom, with additional queen pull out.  If no one takes it, it will be released.  I have one guy still looking for a roommate.  There is breakfast included each day with your room and dinner on Thursday night.  The hotel is along the route for the courtesy bus, so I hope that we can make the short walk to the nearby hotel and ride back and forth each day.

If you plan on buying new goggles, start wearing them this week to make needed adjustments to fit.  I will bring with me team caps and shirts to the meet.  There is a snag with our team competition suits, our team rep. no longer works at NIKE.  I hope to have things resolved by Friday.  In the meantime, please send me style requested and size needed.  You may choose from hip or knee length and long leg, with or without the body, depending on male and female options.

No more fins at practice, so just leave them in the car.  No more weights after Sunday.  Cut back on dryland training.  Drink lots of water for the week leading up to the meet.  Try a massage a few days out.  Eat and sleep well from Wednesday into the weekend.

If you are entered in events 200 or longer, you must do a positive check-in ahead of time.  Using the following link, please check-in by Wednesday. Click here: 2007 USMS Long Course Nationals Event Check-In

We need another canopy cover.  Even if you are not joining us, if you let us borrow one, I can take it with me.  I plan on leaving SA on Thursday at 9:30 a.m.  (I do have a stop in Houston, plus we can eat lunch, so will probably get to the hotel around 2:00-2:30).  I can take anyone who wishes a ride with me.  I will return on Monday afternoon, but there will be lots of rides back on Sunday, if you wish to get back sooner.

Relays should be done this weekend.  I will send out the team line-ups.  If you wish to offer up changes, that is no problem.  Just email me with your requests.  I will be entering teams on Thursday, so please contact me before then.

If you can’t train with us and would like some taper workout ideas, just let me know.

Catch ya’ in the water,
Susan

Weekly Inspiration: The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.

Weekly Family Tip: To follow up from last week’s notes, it would also be best to tell your parents that the police came by, instead of them finding out for themselves……..

The USMS Long Course National Championships are being held in the Woodlands on August 10-13. You can download more info and an entry form here.

You can register on-line from May 1 through July 13. Mailed entries must be postmarked by July 6.