Greetings,
This is my first post, but I have been reading for a few months. I swim with the Shawangunks Masters in New York - with Dave Barra and Terry Laughlin.
I am taking a cross country road trip this spring and I am planning on visiting a masters swim team wherever I am able. So if you know of a team that I absolutely must visit, let me know. Tips on cheap lodging are also welcome.
I will be swimming at zones at GMU in April, so will look forward to meeting some of you there.
So far my trip includes the following places:
Chicago, Kansas City, Boulder, Las Vegas, San Diego. I'll probably be visting the San Franisco and Davis areas as well as Seattle and I don't know what else because the plan is quite flexible once I am out there.
If people are interested I will keep a log of where I am and what teams I have swum with. Let me know what you think.
See you soon.
Hash
I'd love to read a log of your trip :)
Walnut Creek in the SF Bay Area is a must ;) Five workouts a day, except on Friday (no evening), and many Saturdays. You can check out swim4wc@netscape.net. The only cost is the pool entrance fee: $3.50 I think. I'm not too sure because I buy the Master's monthly pass.
It'd be fun to meet you, and everybody here is really nice. We just had a great Saturday workout with John from Kentucky. Nice guy. FAST!
Perhaps one day, when the kids are grown, a tour of pools would be a fun trip to do. Of course, I'll have to complete my tour of baseball stadiums first!
Hash,
If you are in San Diego, you might like to swim with UCSD Masters - 2 50 meter pools - 4 workouts a day - a $10.00 drop-in - if you are here on the weekends parking is free, but during the week, just use the meters. The coach's name is Sickie.
recreation.ucsd.edu/.../
In San Francisco, the University of San Francisco (USF) has several workouts that could work for you. Parking is a hassle during the week. If you are near Stanford University in Palo Alto, I highly recommend their workouts - beautiful pools - great coaching. The coach's name is Tim.
Cheap lodging in San Diego..... all depends on how close to the beach you want to stay - Hotel Circle has a number of inexpensive hotels, and you are pretty close to the beach.
Good luck - I have managed to swim with a Masters Swim Team in almost every city I have ever traveled - make sure you get on the USMS Places to Swim section - then call and/or e-mail coaches. It is important to do this, because sometimes the posted workout times are incorrect. Most coaches also like to know you are coming.
Some places charge you - others will let you swim for free. It's all worth it for the experience of swimming with different teams! Have fun!
Janet
For Las Vegas, I've swam with the team in Henderson/Green Valley and they were a great group, have a fantastic facility:
www.usms.org/.../placswimform.php
If you'll be in the Phoenix area, there are a few teams here, I swim with Sun Devil Masters:
www.sundevilmasters.org
Is there a website for Shawangunks masters? I tried google but was unsuccessful. Just curious where in NY.
Have a great trip!
Tim
Hash,
I live in the Kansas City area. I swim with a Masters team and we would be happy to have you as our guest. We swim indoors until about the middle of May; then we move outdoors for the summer (yippee!).
As you get closer to your visit, let me know. My e-mail address is AnnaLea(at)usms.org. Send me an e-mail and I'll send you my phone number.
--Anna Lea
Thanks for the help so far. Definitely planning on contacting teams before I arrive, and I have found many on the USMS site, just wanted to get some recommendations.
John, don't know if I'll make it down there, but if I do on the way back, I will certainly stop by.
Janet and Kim, I will most likely be in touch when I get to that part of the country, it looks like there are a lot of options.
Anna, I was planning on visiting the KC blazers anyway, so I'll be in touch.
Tim, thanks to your post, I remembered I have swum at Tempe on one of my college training trips. If I can, I'll try to make that one of the stops. Love to swim outdoors. I don't know if there is a 'gunks website, but we are part of ADMS and are based in New Paltz, NY. We swim at the SUNY college pool
Thanks again
Hash
Hash,
If you are coming down my way, let me know. I will give you our practice times in Chattanooga. It's been a long time since we worked together. Also, I think Gretchen in Nashville as a masters squad that trains at her YMCA.
If you go to San Fran, drop Leslie a note. After a workshop, we practiced at a place called Burlingame. That was a nice pool.
John
If you are in San Diego, you might like to swim with UCSD Masters - 2 50 meter pools - 4 workouts a day - a $10.00 drop-in - if you are here on the weekends parking is free, but during the week, just use the meters. The coach's name is Sickie.
Janet,
Thanks for the info. I'll put UCSD on the list and get in touch with the coach to let him know I'm coming. I plan on being in San Diego on May 8 an 9.
Hash
For Las Vegas, I've swam with the team in Henderson/Green Valley and they were a great group, have a fantastic facility:
www.usms.org/.../placswimform.php
Tim,
That is the team I had in mind anyway. I'll definitely put it on the list. Thanks for the recommendation.
I nearly have an itinerary for the way out and will try to post it soon.
Hash
