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May, 2008
Swimmin' Around
By Linda Shoenberger
Where do you swim when you are out of town? How do you find the right workout group? Here's how one swimmer manages to swim in new places.
Archived Articles
April, 2008
Afoot and Lighthearted
By Linda Shoenberger
The opening lines of Walt Whitman’s great poem Song of the Open Road strike a familiar chord now that open water swimming season is almost here. It’s always wonderful to experience longer days, a little sunshine and the prospect of heading out for a long swim in the open water.
March, 2008
Taking the Plunge - Polar Bear Swim
By Lee Carlson
Why would a person want to do a Polar Bear Swim? Are we fitness gurus, off-balance exhibitionists, pain seekers or just a group that likes to scream on entering the water? Read Lee's account of his first Polar Bear Swim.
February, 2008
Last Hurrah for the 30-minute Swim
By Lee Carlson
This is the last year (for now) for the 30- minute swim as the USMS fitness committee has deemed there is not enough overall participation to justify continuing it. They want to devote more effort to three events; Virtual Swim, Check Off Challenge, and Go the Distance.
January, 2008
We Are the Role Models
By Linda Shoenberger
We can be role models for those children learning to swim, young competitive swimmers and divers who want to continue to pursue the sport, people who want to exercise without pain, people who want to lose weight, and many others who want to be healthy and active.
December, 2007
7 Habits of Fitness Swimmers
By Linda Shoenberger
What makes Fitness Swimmers so successful? Read on.
November, 2007
Fun With Numbers
By Linda Shoenberger
PACE CHARTS and SPLIT SHEETS - see what those numbers mean to you and how they might even inspire you!
September, 2007
What Is A Fitness Swimmer?
By Marcia Anziano
What is a Fitness Swimmer? What motivates these swimmers? Here's a look at fitness swimmers and USMS.
August, 2007
Beat the Blahs
By Laura Smith
What do you do when you don't "feel" good about your workout. You do have options.
July, 2007
If Life is a Destination, I Don't Want to Get There First
By Laura Smith
It seems like every time I turn on the television lately, there’s a reality show on that promotes “you must be the very best”. If you’re not, you’re voted off the island. You’re fired. You will never be the Swan, or in the band. You simply will not be America’s next idol if you don’t come in first, trouncing the competition on your way up to the top. Frankly, I think that is a sad reflection of society, and an unrealistic view of how to lead your life. Not that you asked, but I think it’s good…healthy…to venture into things that you’re bad at. Yep. Actually put yourself in a position where you just might come in dead last. As cliché as it sounds, I do believe that life is a journey, not a destination…and I, for one, want to explore all the paths in route….not just the ones I’m familiar with.
May, 2007
Biggest Losers
By Cheryl Wagner
A People Magazine writer asked me for potential interview subjects who had lost a lot of weight through swimming. I put out the word and heard from many PV swimmers who lost an impressive number of pounds and kept them off. With the holidays behind us (as well as a few extra pounds), I decided this would be a good time to share some of their stories.
April, 2007
Vitamin D Deficiency
By Anna Lea Roof
Vitamin D is known as the “sunshine vitamin.” The skin, when exposed to sunlight, manufactures copious quantities of Vitamin D. So how could an active swimmer develop a Vitamin D deficiency?
February, 2007
Triathletes Joining Masters
By Linda Shoenberger
Linda Shoenberger lives in Reno, Nevada. She swims for Tamalpais Aquatic Masters. When she's not coaching or swimming in Masters swim meets she works fulltime as a property manager. She is aging up to the 60-64 age group after Short Course Nationals.
January, 2007
Top Ten: The 30-Minute Fitness Challenge
By Lee Carlson
Are you a beginning swimmer, fitness swimmer or a competitive swimmer rounding in shape? If so, here are 10 good reasons to take the 30-Minute Fitness Challenge.
December, 2006
From Therapy to a World Record
By Sue Moucha
While millions of “fully abled” people find swimming invaluable for fitness, for me it goes deeper: Swimming allows me to function as a “normal” person.
November, 2006
Redefining Island Hopping
By Kate Mulligan
“We’ll actually be swimming between the islands,” I told a curious woman from Atlanta, Georgia standing next to me at the Temple of Zeus. She had misunderstood my answer to her question, “Where are you headed after Athens?” and thought we meant we’d be taking a cruise between the Greek islands.
June, 2006
Sports Psychology
By Jani Sutherland
This month's article was written by USMS Fitness Chair Jani Sutherland of Bend, Oregon. Sutherland is also Fitness Chair of the Oregon LMSC. Sutherland is
May, 2006
Life in the Slow Lane
By Martha Katzeff
This month's article was submitted by Masters swimmer Martha Katzeff of the Bronx, New York. Katzeff participated in her first swimming competition three years ago at age 50.
April, 2006
Angels in the Ocean
By June Hussey
This month’s article was submitted by Masters swimmer June Hussey of Tucson, Arizona. Hussey is Long Distance Chair of the Arizona LMSC and newsletter editor of the LMSC newsletter, Swim Arizona.
March, 2006
Age Grading
By David Nordstrom
This month's article was submitted by Masters swimmer David Nordstrom, a retired high school science teacher and swim coach. Nordstrom coached age group and high school swimmers for 30 years and has been coaching Masters swimmers for the last 3 years. He is a member of the Alamo Area Aquatics Association (AAAA) in San Antonio, Texas.
February, 2006
USOTC - A Slightly Out of Focus View
By Allen Stark
February is our month to highlight the annual USA / USMS High Altitude Training Camp. This month's article comes from swimmer Allen Stark of Oregon Masters. Stark is one of many noteworthy alumni of the USA / USMS High Altitude Training Camp.
January, 2006
Team N.E.D., Indeed
By Judy Carr Belletti
This month's article is by Masters swimmer Judy Carr Belletti, an instructional designer within the field of educational technology. Belletti is in the process of writing her first novel.
The article is a human interest story about a cancer survivor competing in the Maui Channel Swim, a USMS sponsored race between Lanai and Maui which took place September 3, 2005.
December, 2005
A Change of Season
By Laura Smith
This month's article is by Colorado Masters swimmer Laura Smith, a nationally certified fitness trainer.
November, 2005
Training Alone During Your Pool's Lap Swim
By Robert Boder
This month's article is by Robert Boder, the Competitive Swimming Aquatics Director and Swim Coach at the Charles River YMCA in Needham, Mass.
October, 2005
Lane Etiquette
By Samantha Grant
This month's article, "Lane Etiquette" was submitted to us by Samantha Grant of Davis Aquatic Masters in Davis, California. Grant enjoys competitive open water distance swimming and has been swimming for the last ten years.
September, 2005
Small Fish - Big Pond
By Bruckner Chase
This month's article about swimming the length of Lake Tahoe was submitted by Bruckner Chase.
August, 2005
Championship Odyssey, Part 2
By Bill Volckening
In 2003, Bill volckening was the first person to participate in all 12 USMS national championship events in the same year. This month's article highlights some of the memorable experiences from the second part of Bill's championship odyssey.
July, 2005
Championship Odyssey, Part 1
By Bill Volckening
In 2003, Bill Volckening was the first person to participate in all 12 USMS national championship events in the same year. This month’s article highlights some of the memorable experiences from the first part of Bill’s championship odyssey.
June, 2005
Sleep
By Sara Quan
This month's article, "Sleep" was written by Sara Quan, Fitness Co-Chair for the Oregon LMSC. The article was originally published in the Aqua-Master, 2005 recipient of the TYR / USMS Newsletter of the Year Award.
May, 2005
Is Your Suit a Drag?
By Samantha Grant
This month's article, "Is Your Suit a Drag?" was submitted to us by Samantha Grant of Davis Aquatic Masters in Davis, California. Grant enjoys competitive open water distance swimming and has been swimming for the last ten years.
April, 2005
Resistance In Swimming or Off the Wall Water Drills
By Jane Harper
This month's article, "Resistance In Swimming or Off the Wall Water Drills" was written by Jane Harper, Masters coach of the Fort Bend Masters in Sugarland, Texas.
March, 2005
Caffeine Revisited
By Jani Sutherland
This month's article, "Caffeine Revisited" is by USMS Fitness Committee Vice Chair Jani Sutherland. It was originally published in the Aqua-Master, newsletter of the Oregon LMSC, which was the recipient of the 2004 TYR / USMS Newsletter of the Year Award.
February, 2005
My First Meet
By Ray Novitske
This month's article is available to swimmers entering Alexandria Masters' annual winter meet, the Tropical Splash, by guiding them through the process of entering and swimming in a masters competition for the first time. The Tropical Splash encourages first-time competitors by providing a fun, relaxed meet atmosphere, recognizing them in the program, providing souvenirs of their first meet, and instructing them via this article on what to expect and how to prepare for a meet. Author Ray Novitske was meet director and serves on the USMS Communications and Marketing Committees. Special thanks to Fitness Committee member Ann Svenson for letting us know about this excellent article.
January, 2005
Hydration Revisited
By Jani Sutherland
This month's article about hydration is by Jani Sutherland, Co-Vice Chair of the USMS Fitness Committee, and Co-Fitness Chair of the Oregon LMSC.
December, 2004
Vitamins
By Dr. Jane Moore
This month's fitness article about dietary supplements was written by Jane Moore, M.D., who is a member of the USMS Fitness Committee and the USMS Sports Medicine Committee. Jane is also the 2002 co-recipient of the Ransom Arthur Award, along with her husband, Hugh.
November, 2004
Virtual Swim Highlights
By Margie Hutinger & friends
This month's article was compiled by Margie Hutinger, co-recipient of the 2003 USMS Fitness Award.
October, 2004
Osteoporosis: How Much Do You Know?
By Sara Quan
This month's article was written by Sara Quan, co-chair of Fitness for the Oregon LMSC.
September, 2004
Dry Land Training
By David Grilli
This month's article about dryland training is from David Grilli, former chair of the USMS Fitness Committee, and author of the "Self-Coached Swimmer" series.
July, 2004
Building Core Strength
By Sandy Lovejoy
This month's Fitness Article is an interview with fitness specialist Brenda Heckman. Many thanks to Sandy Lovejoy, member of the USMS Fitness Committee, for providing us with this article.
June, 2004
Dietary Supplements
By Jane Moore, MD
This month's fitness article about dietary supplements was written by Jane Moore, M.D., who is a member of the USMS Fitness Committee and the USMS Sports Medicine Committee. Jane is also the 2002 co-recipient of the Ransom Arthur Award, along with her husband, Hugh.
May, 2004
Try, and Never Fail!
By Laura Smith
This month's article about a memorable swimming experience is by Laura Smith, member of the USMS Fitness Committee and nationally certified fitness trainer.
April, 2004
Flu Season
By David Grilli
This month's article, "Flu Season" by David Grilli is not about a medical condition -- it is about a psychological condition: performance anxiety. Although the article was written within a competitive swimming framework, it applies to any situation in everyday life when we have to perform at our best. David Grilli is past chair of the USMS Fitness Committee. This article is from David's Self-Coached Swimmer and Workout series, which is published monthly in the New England Masters Newsletter. This article is reprinted with permission from the author. To read other columns by David Grilli, please visit the New England Masters web site at: www.swimnem.org.
March, 2004
Fitness to Competition
By Suzanne Rague
Every now and then, we dig up an archived article that is truly timeless in its relevance. This month's article is a reprint from the USMS Archives. Author Suzanne Rague shares some excellent thoughts on the transition from fitness swimming to competition.
February, 2004
How to Stay Motivated
By Darlene Staley
This months article about motivation is by Darlene Staley, who is a member of the USMS Fitness Committee and Registrar for the Oregon LMSC.
January, 2004
It's in all the Details!
By Jennifer Parks
This month's article "Looking at the "Big Picture" of Health, Wellness and Fitness: It's in all the Details!" is by Jennifer Parks, member of the USMS Fitness Committee. Parks teaches health, wellness, fitness, aquatics, and stress management courses at Ferris State University in Michigan. She was the swim coach at Michigan State in the 70s and 80s, and has been swimming Masters for almost 30 years.
December, 2003
Feeding an Olympian
By Bill Volckening
This month's article offers an unusual look at the nutritional requirements of an Olympic swimmer.
November, 2003
Periodization
By Sara Quan
This Month's article about periodization was written by Sara Quan, Fitness Co-Chair of the Oregon LMSC.
October, 2003
Bridging the Miles
By Pam Himstreet
This month's article about the Virtual Swim Series is by Pam Himstreet, Chair of the USMS Fitness Committee. Pam thanks Dakota Eliason of the Florida Mavericks for her contributions to this article.
September, 2003
The "R" in "FIT-R"
By Jennifer Parks
This month's article about "Sleep, Rest, Recovery and Relaxation" is by Jennifer Parks, member of the USMS Fitness Committee. Parks teaches health, wellness, fitness, aquatics, and stress management courses at Ferris State University in Michigan. She was the swim coach at Michigan State in the 70s and 80s, and has been swimming Masters for almost 30 years.
August, 2003
"I DON'T HAVE A POOL!"
By Dr. Paul Hutinger
This month's article offers some timely ideas for swimmers who are either traveling or experiencing pool closures due to maintenance. The article is written by Dr. Paul Hutinger, coach and co-founder of the Florida Maverick Masters. Paul is a past recipient of the Ransom Arthur Award, and will be inducted into the Masters Swimming Hall of Fame in January, 2004.
July, 2003
PNA Fitness Clinic Notes
By Lee Carlson
About 10 years ago the PNA held a fitness clinic emphasizing stretching, nutrition, and body fat measurement. PNA's board decided to conduct an up-to-date clinic. This month's article shares some enlightening notes on this new type of clinic. Author Lee Carlson is immediate Past Chair and current Sanctions Chair of the Pacific Northwest Association, and he is a member of the USMS Fitness Committee.
June, 2003
Sun Savvy
By Jani Sutherland
This month's article is by Jani Sutherland, Co Fitness Chair of the Oregon LMSC and member of the USMS Fitness Committee. This article is from the July issue of the Aqua-Master, official newsletter of the Oregon LMSC, and it is reprinted with permission from the author.
May, 2003
Stress Matters
By Jennifer Parks
This month's article about stress management is by Jennifer Parks, member of the USMS Fitness Committee. Parks teaches health, wellness, fitness, aquatics, and stress management courses at Ferris State University in Michigan. She was the swim coach at Michigan State in the 70s and 80s, and has been swimming Masters for almost 30 years.
April, 2003
Recovery: It Really Works
By Cindy Hawkinson
This month's article about recovery is by Cindy Hawkinson, the USMS Liaison to USA Triathlon and member of the USMS Fitness Committee.
March, 2003
Why am I so tired?
By Jody Welborn, M.D.
This month's article is by Jody Welborn, M.D., who is a member of the USMS Fitness Committee, Sports Medicine Committee and Planning Committee. This excellent article is about fatigue, a condition many of us experience.
February, 2003
Fast Food…etc.
By Jani Sutherland
This month's article is a two-part nutrition information piece by Jani Sutherland, Co-Fitness Chair of the Oregon LMSC, and member of the USMS Fitness Committee. This article is from the February issue of the Aqua-Master, official newsletter of the Oregon LMSC, and it is reprinted with permission from the author.
January, 2003
Spudly to Studly
By Bill Volckening
How did a TV show help Bill Volckening lose 70 lbs. in one year? Read on...
November, 2002
Training Cycles
By David Grilli
This month's article is by David Grilli, formerly Fitness Chairman of the New England LMSC and past chair of the USMS Fitness Committee. This article is from David's Self-Coached Swimmer and Workout series, which is published monthly in the New England Masters Newsletter. This article is reprinted with permission from the author. To read other columns by David Grilli, please visit the New England Masters web site at: www.swimnem.org. Editor’s Note: Although this article was originally written within a competitive swim training framework, all swimmers can benefit from training in cycles. Even though you may not be training for a swim meet, varying your training cycles can help you improve your speed, endurance, and recovery time.
October, 2002
Endurance Event Training
By Alex Kostich
This month's article is by Alex Kostich, who is a world-class competitor in long distance open water events. The article is about training for endurance events. It originally appeared on www.active.com, and is reprinted with permission from the author.
September, 2002
No Pain, No Gain
By Jody Welborn, M.D.
This month's article is by Jody Welborn, M.D., who is a member of the USMS Fitness Committee, Sports Medicine Committee and Planning Committee. The article is about delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
August, 2002
Swimming and Pregnancy
By Jane A. Moore, M.D.
This month's article is by Jane Moore, M.D., who is a member of the USMS Sports Medicine Committee and 2002 recipient of the Ransom Arthur Award. This article originally appeared in SWIM Magazine, and is reprinted with permission from the author and SWIM Magazine.
July, 2002
Play with your Routine
By Bill Volckening
This month's article is by Bill Volckening, who is the USMS Editor for SWIM Magazine and a contributing member of the USMS Fitness Committee. This article is part of the USMS Fitness Handbook, which is currently under development.
May, 2002
Write your own practice
By David Grilli
This month's article is by David Grilli, Fitness Chairman of the New England LMSC and Past chair of the USMS Fitness Committee. This article is from the February, 2002 edition of the NEM News, and is the latest in David's Self-Coached Swimmer and Workout series. This article is reprinted with permission from the NEM News. To read other columns by David Grilli, please visit the New England Masters web site at: www.swimnem.org.
