I was daydreaming about vacation possibilities today. Now more than ever before in my life an ideal vacation definitely includes getting in some decent swimming and a little bit of rejuvinating excercise.
I saw an article in one of my swimming magazines an thought I might find something like this in a post here. But no such luck. Even though I know the topic of decent hotel pools have come up.
How do you build swimming into your vacations in a fun way? Any great swimming/active vacations you have been on? What about if you're the solo swimmer in the family?
Just having time to swim in the hotel pool in the morning sounds kind-of eh. I'm talking about making swimming part of the vacation. Making it somehow a special pampering. A beautiful facility, a new environment, healthy relaxation, etc.
Any suggestions, recommendations, fun stories?
Snorkling Adventures? Spa Retreats? Fantastic Swim Meets and Camps? Water Parks? Island getaways?
Personally, I have been daydreaming about the adult version of "camp". The spa getaway. Wake up with a morning stretch. Light Healthy Breakfast. While my husband goes for a dirt bike ride, I hit the pool. We meet up, relax for a bit, take in the scenery. Have some lunch. Take an afternoon class together. Take a nap. Get a massage and pedicure. Get pampered with a very yummy dinner. etc, etc.
Although I haven't found the ideal place for this vacation it certainly builds the swimming in... and doesn't make my hisband have to swim as well.
My vacations are swim meets.
Worlds was my vacation in 2006. Just worked the touring into the free spaces. We got to see a lot while we were out there (san jose's Rock Bottom, muir woods, Maverick's, and quite a lot of san fran). Went out west early and left a day and a half after the meet was over.
Michelle I'd endorse a Club Med trip...especially if you can go sans kids (not sure of your kid status). Food included..I ate like a pig and came back in better shape than I went because of the rest and exercise and healthy eating...hmm I guess the booze must not count when you're on vacation.
Also page 37 of the USMS Swimmer mag..bottom right corner: Bermuda October 21 Round the Sound swim...and since Bermuda is very much like Britain it has some good Fish n Chips places and of course, pubs. :drink:
On the Club Med Idea,
My husband and I went to a Sandals resort for our honeymoon and that was really great. No lap pools, but plenty of time to swim while my husband was content reading/watching me swim. There were outdoor pools right night to the ocean which was just as warm! We played water polo, water volleyball, water basketball, water, well...just about everything! Including drinking at the swim up bars. Although, it's a little creepy that some people seem to not leave the swim up bar all day while pounding back the drinks. And then spills of drinks in the pool. But the water LOOKED clear. :)
We also got in several healthy doses of beach volleyball. Wow! That's killer on the muscles.
By the last day we could barely move and were soo glad we had booked a couples massage for that day.
We could have done more, like scuba diving, etc. But it was packed full of fun activities. It was great because we really didn't have an interest in exploring the local area. We just wanted to be in nice weather, relax, and have fun.
Food's included there, too. But by the time the whole thing (airfare + resort stay) was paid for, we spent some major cash on that trip. We got a good discount though because we booked right in the wake of a major hurricane at that resort location so they were trying to convince people it was safe to cmoe back.
Wow! Those swim trek vacations sound FANTASTIC! Too bad my husband won't swim.
Maybe someday my "swimmer" sister will get back into swimming and we can go together.
Most of my vacation trip over the last 8-years have centered around big swim meet and the week+ after them- so I'm always watching for the calendar on who's getting which meets:
US Nationals in Hawaii, IGLA Championships in Toronto Canada
2000 - Munich Germany
2002 - Sydney Australia
2004 - Riccione Italy
2005 - Sao Paulo Brazil
2007 - going to Paris France in May
Just traveling to Zones and Nationals can be a great vacation trips, as big meet coordinators tend to provide a lot of excersion ideas.
There's an excellent article on the USMS site describing one group of masters swimmers' experiences on a swim-trek vacation. Here's the url
www.usms.org/.../articledisplay.php
Ahh... the Race Club swim camps sound fantastic!
My favorite swim meet/active vacation was 2003 SCY Nationals in Phoenix. This was pre-kid, so my husband and I did the meet, then went to the Grand Canyon and hiked a few days, then went to Sedona and mountain biked for another few days. It was fantastic!! I came home tired and sore (and possibly left a little skin in Sedona) and couldn't have been happier!! :D
Michelle,
I'm planning on making a vacation out of the Bonaire EcoSwim in Nov. We'll start the vacation off with my race and then just play and relax for the rest of the trip.
My hubby is a non-swimmer, but is content to snorkel and explore while I enjoy swims along the beach, and we both love scuba diving and other outdoor activities. I'm hoping to have an experience similar to the one it sounds like you had at Sandals. Plus, because of the race, there are some pretty good discounts.
If you're interested, check out the link under the events section of the forum. By the way, at which Sandals resort did you stay?
The Race Club swim camps are designed around this very idea. Located in the beautiful Florida Keys, our camps are meant to offer the whole family a vacation while any swimmers in the family can have the opportunity to work with some of the nation's best coaches to improve their swimming technique. Our accommodations are through the luxurious Mariner's Club Resort and Marina: www.marinersclubkeylargo.com/.../KLhome.aspx
There many, many great restaurants in the area as well as spas and a great local massage therapist. Click on the following link to see a tentative itinerary for our 6-Day camps: www.theraceclub.net/Generic_6-Day_Camp_Itinerary_ You can get an idea of how much training time you'll will have along with time to explore the Florida Keys or go out on The Race Club fishing boat for an afternoon of fishing, diving, and snorkeling: www.theraceclub.net/race_club_boat We can create a camp for as many days as you would like. The yardage of each workout depends on your abilities and expectations, but generally the workouts don't exceed 2 or 3,000 meters because there is so much time spent on drills and technique work. To find out more about our coaches, click on the following link: www.theraceclub.net/about_our_coaches We use Dartfish software to analyze your strokes. We videotape your strokes above and underwater, then upload the footage into the software program, and then our coaches sit down with you to review and analyze your strokes: www.theraceclub.net/dartfish_video Please visit the following link to discover other activities that may be added to your swim camp: www.theraceclub.net/create_your_own_camp I work with each individual or family to customize the camp to make a vacation that is just right for you! We would love to see you down in the Keys for a swim camp.
Best regards,
Bebe Hall
The Race Club
Director of Camps and Clinics
info@theraceclub.net
www.theraceclub.com
877-SWIM-RACE
