Newsletter of the Potomac Valley Masters Committee
May 2004

Table of Contents
• Note from the Chair
• Articles and Interviews
• Congratulations
• Humor & Quotes
• Meet News
• Announcements
• Classifieds
• Photo Credits
• Events Calendar
  
  

Newsletter Schedule
• February (deadline: January 15)
• May (deadline: April 15)
• September (deadline: August 15)
• December (deadline: November 15)

 Note from the Chair

Happy Spring. It was great to see another well-run and well-attended Colonies Zone Meet here in Potomac Valley. A big thanks to the GMU Patriot Masters for putting on the meet.

Although not on the calendar yet, Potomac Valley is looking into the possibility of putting on a LCM meet in late July/early August. Look for updates on the website.

And for your long range planning - USMS has been awarded the 2006 FINA Masters World Championships to be held at Stanford. There will be no USMS Long Course Nationals that year.

Open water season and long course season are on the way. I hope you get outside and enjoy the water. There are numerous opportunities in this area to get out and try something new.

Happy Laps,
Eric Nordlund, Chair-Potomac Valley Masters Swimming

 Articles and Interviews

Meet the woman who puts on the George Mason Colonies Zone Meet, Cheryl Ward. That alone was enough to impress me. Then I learned that she and her husband, Peter, had swum in the 1984 Olympics, and that Peter started the George Mason college and masters swim teams. Here is an interview with Cheryl.

Q: Where are you from?
A: Peter and I are from Toronto, Canada. We began dating when I was 16, shortly after he joined the club team where I was swimming.

Q: Where did you swim after that?
A: We both represented Canada in many international competitions culminating in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Peter finished 7th in the 200 fly and I was 5th in the 400 free relay. After the Olympics, we received scholarships to the University of Arkansas where we swam from 1984-88.

Q: Did you stay in that area?
A: We loved the area and ended up living in Arkansas for ten years. I got a job writing banking software and Peter coached a club team in Mountain Home, and then later was an assistant coach at the University of Arkansas. In 1995, Peter took a position as Head Swim Coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and four years later we moved to Fairfax Virginia where George Mason University had just opened a beautiful new 50 meter pool. Peter's been the head coach at GMU for the past 5 years bringing his women's team from last in the Conference his first year to first the last 2 years. Before he even had a college team in the water, he'd already started a successful masters swim team. Both of our girls seem to be following in our footsteps participating in swimming and diving.

Q: Tell me about this year's Colonies Zone meet.
A: Six national records were set and 357 masters swimmers participated. Jill Martin set a record in the 200 breaststroke. Joann Leilich set three national records in the 50, 100, and 200 breaststroke. DC Masters set a record in the 55 and over 800 free mixed relay. And the Terrapin Masters 19 and over women's team set a record in the 400 medley relay. We ran the meet as a fundraiser for the George Mason University Swimming and Diving team. In exchange for working at the meet, the varsity team gets a percentage of the profits which they're using to help pay for next winter's Florida training camp.

Q: Do you swim with the Patriot Masters?
A: Yes, they're a great group of swimmers. It's fun working hard when everyone around me is doing it too. There are probably 30 of us on the team with about 20 to 25 in the pool at most of our four weekly practices. I've done all of the area meets although I really like working out best. My favorite masters meet was definitely Nationals in Hawaii; our team did well plus it was a nice vacation.

Heart Rate Training
by Cheryl Wagner

Christy Garth, Assistant Varsity Coach of the UM swim team, should know a thing or two about heart-rate training. She swam in the Olympic Trials in 2000 and competed at the University of North Carolina from 1992-1996. I asked her to describe how to do heart-rate training and here is her advice.

Take your base heart-rate every morning before you get out of bed. This is a good indicator of your training readiness and will help you decide how to train during that day. For example if you're overtrained, sick, or not getting enough rest, your heart rate may be elevated.

Heart-rates can be described using colors which correspond to the color of your skin while you're training in that "zone". For example a heart rate of 20 beats per ten seconds would be white, 22 beats - pink, 24 beats - red, 26 beats - blue, 28 beats - green, and 30 beats - black. (Yikes!)

Blocks of six weeks are often used for training periods. At the beginning of the six weeks you may stay primarily in the "white" zone. As you progress into later weeks you move into more "advanced" colors for small portions of two or three training sessions per week. If you are doing a blue, green or black set, you should allow a very large interval for your all-out effort.


Christy Garth-Blazer

 Congratulations

All-American Relay Team
Terrapins, Kelly Bowman, James Crowder, Meredith Stakem and Jeffrey Strahota qualified as Relay All-Americans for the 2002-2003 Season. Congratulations!

Denis Crean Wins Tampa 24-mile Swim, May 3
From www.swiminfo.com:
Denis Crean made a late charge to win a closely contested Seventh Annual 24 Mile Tampa Bay Marathon Swim. Rough seas and an unseasonably cool 68F degree water temperature proved to be extremely challenging for the 13 solo swimmers and 13 relay teams that entered the event.

Crean, 43, from Washington D.C., competing in his first race over 4 miles, was able to beat out a seasoned field of open water swimmers. Six other solo swimmers finished the gruelling 24 mile swim less than an hour behind the champion. Denis Crean's official time was 9 hours, 20 minutes, 15 seconds.

 Humor and Quotes

Quote:
Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.
-Sir Winston Churchill

Humor:

 Meet News

An athlete died Sunday. His death wasn't reported in your local newspaper, nor was there a montage of his career highlights on ESPN or anyplace else. The sports world was focused properly over the weekend on Alex Rodriguez and Dale Earnhardt Jr. and John Daly.

David Gregg was a 71-year-old Masters swimmer. He loved meets like the one that was held on Sunday at The Riverside Wellness Center, just outside of Richmond for the same reasons that all of us who take part in Masters swimming do: it gave him a chance to test himself, to see if his workouts were producing the sort of results he wanted to see. It also gave him a chance to see friends, some he knew well, some he knew to say hello to, all of whom he shared a bond with because on a Sunday morning in February this was the place we all had chosen to be for a few hours.

He swam for Fairfax Masters, a team in northern Virginia that works out not far from where he lived in Arlington. He had come to competitive swimming relatively late in life after bad knees forced him to give up skiing, his first love athletically. Masters swimmers come in all shapes, sizes and age categories. The ones who receive the most attention in the swimming magazines and around pool decks are often ex-Olympians or near Olympians and past national champions who still get off on the buzz of competition. But they are also middle-aged men and women like me who swam once, gave it up for years and then went back to it because they needed to exercise or, in my case, because a doctor asked a question on the eve of my son's first birthday: "You have any interest at all in seeing your son grow up?"

There are a handful of Masters swimmers who are breath-taking to watch. Soon after I began swimming again, I was fortunate enough to join a team with a fabulous name--The Ancient Mariners--and some remarkable swimmers. Clay Britt made the Olympic team that didn't get to go to Moscow in 1980. Wally Dicks never became a star at Indiana, but in 2000, at the age of 38, he became the oldest man in history to qualify for the Olympic Trials when he made the cutoff for the 100 breaststroke. There are others. Some of the times being cranked out by swimmers in their 40s, 50s and 60s are absolutely eye-popping if you understand the sport.

Most Masters swimmers though are more like David Gregg. They swim for the exercise and the camaraderie. They know, deep down, that the only person really paying attention to their swims and their times is them. That doesn't mean friends and teammates don't gather on deck to root you on during a meet, but very few really understand what a good swim for you is as opposed to a bad swim. One of the first lessons one learns in Masters swimming is that when someone comes up to you and says, "nice swim," you don't shake your head and explain that you went a second faster last month. You just say thanks. You also learn to stay away from those who don't understand that rule because, much like golfers who want to walk you through everything that went wrong with their round, swimmers who need to break down their starts, turns and finish, can go on forever.

The essence of Masters swimming was perhaps best explained by my friend John Craig, who swam at Harvard in the 1970s and, until recently, held the world record in the 45-49 year old age group in swimming's toughest event, the 200 meter butterfly. "A Masters swim meet is like a four or five hour social with some swimming thrown in along the way," John once said. "I want to swim well, in fact I get angry when I don't swim up to my expectations, but I almost always leave a meet in a good mood because I've enjoyed the time I've spent talking to the other swimmers."

Like most cultures, Masters swimming has a language of its own, one that makes conversations among those who take part, essentially off-limits to those who don't. My wife rolls her eyes as if to say, "you must be kidding," when I ask her if she wants to go to a Masters swimming party. Of course I did the exact same thing to her years ago when she asked me if I wanted to go to parties with her running friends. Masters swimming is NOT like real swimming. Michael Phelps doesn't lose workout time because of sick kids or his job or because his chronically cranky back (shoulder, knees, take-your-pick) is acting up. He has never worked out in a rec pool on the road next to an aerobics class and had an instructor say to him, "could you stop swimming that (butterfly) stroke, some of the ladies are complaining because you are getting their hair wet." Seriously, it happens. Or been told there are no lane lines in the 87-degree pool because the lifeguards don't want to go to the trouble of putting them in the pool.

David Gregg wasn't someone I knew well. But he was someone I saw at almost every Masters swim meet I went to, always friendly, frequently asking me about whatever was the current topic in sports. On Sunday, I encountered him soon after warm-up and his first question was, "how's the shoulder?" We had talked two weeks earlier at another meet and I had mentioned that my right shoulder had been bothering me for a while. He had explained he had just spent several months rehabbing one of his shoulders and felt 100 percent better. "Remind me and I'll give you the name of the person I went to," he said.

Susan Ellis, who swims for Fairfax Masters along with her husband Brian, told me Sunday night that David often went out of his way to help people out. "We had one woman on our team who was told she couldn't drive anymore," Susan said. "She thought she was going to have to give up swimming. David volunteered to drive her to and from practice so she could keep on coming."

David had sent Susan an e-mail the day after the meet two weeks ago. "He always e-mailed me his results if I wasn't at a meet," she said. The one on February 2nd reported that he had gone a personal best 4:06 in the 200 freestyle, breaking the Fairfax team record in his age group. "I know with my shoulder feeling good again I can go at least 10 seconds faster," he had written. That was typical Masters swimmer talk. Regardless of your age, you are always convinced you can go faster.

On Sunday, I told David my shoulder felt a lot better than it had and he shook his head and said his was bothering him again. "Old age is a pain," he said, laughing.

There were only a handful of us from the Washington area who had made the drive down I-95 for the meet. As is often the case when you are away from home, those of us from DC congregated in one place, chattering on about workouts and times and who wasn't there and why. During the brief mid-meet break, David walked over and sat down with me and with Tim Timmons, who works in the Pentagon when he isn't working on his backstroke or freestyle.

"How's your meet going," I asked casually.

David shook his head. "Not well at all," he said. "My shoulder hurts and my lungs don't feel great. I'm going to swim breaststroke during the 200 freestyle because I missed my breaststroke heat."

The shoulder complaint wasn't unusual but, looking back, maybe I should have said more about his comment about the lungs than, "are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," he said. "If I have a bad time in the breaststroke, I may call it a day." He smiled. "Can't swim fast all the time can you?"

I could attest to that. I was still sulking about my 100 freestyle and less-than-thrilled with my 50 fly. If I didn't swim a decent 100 fly the meet--other than the social aspects--was going to be a failure for me.

David went off to swim. Timmons and I resumed our conversation about the future of The Air Force Academy. I remember noting that David was swimming breaststroke and thus well behind the others in his heat, all of whom were swimming freestyle. I must have looked away because the next thing I saw was several people pulling David out of the pool. He had finished his race and apparently collapsed as he reached the wall.

It is not uncommon to see a Masters swimmer have trouble getting out of a pool. Some of the older ones duck under lane lines to get to a ladder, especially in a pool like the one at Riverside, where the blocks are at the deep end. This though was clearly different. David wasn't moving at all as they pulled him out and the people around his lane were waving for help in that way you see when something is clearly very wrong.

At a Masters swim meet, there are people from almost every walk of life. Two doctors who were getting ready to swim races, were with David instantly. Two nurses were there too. The EMT unit was on the scene in minutes. We all watched in near silence for the next 45 minutes as they worked desperately to try to bring him back. A couple of times they got a pulse. Then they lost it again.

Ralph Swiger, an oral surgeon who got into Masters swimming because his two kids are swimmers, watched them work on David and said, "as awful as this is, chances are good it would have happened sooner if he hadn't been a swimmer."

David Gregg was probably dead before he was pulled from the pool, even though the EMT's briefly found a pulse during those moments he lay on the deck. When they rolled him out to an ambulance, we all knew he was gone. Nancy Miller, the meet director, felt obligated to tell everyone that all the volunteers would stay to finish the meet if the swimmers wanted them to. "I'm sure David would understand if you all swam," she said.

No doubt he would have. But none of us felt much like swimming at that point. Driving home, I thought about David Gregg and the people I'm fortunate enough to swim with. I'm certain they would agree on one thing: As tragic and as shocking as his death was, he died in a place where he was happy. He was among friends and he was doing something that gave him great joy.

And, as Susan Ellis pointed out on Sunday night, he finished his race. That's what athletes do. They compete until the very end.

Albatross Open, March 20, 2004
by Jeff Roddin

On the afternoon of March 20th, 2004 the Montgomery Ancient Mariners hosted the 12th annual Albatross Open (SCM) in Bethesda, Maryland. The Albatross Open saw four different swimmers set a total of 7 individual USMS and/or FINA Masters World records (as published in the 2004 USMS rulebook). The record setting swimmers traveled from as far south as Florida to as far north as Connecticut. The meet entrants included 182 swimmers ranging in age from 19 to 94. In addition to the USMS and FINA records, 74 swims bettered Albatross meet records.

Joann Leilich of Virginia Masters led all swimmers with new marks in all three W65-69 Breaststroke events by astounding margins. Her first event was the 200 Breast. Just prior to her heat I asked her if she ensured there were three backup timers in her lane and she said, "Oh, no need to make a fuss - I don't even know what the record is." She proceeded to break the USMS record by nearly 25 seconds with her 3:17.44! She later lowered the USMS records in the 50 Breast by over a second and the 100 Breast by over 9 seconds with her times of 43.16 and 1:32.37, respectively. Her 100 and 200 times were also new FINA Masters World records.

Paul Hutinger of Florida Maverick Masters blazed into town with his wife Margie with his eyes set on new marks in the M80-84 dorsal events. The recent International Swimming Hall of Fame inductee did not disappoint: Paul used the 200 Back as his warm up and then set new USMS records in both the 50 and 100 Backstroke events with times of 42.16 and 1:33.27, respectively.

John Craig of Connecticut Masters established a world record in the 200 Fly when he was in the 45-49 age group. Just aging up to 50 he continued the trend. John broke the published USMS and FINA marks in the grueling 200 Fly by over a second with his 2:19.56 time. Except he didn't make it look so grueling with his last three 50s being fairly even.

Robert Goldbloom of Metro Masters (New York) returned to his Montgomery County childhood stomping grounds in glamorous fashion. Robert narrowly missed the M45-49 100 IM USMS record by just 3 tenths of a second (set last year at the Albatross Open by Greg Oxley) but he lowered the published USMS record in the 50 Fly by 8 hundredths with his 27.00 clocking.

Outside of USMS and FINA, several other governing body records were set. Frank Byskov of Virginia Masters, also representing Denmark, set new Denmark Masters records in the M25-29 age group in the 100 Fly (58.25), 200 IM (2:12.26) and 200 Free (1:59.44). Lynn Wymelenberg of the Montgomery Ancient Mariners set two new American Records for swimmers with a disability. Competing in the S10 class she broke the record in the 100 free by over a second. Less than an hour later she lowered her own existing record in the SB9 class of the 200 Breast.

Troy Johnson of Virginia Masters won the Fastest Man in the Water award and Emily Groome of Germantown Masters won the Fastest Woman in the Water award. They earned these awards by virtue of their overall winning times in the Men's and Women's 50 free (23.89 and 28.54, respectively).

Full results of the meet can be found on the Potomac Valley LMSC website (www.pvmasters.org).

Colonies Zone Meet, April 2-4

Fairfax County Masters

 Announcements

Next Potomac Valley LMSC Meeting 7/11/04
The next Potomac Valley LMSC meeting will be held on July 11, 2004, at the UM Campus Recreation Center in College Park, Maryland at 11:30AM (after the Terrapin 800/1500 LCM Meet).

Clay Britt Swim Clinics: May 15 & June 19
Upcoming Clinics: May 15 & Jun 19 at the Lab School in DC.
For more information call H 301-320-4694, email clay@claybrittswimming.com or visit his website: www.claybrittswimming.com.

Dot Donnelly Award Nominations
We would like to have nominations from all of the LMSCs within the Colonies Zone this year.

We have many people within our zone who have dedicated much effort and time towards Masters Swimming at the local, zone and national
levels who are deserving of this award and it is easy to nominate someone.

Deadline for nominations is July 30, 2004. Nominations can be sent via e-mail to debm@umd.edu.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Tip of the Month
Saving the Bay starts in your own back yard. We have 10 tips for a bay-friendly lawn:

• Plant alternatives to lawn area, such as islands of trees and shrubs or a no-mow meadow. The result is a wooded area that you don't have to mow and that provides wildlife benefits.
  A smaller lawn needs less:
• water
• maintenance (less mowing, watering, fertilizing, and MORE TIME for you!)
• toxic chemicals
• chemical fertilizer
  If you must have a lawn:
• Get a soil test (see www.cbf.org for test materials in your state). When you send the soil samples in, ask for organic fertilizer recommendations.
• If needed, fertilize only in the fall (avoid water-soluble chemical fertilizers; use natural fertilizers like compost.)
• Leave the clippings on your lawn
• Mow high (3 inches)
• Let your lawn go dormant in the summer
• Dandelions are green too!

Alexandria Masters Swimming Summer Schedule
Alexandria Masters Swimming announces its summer workout schedule at our local outdoor community pools:

• Little Hunting Park Pool - Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 6:00-7:00 am.
• Waynewood Pool - Tuesday, Thursday, 6:00-7:00 am & Saturday, 8:00-9:30 am.
• Mansion House Pool - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 7:45-8:45 pm.

News from Col Rob Whitters (former PV Treasurer)
March 2, 2004 - I was looking thru the Potomac Valley Newsletter on line and thought I'd drop you a line. I'm back in the Persian Gulf. I arrived here last week and am in Kuwait for now but will be heading to Baghdad in a week or two and will be there 'til about the end of July.

With luck I will get back into the water when I get home with the goal of going to the Short Course Nationals in Ft. Lauderdale. My girlfriend and I have good friends near there so it would be a great vacation. Hope to see you all sometime in the near future.

Later, Rob
PS Tell everyone I said Hey and that I pinned on Colonel last March.

Germantown Masters Expanded Summer Schedule
Although the schedule is still tentative, Germantown Masters expects to provide between 8 and 11 coached workouts a week this summer. All but the mid-day workouts will be at Quince Orchard Swim and Tennis Club, in an outdoor heated pool. The tentative dates are May 24 through September 3rd, with 2 weeks off in early August. The coaches are still trying to find a pool in which to continue the mid-day (1-2pm) workouts two or three days a week. Assuming that happens, the hours for the coached workouts are most likely to be: Sundays, 9-10 a.m.; Mondays-Fridays; 5:30-7:30 a.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7:30-8:30 p.m.; and Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, 1:00-2:00 p.m.

These workouts are open to all swimmers registered with USMS for 2004, regardless of team affiliation. To obtain a registration form once the schedule is final, stop by Quince Orchard Swim and Tennis Club after May 1st, or email waltersmrk@aol.com to get on the mailing list for summer registration forms; or visit the GERM web page ( http://hometown.aol.com/waltersmrk/index.html) and download a form after May 1st.

Unofficial PVLMSC Board Meeting Minutes
March 2004
Submitted by Debbie Morrin-Nordlund

Meeting called to order at 1:00pm. Meeting attendees introduced themselves and identified their representations.

MSA to adopt Minutes from November 16, 2003 PVLMSC annual board meeting.

Reports:
Sanctions -

• 2003 meet summary was handed out and evaluators were assigned for upcoming meets.
• Discussion of proposal for PVLMSC-sponsored summer LC meet (as neither DCM anor Patriot Masters will be holding an LC meet this summer). A meet committee of Nordlund, Timmons, Pettijohn and Kirkendall will look into possibilities. Decision will be made by April 15.
• Discussion of proposal that PV reimburse coaches for ASCA level I certification/CPR/First Aid. MSA that PV Coaches Chair look into options and present a formal proposal for the July meeting.

• 1401 PV swimmers registered at this time.
• Two new PV clubs (Marymount and Carson Aquatics) have been started and one (Tri-Masters) did not renew for 2004.
• Presented some summary data of USMS registration costs: range of $25-$38 for membership, with $30 most common (PV is $28).
• Possible options for dividing up the duties of the registrar are being looked into for future consideration.

• Relay All-America listings have been sent to teams.
• 2003 SCM Top 10 has been released.

• Announced that USMS has won the bid for the FINA 2006 World Championships (to be held at Stanford).

• PV budget submitted;
• MSA (made by Roddin) to amend budget with addition of expense item for $100 donation to the USMS Endowment Fund in memory of David Gregg.
• MSA to approve PV budget.
• Noted that 2003 tax report has been filed.

• Deadline for next newsletter is April 15

• Possibility of adding a PV Long Distance award discussed.
• A solicitation for criteria will be e-mailed to PV board. Awards Chair looking into pricing of putting PV logo onto awards

• Requested that anyone interested in becoming certified as a USMS Official contact Officials Chair.

• USMS President Dr. Jim Miller briefly addressed the meeting. Noted that USMS is working on ways to get more help to the local level; there are currently 6-7 parties interested in bidding on the USMS national publication; the topic of governance of USMS is under discussion; since 2006 World Championships will be in US, there will be no USMS LC Nationals in that year.

• MSA to approve OEVT at $20 for the 2004 Reston Lake Swim

• 2004 USMS Convention delegates discussed. PV will have 5 delegate slots. Currently Ray Novitske, Eric Nordlund, Myriam Pero and Jeff Roddin interested. Dave Diehl, Lynn Hazlewood and Debbie Morrin-Nordlund attending as well in other capacities.

Next meeting: July 11, 2004, 11:30am, Campus Recreation Center, UMCP (following Terrapin Masters 800/1500m meet).

 Classifieds

Oceanus Digital Swim Analysis
"See Yourself Swim...See Yourself Swim Better."

• Above and Below Water Digital Videotaping
• Voiceover Commentary
• Light Pen Telestration
• Measurement and Analysis of All Critical Stroke Techniques and Metrics
• Office and Client Site Consultations
• Highly Credentialed Consultants

Terrapin Masters Swim Club Summer Schedule
Practices are held in a world-class facility at UM Campus Rec (long course). Summer schedule for Terrapin Masters:

Mon, Wed, Thu 6PM - 7:30PM
Tue, Thu 6:15AM - 7:45AM
Sat 8:15AM - 9:45AM

Pay by the practice (punch-card). www.crosslink.net/~cherylw.

College Park Bike Shop

10% off all bike accessories!
10% off bike tuneup!
Free Bike Safety Check
(Bring this ad.)

Seeking Swim Coaching Position
I am available to coach your swim team. Please let me know if you need references, a resume or any other information. Thanks!
Jens Trummer Email: Jens@terraincognito.org 202 320 0679

For Sale: Weight Machine
California Muscle weight machine for home use. Features at least 10 exercises and 200 lb. weight stack. Asking only $400.

Contact Joann Leilich at 703-354-2130 or jjl@trainmaster.com.

Hawaii Swims
Information about upcoming Hawaii Swims can be found at:
www.hawaiiswim.com

Italian Swim Clinics
Ever think about swimming in Italy? Vacation and technique workouts all rolled up in one? Great food? Sandy beaches with warm salty water next to your olympic meter swimming pool? Here's your chance!

"NUOTO" in Italian means "SWIMMING", and "NUOTO+" means "More than Just Swimming"

Giovanni Franceschi, two times European champion and record-holder, and 41 times winner in Italian Championships, and creator of the summer swim camps "NUOTO+", is happy to present the calendar for 2004 "NUOTO+" swim camps.

• June 27 - July 3 Viareggio (Lucca)
• July 11 -17 Numana (Ancona)
• July 24 - 31 ClubMed Cervina (Aosta)
• August 1-7 Viareggio (Lucca)
• August 29 - September 4 Viareggio (Lucca)
• September 5 - 11 Citta' del Mare (Palermo)

This is a series of swim camps held in some of the most beautiful locations in Italy, where beginners as well as advanced swimmers of all ages can improve the practical and theoretical knowlege of their favorite sport, working with tutors of worldwide fame (Domenico Fioravanti and the coach of the Italian National Swim Team, Alberto Castagnetti, just to name two).

For further information see our website: www.giovannifranceschi.it
Infoline: 335 61 72453 - info@giovannifranceschi.it
Mary Lokken

NUOTO+ Via Raffaello Sanzio, 196 - 50053 Empoli (Florence) ITALY

Road Bike for Sale

• 2003 Fuji Silhouette Flat Bar road bike, 19' frame, for sale.
• Original retail was about $700.
• Less than a year old with mostly indoor use (on rollers).
• Bike is dark frosted grey aluminum with Shimano Tiagra components, bottle cages, bar ends, nice forks.
• Great commuter or touring cycle.
• Asking $500.

For info, contact Liz - Email: liz24@starpower.net

Kayak for Sale

• Necky Arluk II, kevlar, fast lightweight racer/cruiser with rudder, 18'x22", 45 lbs, teal/white, black stripe, excellent condition.
• 1999 list $3099; asking $1800.
• To see a photo [of a model]

www.lakegeorgekayak.com
Neysa Narena Email: nnarena@earthlink.net Tel: 301-345-6324

Patuxent Adventure Center - Events & Discounts
Patuxent Adventure Center, which is sponsoring the Potomac River Swim is offering a 10% discount on Quintanaroo wetsuits with this ad. (Also available: kayak and bike rentals)

Visit them at: www.paxadventure.com

Upcoming Events:

• Bike Tour de Solomon (Metric Century) June 12
• Kayak Tours of Mill Creek, Clarke's Landing, Cove Point, Hungerford Creek, & Barrin Island

 Photo Credits

all photos - by Cheryl Wagner except:
Eric Nordlund - Debbie Morrin-Nordlund
Christy Garth-Blazer - UM sports website
Polar Bears - Joke of the Day
Germantown Masters - Mark Walters
Alexandria Masters - Ray Novitske
Fairfax County Masters - Frauke Nitschke
Dee of St. Mary's - thebaylab.org
Flying Cows - Joke of the Day

 Events Calendar

      Swimming Calendar

May 15, Jun 19
Clay Britt Swim Clinics - Washington DC clay@claybrittswimming.com www.claybrittswimming.com

Jun 2-13
10th FINA World Masters Championships - Riccione, Italy LCM; X FINA World Masters Championships, Roma, Italia, (39)0636200469, (39)0636200031 (fax), info@masters2004 ; Entries by mail and on line (January 2004) - no email or fax; www.masters2004.it ; Entry Deadline 4/3/2004 (received)

Jul 11
Terrapin Masters 800/1500 LCM Meet - UM Campus Rec Natatorium, College Park, MD Pre- and Deck entries. Info: Dave Diehl phone: 301-946-0649 (H) before 9pm please or 301-314-5372 (W) or email: dd119@umail.umd.edu Web: www.crosslink.net/~cherylw/meet800.htm

Jul 25
DCRP 23rd Annual Long Course Meet - East Potomac Park, Hains Point, Washington DC. Info: Max Kukoy (202) 723-6009 max@maxwebworks.com www.pvmasters.org Entries deadline: July 17 (postmarked)

Aug 12-15
2004 USMS Long Course Championships - Chatham Cty Aquatic Center, Savannah, GALCM; Scott Rabalais, 4 McLaughlin Ct., Savannah, GA 31419, 912-927-7016, scottrabalais@compuserve.com ; Sanctioned GA LMSC

      Open Water Calendar

May 30, 2004
Jim McDonnell 1 & 2 Mile Lake Swims - Lake Audubon, Reston, VA OW; Gordon Gerson, Reston Masters Swim Team, 703-845-SWIM (7946), usna58@comcast.net; www.restonmasters.org ; Sanctioned by PV LMSC

Jun 5, 2004
Potomac River Swim 7.5 Mile Swim - Cheryl Wagner Email: cherylw@crosslink.net Web: www.crosslink.net/~cherylw/pr2004i.htm

Jun 12, 2004
2004 USMS 5K Open Water Championship - Atlantic Ocean, Fernandina, FL OW; Edward Gaw, 2500 Atlantic Ave., Fernandina Beach, FL 32034, edginc@att.net ; Sponsored by Fernandina Beach P & R

Jun 13, 2004
Chesapeake Bay 4.4 Mile Swim and 1 Mile Challenge - www.lin-mark.com

Jun 10-13, 2004
10th FINA World Masters Championships - 3K Open Water - Riccione Beach, Riccione, Italy OW; X FINA World Masters Championships, c/o Federazione Italiana Nuoto, Stadio Olimpico, Curva Nord, 00194 Roma, Italia, (39)0636200469, (39)0636200031 (fax), info@masters2004 ; Entries by mail and on line (January 2004) - no email or fax. 90 minute time limit will apply; www.masters2004.it/programme_openwater.asp

Jun 19, 2004
Swim for Life 1,2,3,4,5 mile Swims - Rolph's Wharf Chestertown, MD Info: Dawson Nash swimmerdn4321@aol.com www.swimdcac.org www.crosslink.net/~cherylw/sfl2003i.htm

June 20, 2004
1 Mile Open Water Swim - Virginia Beach VA. For info. Sharon Petit, email: sep71cp91@msn.com

Jun 25, 2004
Independence Day 1 Mile Swim - Friday June 25, 2004 - Somers Point, NJ www.lmsports.com

Jun 26, 2004
CT Open Water Championships / Madison Mile - Madison, CT OW; Dave Parcells, 17 Yankee Glen Dr, Madison, CT 06443, 203-606-4529, dave@force5sports.com ; www.force5sports.com ; Pre-entry & Deck-entry

Jun 26, 2004
2004 USMS 2-Mile Cable Championship - Eagle Creek Reservoir, Indianapolis, IN OW; Mel Goldstein, 5735 Carrollton Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46220, 317-253-8289, goldstein@mindspring.com ;

June 27, 2004
1 Mile & 2 Mile Lehigh River Swim - Allentown, PA; Contact James Platt, P.O. Box 3304, Allentown, PA 18106: jhp35@hotmail.com or Mike Seip, seip@enter.net

Jun 27, 2004
2004 USMS 1 Mi Open Water Championship - Wildwood, NJ OW; Vicki Anders, 6 Lingate Rd, Owings Mills, MD 21117, 410-502-5395, andervi@jhmi.edu

July 3, 2004
28.5 Mile Swim Around Manhattan Island - NYC, NY B entry due February 29th. Contact for relays and solo swims: www.nycswim.org

July 3, 2004
1.3 Mile or a 5 K Bridge to Bridge Bay Race - Atlantic City NJ Contact Sid & Kara K. Cassidy www.acacswim.org Email: sacassidy@comcast.net or call (609-653-0939). 4:30 & 6 p.m. Start!!

Jul 10, 2004
Captain Craig 1 mile swim - 14th St and the Beach, Ocean City, MD Awards Swim 6:30 p.m. - Registration at 5:00 p.m. Contact Harvey Evans at 410.749.7467 for more information or visit www.openwaterswimsocmd.org

Jul 10, 2004
2004 USMS 10K Open Water Championship - Huntington Bay, Huntington, NY OW; Bea Hartigan, 27 Huntington Rd, Huntington, NY 11743-1702, 631-271-3349, bea10k@yahoo.com

Jul 17, 2004
2004 USMS 3.5K Open Water Championship - Applegate Lake, Jacksonville, OR OW; Dan Gray, RVM Lake Swim, PO Box 3338, Ashland, OR 97520, 541-890-5483, dangray45@hotmail.com

Jul 17, 2004
1 Mile Ocean Swim, 7th Annual Swim For the Dolphins - Wildwood Crest, NJ. Dave Hirsch: (609-465-5590). Sat 6 PM Start at Rambler Rd. & the Beach. Contact L & M Computer Sports, 89 Park Drive, Berlin, NJ 08009. www.lmsports.com

Jul 17, 2004
2.4 Mile Race for the River - (Hudson River Swim). World Financial Center to Chelsea Piers. (Sat.) www.nycswim.org

Jul 17, 2004
0.5 Mile Cove to Cove Swim - New York City, NY. www.nycswim.org

Jul 17, 2004
Betsy Owens Memorial 2-Mile Cable Swim - Mirror Lake, Lake Placid, NY OW; Mary Field, 366 Burgoyne Rd, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, 518-583-4048, frankfield@earthlink.net ; Sanctioned by AD LMSC

Jul 17, 2004
1.2 Mi Swim Buzzards Bay 2004 - New Bedford, MA OW; Michelle Frey, 620 Belleville Ave., New Bedford, MA 02745, 508-999-6363 (x208), frey@savebuzzardsbay.org ; John Vasconcellos, vasconcellos@savebuzzardsbay.org ; www.savebuzzardsbay.org/events/swim-buzzards-bay.htm

Jul 17, 2004
Chris Greene Lake 2 mile Cable Swim - Charlottesville, Virginia. Entry must be in no later than July 7, 2004. www.vaswim.org

Jul 24, 2004
1 Mile Ocean Swim - Ocean City, NJ (34th Street) www.lmsports.com Darren Hickman (Sat.) (609) 926-9191: darrenhickman@hotmail.com The 24th Annual Masters Ocean Swim starts at 6:30 p.m. Register at 34th Street.

Jul 24, 2004
1.7 Mi Save The Bay Swim - Narragansett Bay, Newport, RI OW; John Martin, 434 Smith St., Providence, RI 02908, 401-272-3540 (x131), jmartin@savebay.org ; Kim Crawley, 401-272-3540 (x119), kcrawley@savebay.org ; www.savebay.org/swim/index04.asp ; Entry Deadline 7/14/2004

Jul 31, 2004
2nd Annual Metropolitan 1 mile Open Swim - Point Lookout, Town of Hempstead Beach, NY www.aquafitmasters.com

Aug 1, 2004
1 Mile Park to Park Swim - New York City, NY www.nycswim.org

Aug 1, 2004
Boston Light 8 Mile Swim - Boston MA www.bostonlightswim.org

Aug 7, 2004
25K Swim Across the Sound - Bridgeport, CT OW; Dave Parcells, 17 Yankee Glen Dr, Madison, CT 06443, 203-606-4529, dave@force5sports.com ; Amateur solo and relay teams; www.swimacrossthesound.org ; Entry Deadline 5/31/2004

Aug 7, 2004
1.2 Mi Celebrate the Clean Harbor Swim - Niles Beach, Gloucester, MA OW; Richie Martin, 978-281-0670, lilomartin@adelphia.net; Wetsuits allowed; www.sandydog.com/swim/harborswimindex.htm ; Pre & deck-entry

Aug 14, 2004
Island Beach Two Mile Swim - Greenwich, CT OW; Joh Harnett, 201-798-7100 (x323), jharnett@grmims.com ; www.gscevents.org ; Sanctioned by CT LMSC; Entry Deadline 8/7/2004

Aug 15, 2004
Rainbow Channel Challenge - Somers Point NJ www.rainbowchannelchallenge.com

Aug 21, 2004
The Great Hudson River Swim - 2.8 miles Hudson River New York, NY www.nycswim.org

Aug 21, 2004
Yates Memorial 1 mile swim - Atlantic City NJ www.pressofatlanticcity.com/listings/pages/swim.html

Aug 22, 2004
Middle Atlantic Swimming Open Water Swimming Championships - Atlantic City NJ www.pressofatlanticcity.com/listings/pages/swim.html

Aug 29, 2004
Brigantine Bayfest Swim - Atlantic City NJ www.pressofatlanticcity.com/listings/pages/swim.html

Sep 4, 2004
Atlantic City 1.5 Mile Pageant Swim - Atlantic City, NJ www.acacswim.org

Sep 10, 2004
Across the Bay Fun Swim - Atlantic City NJ www.pressofatlanticcity.com/listings/pages/swim.html

Sep 11, 2004
10K for the USA - (FINA World Cup Event) Atlantic City, NJ www.acacswim.org

Sep 18, 2004
Little Red Lighthouse Swim - 7.8 miles Hudson River New York, NY www.nycswim.org

Sep 18, 2004
Wildwood Bay Swim - Wildwood NJ www.pressofatlanticcity.com/listings/pages/swim.html

Sep 25, 2004
Sunfest 1K, 3K, 5K Swim - Ocean City, MD. Info: SunfestSwimming@comcast.net

      Multi-Sports Calendar

May 8
Smith Mountain Lake Triathlon - Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia; Swim 750 meters, Bike 12.4 miles, Run 3.1 miles Location: Smith Mountain Lake State Park email: billscott@set-upinc.com www.set-upinc.com

May 8
White Lake NC Half Ironman - distance triathlon, www.set-upinc.com

May 9
White Lake NC Sprint Triathlon - www.set-upinc.com

May 9
Annapolis Seaport Triathlon - Annapolis, Maryland: www.trifind.com

May 15
Odyssey Off-Road Tri-Duathlon Triathlon Pro Extreme - Sherando, Virginia: Phone: (757) 425-2445 Fax: (757) 425-9477 email: info@oarevents.com www.oarevents.com

May 17
USATF 24th Annual UCP 5K CORPORATE RUN - Phila. Museum of Art, Phila., PA www.lin-mark.com

May 16
Ocean City Aquatic & Fitness Triathlon - Ocean City, NJ www.lmsports.com

May 16
Manassas Mini-Triathlon - Manassas, Virginia email: ina@triitnow.com Web: www.triitnow.com

May 22
2nd Annual MISS NJ SCHOLARSHIP 5K - Registration & Awards conducted Indoors at Ocean City Music Pier, Moorlyn Terr. & the Boardwalk, Ocean City, NJ www.lin-mark.com

May 22
4th Annual Pine Barrens Sprint Distance Triathlon - Shamong, NJ. www.insidetri.com/calendar/

May 23
PURE Sprint AR - Pittsburgh, PA. 20 miles. (814) 397-4316; doug@americanadventuresports.com ; www.americanadventuresports.com

May 23
Columbia Triathlon Swim - Ellicott Maryland: City, MD 1500 Meters, Bike 25.5 Miles, Run 6.2 Miles Location: Centennial Lake/Park email: events@tricolumbia.org www.tricolumbia.org

May 29
Collingswood May Fair Run & Skate - Collingswood, NJ www.lmsports.com

May 30
Liberty (New York) to Liberty (Phildelphia) triathlon - www.envirosports.com

May 30
Cape May NJ Triathlon and Duathlon - www.triath.com

May 31
Port Richmond 5K Run & Skate - Port Richmond, PA www.lmsports.com

Jun 4
BATTLE OF MIDWAY 10K & 1.5 MILE FUN RUN - Willow Grove Naval Air Station, Willow Grove, PA ALL CIVILIANS MUST PRE-ENTER BY 5/31. www.lin-mark.com

Jun 5
Pocomoke Triathlon - Pocomoke, Maryland: Swim _ mile www.triamerica.com

Jun 6
Cape May Triathlon/Duathlon - www.triath.com

Jun 9-13
Tour of Shenandoah cycling - Waynesboro VA www.tourofshenandoah.com

Jun12
Owl Hill Cycling Road Race - Lancaster PA www.bikereg.com

Jun 12
Tri-America - Kids - Hampton, Virginia Ages 7-10: Swim 100 yards, Bike 3 miles, Run 0.6 miles Ages 11-14: Swim 200 yards, Bike 6 miles, Run 1.2 miles www.triamerica.com

Jun 12
18th Annual THUNDERGUST TRIATHLON & 2nd Annual DUATHLON - Main Beach Area at Park Office, Parvin State Park, Pittsgrove, NJ www.lin-mark.com

Jun 13
The 11th Annual Spud Triathlon / Duathlon - Indian Head, Maryland, Phone: (410) 593-9662 Fax: (410) 593-9664 email: jaeger@erols.com www.triath.com

Jun 13
Blackwater EagleMan Triathlon - Cambridge, MD Swim 1.2 miles, Bike 56 miles, Run 13.1 miles Location: Choptank River - Great Marsh Park email: events@tricolumbia.org www.tricolumbia.org

Jun 13
Tri-America Triathlon Series - Hampton, VA Phone: (352) 394-1320 email: info@usatri.com www.triamerica.com/content/home.php

Jun 13
Georgia Rock 'N Roll Man - half iron distance triathlon, Macon GA www.set-upinc.com

Jun 18-23
Bike Virginia - www.bikevirginia.org

Jun 19
Lt. Mitch Maiorana Memorial Run - Swim-Run 40th Street and the Beach Ocean City, MD Challenging race open to individuals and 3 person teams. 1.5 mile beach run, followed by .5 mile ocean swim and 1.5 mile beach run. Prizes. Registration fee. Saturday 7:00 a.m. Contact Harvey Evans at 410.749.7467 or www.openwaterswimsocmd.org

Jun 19
4th Annual Escape from Fort Delaware - Delaware City, DE 1.5K Swim, 40K Bik 10K Run www.lin-mark.com

Jun 19
Over The Mountain Triathlon - Kings Mountain NC www.set-upinc.com

Jun 19
Charlottesville Sprint Triathlon - Charlottesville VA www.raggedmountainrunning.com

Jun 19
Genesis Adventures Mid - Atlantic Race Series Race #1, Fayetteville, PA www.active.com

Jun 19
Xterra Austria - email: info@xterra.at; web: www.xterra.at

Jun 20
Middletown Sprint Triathlon - Middletown, DE www.lmsports.com

Jun 20
Baltimore Aquathon - Baltimore, Maryland: Long: Swim 2 miles Run 6.2 miles Medium: Swim 1 mile Run 4 miles Short: Swim _ mile Run 2.5 miles www.triath.com

Jun 20
Wilkes-Barre Duathlon - Wilkes-Barre, PA. 3mi R/15mi B/3mi R. 570/881-8909. www.insidetri.com/calendar/

Jun 26
1st Annual MOOSEMAN ON-OFF ROAD TRIATHLONS - White Forest National Park, NH www.lin-mark.com

Jun 26
Bath County Triathlon - Warm Springs VA www.set-upinc.com

Jun 26
Brownstown Cycling Road Race - Lancaster PA www.bikereg.com

Jun 27
Kure Beach Double Sprint Triathlon - NC www.set-upinc.com

Jun 27
ACE Canyon Off-Road Triathlon - Oak Hill, WV. 1.5mi S/7mi R/10mi B. 888/223-7238; director@aceraft.com; www.aceraft.com

Jun 27
Steelman Duathlon - www.triath.com

Jul 3
Freedom Run and Roll - Mays Landing, NJ www.lmsports.com

Jul 4
Altoona 15K Run - Altoona PA http://63.175.222.24/communications%5Cevent.asp?id=2380

Jul 6
New Balance BEAST of the EAST - Big South Fork River and Recreation Area, TN. 4-Day. 757/645-3397; info@oarevents.com ; www.OARevents.com

Jul 7
Splash and Dash Swim/Run Duathlon - Marlton Lakes, NJ. 1/4 mile S/ 5k R. 856-547-0744; cisellers@comcast.net ; www.dqtridu.com

Jul 10
4th Annual Diamond in the Rough Triathlon 2004 - Perryville, MD USAT: 1 mi.swim, 27 mi.bike, 5 mi. run www.piranha-sports.com

Jul 11
STATEN ISLAND FLAT AS A PANCAKE TRIATHLON & DUATHLON - Midland Beach, Staten Island, NY TRI: 1/4 Ocean Swim - 12 Mi.Bk., 5K Run DU: 2 Mi. Run - 12 Mi. Bike - 5K Run www.lin-mark.com

Jul 11
Towamencin Triathlon - Towamencin, PA www.lmsports.com

Jul 11
Triangle Sprint Triathlon - Raleigh NC www.set-upinc.com

Jul 11
Colonial Beach Triathlon - Colonial Beach VA Fredericksburg YMCA ww.farc.org

Jul 17
Muncie Endurathon - half ironman distance triathlon, Muncie IN www.muncieendurathon.com

Jul 17
Murad Memorial Cycling Road Race - www.aabikes.com

Jul 17
Strasburg Cycling Road Race - Lancaster PA www.bikereg.com

Jul 18
Commonwealth Games - Roanoke VA www.commonwealthgames.org

Jul 18
EX2 Adventures Off-Road Triathlon - a Nissan Xterra Points Series Race, Flintstone, MD www.active.com

Jul 18
2nd Annual Cedarfest Mountain Bike Duathlon - Waldorf, Maryland, Cedarville State Park Phone: (410) 593-9662 Fax: (410) 593-9664 email: jaeger@erols.com www.triath.com

Jul 24
Sprint triathlon - Salisbury NC www.set-upinc.com

Jul 25
Riverwatch Triathlon / Duathlon - North East, Maryland, Location: North East Community Park Phone: (410) 593-9662 Fax: (410) 593-9664 email: jaeger@erols.com www.triath.com

Jul 31
12 Hours of the Wisp - www.triath.com

Aug 8
USAT WILKES BARRE TRIATHLON - Penn State Campus, Lehman Twp., PA 1.5K Swim - 40K Bike - 11K Run www.lin-mark.com

Aug 14
Jersey Genesis Triathlon - Saturday, August 14, 2004 - Port Republic, NJ www.lmsports.com

Aug 15
4th Annual Lums Pond Triathlon & Duathlon - Lums Pond State Park Bear , DE USAT Sanctioned & Officiated Triathlon www.piranha-sports.com

Aug 15
Son of a Spud Triathlon - Indian Head, Maryland Triathlon, General Smallwood State Park Phone: (410) 593-9662 Fax: (410) 593-9664 email: jaeger@erols.com www.triath.com

Aug 15
Covered Bridge Metric - cycling, Lancaster PA www.active.com

Aug 15
MABRA Time Trial - cycling championship, Boonesboro PA Antietam Velo Club, www.mabra.org

Aug 21
4th Annual TIMBERMAN HALF-IRON DISTANCE TRIATHLON and the TIMBERMAN SPRINT TRIATHLON - Lake Winnipesaukee, NH www.lin-mark.com

Aug 21
Genesis Adventures Mid-Atlantic Race Series #2 - Strasburg, VA www.lin-mark.com

Aug 29
14th Annual LIGHTER THAN AIR DUATHLON - Lakehurst Naval Air Station Lakehurst, NJ 3 Mi. Run - 20 Mile Bike - 2 Mi. Trail Run www.lin-mark.com

Aug 29
Gateway to the Mountain Fat-Tire Triathlon - www.triath.com

Sep 5
Inaugural Centreville Sprint Triathlon - Centreville, VA www.lin-mark.com

Sep 11
Noell Maerz Patriot Triathlon - Doylestown, PA www.lin-mark.com

Sep 12
Delaware Diamondman Triathlon - Lums Pond State Park, Bear, DE USAT Sanctioned & Officiated Triathlon www.piranha-sports.com

Sep 19
18th Annaul SKYLANDS TRIATHLON & DUATHLON - Spruce Run State Park, Clinton, NJ Tri: .50 Swim - 14.1 Mi.Bike - 5K Run Du: 5K Run - 14.1 Mi.Bike - 5K Run www.lin-mark.com

Sep 24
Beachcomber Sun/Fun Run - 40th Street and Beach Ocean City, MD 5k (3.1 mile) one-way run beside the Atlantic Ocean to the heart of fabulous Sunfest. Awards - Registration fee. Friday 4:00 p.m. - Contact Harvey Evans at 410-749-7467 or visit www.openwaterswimsocmd.org for more information.

Sep 25
GRANITE LEDGES TRIATHLON - Wellington State Park, NH www.lin-mark.com

Sep 25
Odyssey Half IRON Triathlon - Lake Anna State Park, Spotsylvania, VA www.active.com

Oct 3
To the Point Triathlon/Duathlon - www.triath.com

Oct 9
Seagull Century Bike Ride - Salisbury MD 100 mile or 100 km bike ride. www.seagullcentury.org

Oct 9
Chesapeake Man Ironman - Cambridge, Maryland Swim 2.4 miles, Bike 112 miles, Run 26.2 miles Location: Great Marsh Park, Cambridge, MD Register On-Line at: www.tricolumbia.org

Oct 8-10
Odyssey Double & Triple IRON Triathon - Lake Anna State Park, Spotsylvania, VA www.active.com

Oct 10
Cape Henlopen Triathlon/Duathlon - Cape Henlopen State Park, DE www.piranha-sports.com

Oct 24
Greeting of the Geese Duathlon - www.triath.com

Nov 7
Rosaryville MTB Duathlon - www.triath.com

Visit:
www.active.com
www.cooltri.com
www.envirosports.com
www.insidetri.com/calendar
www.lin-mark.com
www.oarevents.com
www.paadventureracing.com
www.set-upinc.com
www.triath.com
www.triathlete.com
www.tricolumbia.org
for details and more events.