Newsletter of the Potomac Valley Masters Committee
September 2010

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

Newsletter Schedule printed 3 times a year

• January (deadline: December 15)
• June (deadline: May 15)
• September (deadline: August 15)

Newsletter Editor
• Cheryl Wagner
• phone: 202-387-2361
• fax: 202-478-0948
• email: cherylw@crosslink.net
• online version: Ray Novitske

  Note from the Chair

Greetings Potomac Valley Masters Swimmers!

It is hard to believe that it has been a year since I was elected chairman of our corner of the swimming world - seems like we have had way too much activity for such a short time!

This June, we sent three Potomac Valley coaches to SwimFest '10, a USMS-sponsored coaches clinic in San Diego. This was SwimFest's second year, and the feedback we got from our coaches was great - all seemed to get quite a few benefits from the event and we hope to bring that information to more area coaches in the future.

We had only two meets in the LMSC this summer - DCRP's 29th Annual LC Meet at Hains Point and the Terrapin Cup/Colonies Zone LC Championships at UMD. Both were very well attended, and we hope to encourage more teams to host events throughout the year in SCM, SCY and LCM. We also had a small, yet strong contingent of Potomac Valley swimmers in Puerto Rico for USMS Summer LC Nationals, which included several USMS National Champions and a 5th place Club Team finish from Reston Masters.

I've used this column to promote postal swims and this fall (Sept 15-Nov 15) is the annual 3000/6000 SCY Postal Championship. These postal swims are a great chance to test individual fitness levels as well as for some team bonding.

Finally, I would like to invite all swimmers, coaches and team reps to the last LMSC Meeting of the year, which will be held after the conclusion of the Patriot Masters Sprint Classic on October 24. Come out to learn more about your local masters swim community and how you can get involved!

See you at the pool! -Jeff

Solutions for Common Cycling Aches & Pains
Source: www.active.com/cycling/Articles
by the Editors of Bicycling

As you begin logging more miles, aches and pains can start cropping up. The usual culprits: poor riding position, imbalanced muscles, a weak core or just another birthday. "With new riders, you can usually blame poor bike fit or equipment setup, or a training error, like going out for 50 miles on their first ride of the season," says Andy Pruitt, EdD, director of Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, in Colorado. If you're a seasoned cyclist, the culprit is generally wear and tear. Your body has grown accustomed to your bike setup and training regimen over the years, then suddenly you have knee or back pain. General aches and pains can be remedied with traditional treatments such as rest, ice and anti-inflammatories-and with the following fixes.

Hip Pain
WHAT AND WHY: Pushing excessively high gears can wreak havoc on your hips, as can tight muscles and weak glutes.
FIX: Gear back and increase your cadence to take pressure off your hips. Follow the glute-strengthening advice in Knee (below). Do yoga poses like the pigeon, where one leg is bent 90 degrees in front of you and the other is extended behind you.

Knee Pain
WHAT AND WHY: Achy hinges are usually a result of incorrect saddle and/or cleat position, weak outer glutes, and doing too much too soon, especially in a big gear.
FIX: Generally, if it hurts in the front of your knee, your saddle is too low. Pain in the back means it's too high. Spin an easier gear. Strengthen your outer glutes with lateral leg exercises like side lunges and side leg raises. Stretch your quads, iliotibial bands and hamstrings. Get a professional bike fit.

Foot Pain
WHAT AND WHY: You experience hot spots, pain under the ball of your foot, numb toes when pressure is concentrated on one part of your sole, squeezing the nerves between your foot bones. Hot spots can happen to longtime cyclists who've never had such pain because the fat pads in our feet shrink over time, leaving the nerves less protected, says Pruitt.
FIX: For numbness, loosen your shoes. Already loose? Try a wider shoe. For burning, slide your cleats all the way back, switch to shoes with a stiffer sole or try wider-platform pedals. "Change your foot beds regularly," Pruitt says. "Change them once a year if you ride 5,000 miles or less; more often if you put in higher mileage."

Back Pain
WHAT AND WHY: Fatigue, age-related wear and tear, poor bike fit and a weak core can cause pain and strain.
FIX: Perform plank exercises to strengthen your core. Stretch your hamstrings. Check your bike fit to see that you're not overreaching (see Neck, below), keeping in mind that over the years you may need to tweak your riding position to compensate for decreased flexibility.

Hand Pain
WHAT AND WHY: Excess pressure on nerves in your hand can cause numb, tingly fingers and pain in your wrists. Also, you may have too much weight on your hands or have your wrists cocked at too extreme an angle.
FIX: Wear lightly padded gloves. Hold the bar with your wrists in a neutral position (like when you shake someone's hand). Check that the nose of your saddle isn't tipped down, shifting your weight too far forward and onto your hands.

Neck Pain
WHAT AND WHY: Over-reaching causes tension through your shoulders and upper back.
FIX: When you look at the front wheel with your hands on the hoods, your bar should obstruct your view of the hub. Relax your shoulders when you ride.

Ankle Pain
WHAT AND WHY: Pain in the back of your ankle is a symptom of Achilles tendonitis-generally brought on by doing too much too soon. Having your cleats too far forward, which makes you pedal on your toes, can also strain the Achilles.
FIX: Ice the area and use anti-inflammatories. Stretch by placing the ball of your foot on a step and letting your heel hang off the edge. Hold for 20 seconds. Also, move your cleats back.

Jeff Roddin & Ann Svenson Receive USMS Service Award

Jeff Roddin, Ann Svenson
(photo provided by D Morrin-Nordlund)

Team Trophy Award Winners - Colonies Zone 2010 LCM Meet

Large Team Division Winners (for teams with 17+ team members):
Virginia Masters Swim Team, 1266 points

Medium Team Division Winners (teams with 6-16 team members):
Colonials 1776, 463 points

Small Team Division Winners (teams with 5 or fewer team members):
Pennypack Aquatic and Fitness Club, 200 points
Congratulations!

Potomac Valley LMSC Results from 2010 USMS LCM National Championships

Kelley Lemmon of International Hall of Fame by Ann Svenson
Ann Lyttle, Kelley Lemmon, Ann Svenson	Kelley Lemmon is one of two PV members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, in Fort Lauderdale. The other is former DCM Jayne Bruner. (photo provided by Ann Svenson)

Former Terrapin, Marisa Frieder, Swims 11 of Portland's Bridges
Source: www.dailynewsofopenwaterswimming.com
Copyright © 2010 by Steven Munatones

Marisa Frieder, a 40-year-old microbiologist, completed her personal goal to swim under all 11 of Portland (Oregon)'s bridges - 10.7 miles from the Sellwood to the St. Johns - and became the first person to do it in the process - in 5 hours and 18 minutes.

Following the traditional Channel Swimming Association rules under the watchful observer's eye of Tim Cespedes and with Michelle Macy as the pace swimmer, Marisa's Willamette River Swim took place on a chilly and gray morning in the American Northwest under calm, flat conditions.

"I think the accomplishment and the meaning of the swim are still sinking in for me. My coach, Jon Clark, did a really, really great job of training and preparing me for this. There were no surprises and I knew I could do it. On the other hand, there were no surprises. I swam an hour longer on Saturday than I did on my training swim last Saturday. So it felt... normal. One of my teammates said something about how my transforming myself from a breaststroke sprinter to a long-distance freestyler gives her hope that we can all do things that we don't expect from ourselves. I hadn't thought of that, and it feels kind of good. This whole experience has been so humbling."

Name	Age	Team	Time
Abigail Nunn (F)	20	UNAT-VA	40:07.05
Eney Jones (F)	49	SYSM-FL	43:04.92
Christopher LaBianco (M)	39	BLU-FL	39:59.99
Larry Wood (M)	56	TXLA-ST	43:40.61

Terps at the Reston Swim Photo by Allyson Adams	Terps at the Chesapeake Bay Swim 6/12/10 Photo by Allyson Adams
PV San Juan 1.5K Open Water Team L to R: Jeff Strahota, Cory Davis, John Carlson, Jen Carlson, Julie Roddin, Jeff Roddin (Photo by Mollie Grover)	September Splash - Wildwood Crest, NJ Allyson Adams (photo from Allyson)

DCAC's Annual Swim for Life: A Dripping Success

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On July 10th, more than 200 swimmers, boaters, and volunteers participated in the 19th Annual Maryland Swim for Life, an open water swim competition and fundraising event to benefit Washington, DC-area. The fundraising event raised more than $30,000 for HIV/AIDS non-profit organizations in the metropolitan area, as well as benefited local watershed organizations that advocate for clean, local waters.

This year's swim, held in the Chester River in Chestertown, Maryland, proved that the event has strong roots in the community. Despite gloomy weather predictions, pouring rain, and the possibility that lightning might require the event to be postponed or cancelled, hundreds of swimmers, kayakers, boaters, and volunteers arrived early to register for the swim, launch their kayak, or volunteer for various positions throughout the race. "I was stunned by the turn-out," said Nell Orscheln, 2010 Swim for Life Co-Race Director, "it shows the commitment people have for this special event. I was honored to be a part of it."

This year's course was altered and the start delayed to accommodate the weather conditions. "At one point, all the kayakers and safety boaters launched to set up along the course, and then minutes later we had to call them back because of thunder," said Kathy Kirmayer, 2010 Swim for Life Co-Race Director. "Thankfully, the thunderstorm passed and while there was still heavy rain, we shortened the course, sent the boaters back out, and got the swimmers lined up on the beach - they were still excited to go!"

Competing in this year's race were three wounded warriors from Walter Reed Army Medical Center who inspired everyone with their courage and dedication as they came over the finish line. As the wounded warriors finished the race, there was a large eruption of cheer from the volunteers and swimmers on the beach. There were also many cheers on shore when the kayakers, organized by Robert Pearlman of the Chesapeake Paddlers Association, came to shore after they had assured every swimmer had returned to the beach safely. "There was a special awareness for the importance of the kayakers this year by the swimmers and volunteers," said Kirmayer, "safety was more important than every this year, and the kayakers made this event happen."

In its 19th year, the Maryland Swim for Life is sponsored and run by the District of Columbia Aquatics Club, a local masters swim team. The swim begins and ends at Rolph's Wharf on the Chester River, which is one of the Chesapeake Bay's most beautiful tributaries. Athletes have the choice of swimming 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 miles and must raise a minimum of $100 to participate. Proceeds from the event benefit various small organizations that assist individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS in the DC metropolitan area, along with the Chester River Association which advocates for clean waters in the Chester River and Chesapeake Bay.

Proceeds from this event go to the following organizations:
• Pediatric AIDS/HIV Care, Inc. (www.pediatricaidshivcare.org)
• Quality of Life Retreats - (qualityofliferetreatshiv.org)
• Chester River Association - (chesterriverassociation.org)
• Chester Valley Ministers Association
• Heart to Hand, Inc.

Colonies Zone LCM Meet Aug 21-22
by Jeff Strahota

Thank you to all who entered and were able to help make our event a success. In the end, we had 188 swimmers swimming nearly 750 events and 35 relays. There were several individual (Peter Galan, Jerry Frentsos, Chris Stevenson) and Relay (VMST) records that were established at our meet. Anyone who swam the 1500 and won your age group, you are a Colonies Zone Meet Record holder! And I heard from several people who established lifetime and age-group bests at the meet. Congrats to all!

Some other cool happenings - we had one swimmer who swam exactly his seed time - Luis Sanchez Torrente (NCYM) 50 free 27.03; two other swimmers who were just .01 off - Todd Goings WARR 100 breast 1:10.50/.49 and Alexandra Wessel (UNAT) 100 back 1:15.00/.01; plus, Hannah Caldas (NCMS) was our most accurate seeder, coming within a tenth of her seed time on 3 of 5 swims. For those who submitted split requests, please be sure to thank our meet's Diamondback Sponsor Steve Newman of Badger Masters. His support of this meet enabled you to get those for free! These funds, as well as those from the relays, are DIRECTLY supporting the UMD Varsity Swimming, Diving and Water Polo programs - so thank you for your support!

If you've looked already, you've seen that results are posted on our website and will also be on SwimPhone at some point this evening as well. Please take a look through - especially with relays - and let us know if we have everything correct. Thank you again for coming to our meet and supporting this event.

Jeff Strahota, Meet Director, on behalf of Terrapin Masters
All Meet photos can be viewed at: www.colonieszone.org

National Capitol YMCA		PAFC, Virginia Masters & 1776
Alexandria Masters (Front: Kelly Anne & Tim Creazzo; Back: Rose Jones & Ray Novitske)		1776
Warrenton Masters		Sally Guthrie

DCRP Meet 7/25/10

Swimmers from 18 teams (not counting unattached) attended the DCRP meet on July 25, some from as far away as Hawaii. The top three teams for combined scores are: 1) Reston 2) DCRP and 3) DCAC.

The weather was hot and sunny and swimmers took advantage of the chance to catch some rays and try for personal LCM bests. The meet ran efficiently and was over shortly after noon; followed by the PV meeting.

Complete results can be viewed at www.swimdcrp.org/files/2010_DCRP_Meet_Results.pdf

timers		RMST
Michelle Moyer		RMST
Juliette & Christine		Cara Erskine, Juliana Galan, Mollie Grover, Julie Roddin

Registration Notes
by Jeff Roddin

If your household is receiving more than one copy of The Swimmer's Ear and you would prefer not to receive the extra copies, please email Jeff Roddin (jroddin@pvmasters.org) and let him know which registered PV swimmers wish to be "unsubscribed." Please note the newsletter may also be viewed online at www.pvmasters.org so if you wish to save us mailing costs please also contact Jeff to "unsubscribe" to the printed issue. Likewise you may contact Jeff to unsubscribe from Swimmer magazine.

PVLMSC Meeting Minutes - July 25, 2010
** Preliminary - subject to approval **
Recorded by Cheryl Wagner

Introductions

Approval of Last Meeting's Minutes

Reports:

Chair (Jeff Strahota)
- Two LCM meets in PV this summer (Hains Point, Zones/Terrapin Cup)
- Sent three PV coaches to Swimfest (paid for by PV): Lisa Wolf (DCAC/ANCM), Dominic Latella (FBST), Juliette DeSousa (DCRP)

Registrar (Jeff Roddin)
- PV is still growing - 10% bigger than last year at this time
    June 30, 2010 - 2471 members
    June 30, 2009 - 2248 members
    June 30, 2008 - 1952 members

- Reston had its largest ever One Event registration at Lake Swim: 274 OEVTs
- Possible new club "YMCA of Reston" - hasn't registered but has inquired

Top Ten (Jeff Roddin)
- PV now owns a laser measurer (Contact Jeff Roddin in advance to use it)
- 2009/2010 SCY season ended May 31 and Top Ten should be final in August

Sanctions (Deb Morrin-Nordlund)
- All meet sponsors got their $100 deposit back
- Evaluators solicited for meets:
    . Terrapin Cup - Jeff Roddin
    . Sprint Classic - Ray Novitske
- Tropical Splash is scheduled for Jan 30, 2011
- If a meet has online entries, Deb needs to see website in order to sanction.
- Pool must be 3'6" deep for diving entry

Treasurer (Tim Timmons)
- Doing great
- $24,349.01 in checking
- $32,426.95 in savings
- Running profit - last 12 months
- USMS asked for copy of our IRS Form 990
- Everything working efficiently
- Jeff Roddin suggested we donate $100 to USMS (in lieu of his annual Top Ten stipend). Tim suggested we decide what to donate at last meeting of year.
- $1,000 being donated from Reston one-event proceeds to Melanoma Foundation

Secreatry (Cheryl Wagner)
- No report

Newsletter (Cheryl Wagner)
- June newsletter went out

Awards (Julie Roddin)
- SCM, SCY, & LCM awards presented at Colonies Zone meet in April.
- Will present awards again next April.

Officials (Eric Nordlund)
- Working on Masters certification at USMS level

Fitness (Diana Corbin)
- No report

Open Water/Long Distance (Denis Crean)
- No report

Old Business
Amend by-laws: Team registration fee policy
Current policy is $50 annual fee if you attend at least one board meeting per year; if you don't you pay an extra $50 the following year when you renew the club. Propose making a $100 team registration fee for all with $50 refunded at the end of the year if you attend at least one meeting. Jeff Roddin suggested you should get credit for attending meeting if you host a meet since our intent is to encourage participation at the LMSC level. May complicate things for new teams since new teams are not required to attend a meeting for their first year. Deb Morrin-Nordund will write it up and send out for a vote.

Amend by-laws: Rename or eliminate "Vice-Chair". Also add Open Water/Long Distance Chair. Deb Morrin-Nordlund will write it up and send out for a vote.

Rename "Frank Murphy" award to "Long Distance" award: Julie Roddin will think about it. Jeff Strahota will forward and deal with it.

Convention delegates (in Dallas, TX):
Jeff Strahota, Ray Novitske, Eric Nordlund will attend as PV delegates (Jeff Roddin & Deb Morrin-Nordlund will attend but receive delegate slots directly from USMS)
Motion to ease qualifications for PV delegates (this year) approved.
Jeff Strahota will try to solicit delegates from all PV team rep's.

LMSC dinner and awards banquet - nothing decided

New Business

Online meet registration subsidy:
Jeff Roddin suggests refund or stipend for using online registration for local meets. Typical fees are 5% of entry fee + $1.50 per swimmer so we could offset those fees. Benefit is that online registration system verifies swimmer registration data so there are no data entry problems/errors and it is much easier for swimmers to enter meets. Will revisit this issue at next meeting.

If GMU is unable to host Sprint Classic, PV will host. Approved.

Jeff Strahota will look into renting a LCM pool on a weekend for 5K/10K postal

Next meeting: October 24th after Sprint Classic.

MSA to adjourn.

Attendees:
Ray Novitske (Alexandria Masters)
Nancy Kirkendall (DC Masters)
Juliette DeSousa (DCRP)
Neill Williams (DCAC)
Cathy Pennington (Fairfax County Masters)
Jeff Roddin (Montgomery Ancient Mariners)
Tim Timmons (Patriot Masters)
Michelle Moyer (Reston Masters)
Julie Roddin, Mollie Grover, Debbie Morrin-Nordlund, Eric Nordlund, Cheryl Wagner and Jeff Strahota (Terrapin Masters)

July 9, 2011 Kingdom Swim -
10 miles, 6 miles, 3 miles, 1 mile, 1/4 mile, 100 yard

Virtual OW Swim - Oct 1, 2010 - Mar 31, 2011

When: October 1st 2010 - March 31st 2011
Entry Chairman: Karen Reeder
Email: dksreeder@skybeam.com
Website: usopenwaterswimming.org/virtualswim
Enter online at: www.clubassistant.com/club/clinics/reserve.cfm?c=1219&cid=48241
Eligibility: Open to anyone who swims! Sign up before October 1st!
Categories: Each person picks ONE of 5 goal distances to complete within the 6 month time-frame. After sign up, the swimmer will receive a swim log form to keep track of their yardage. Distance categories are listed below. Swimming anywhere, open water or pools counts for yardage. Distances swum in meters can be converted to yards at http://www.calculateme.com/Length/index.htm
1) 50 miles Lake Travis, Texas - 88,000 yards: averaging 3,382 yards per week
2) 100 miles, Lake Powell, Utah -176,000 yards: averaging 6765 yards per week
3) 150 miles, Oahu to the Big Island, Hawaii - 264,000 yards: averaging 10,150 yards per week
4) 200 miles, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland/Virginia - 352,000 yards: averaging 13,530 yards per week
5) 250 Miles Lake Huron, Michigan - 410,000 yards: averaging 16,712 yards per week

Awards: The person that completes the distance and submits their swim log FIRST will receive a $40 gift certificate from Kiefer Swim Shop. Other prizes (lotion, shampoo, caps) will be awarded for 2nd - 5th place in each category. More prizes may be added depending upon participation levels for each category. USOWSC asks that swimmers sign up for the appropriate category for their planned workouts so that the competition is relatively fair. For example, if you are swimming 18,000 yards per week, please sign up for category 5 NOT category 1. If you are unsure about which category to choose, contact the entry chairman.

Entry Fees: Basic Entry: $15.00
Premier Entry: $75.00 - Premier swimmers will receive a workout each week for 26 weeks to assist them their training. Workout sample is shown below
T-Shirts: $20.00 which includes shipping within the U.S. White T-Shirts will have on the back 'I am swimming Lake
Travis, Texas - 50 Miles' (for example) based upon the swimmer's sign-up category.

Workout Sample: There will be three categories every week for the workouts. Category A will be approximately 1300-1700 yards, category B about 2200-2700 yards and category C 3500-4000 yards.

A) 200 swim warm-up choice
300 swim @:20 rest, 2 x 50 1 easy/1 fast @:15 rest
200 swim @:20 rest, 4 x 50 1 easy/1 fast @:15 rest
100 swim @:20 rest, 6 x 50 1 easy/1 fast @:15 rest
100 warm-down
1500 yards

B) Warm-up 200 swim, 100 kick, 200 pull
400 swim @:15 rest, 2 x 50 ? 1 easy/1 fast @:15 rest
300 swim @:15 rest, 4 x 50 ? 1 easy/1fast @:15 rest
200 swim @:15 rest, 4 x 50 ? 1 easy/1 fast @:15 rest
100 swim @:15 rest, 2 x 50 ? 1 easy/1 fast @:15 rest
200 warm-down
2300 yards

C) Warm-up 200 swim, 200 kick, 200 pull
500 swim @:15 rest, 2 x 50 1 easy/fast @:15 rest
400 swim @:15 rest, 4 x 50 1 easy/1 fast @:15 rest
300 swim @:15 rest, 6 x 50 1 easy/1fast @:15 rest
200 swim @:15 rest, 8 x 50 1 easy/1 fast @:15 rest
100 swim @:15 rest, 10 x 50 1 easy/1 fast @:15 rest
Warm-down 200 swim choice
3800 yards

Variation: 50's can be kick or a different stroke or longer swims can be stroke or IM

More about the Swims:

Lake Travis : This swim begins Mansfield Dam Recreation Park northwest of Austin Texas. The swimmer heads north and west until reaching mile Marker 50.
Lake Powell : The swimmer begins at the farthest west point of Lake Powell at Wahweep Bay and swim east 100 miles to finish at Clay Hills crossing.
The Big Island to Oahu: This swim begins at the northwest tip of the Big Island, Hawaii and the goes northwest around the islands of Kahoolawe and Lanai to Oahu. The swim is complete upon reaching the city of Honolulu.
The Chesapeake Bay: This swim begins at the north end of the Bay where Susquehanna River enters at Perry Point in Perryville, Maryland. The swimmer heads south in the Bay until they reach the Atlantic Ocean finishing at Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Lake Huron: The swim begins at the far north end of the lake in Saint Martin Bay on the end of the Hiawatha National Forest in Upper Michigan. The swimmer heads east and south to finish at Woodrow Beach in Sarnia, Michigan.

Wetsuit Rental Group Orders Ship Free! Orders containing 4 or more rentals receive free shipping and free return postage! Per customer savings is $20-$25! www.wetsuitrental.com		Strengthen Your Core USMS Coach, Tom Denes, offers on-on-one and small group strength training. Emphasis is on strengthening the core muscles to increase swimming power. All sessions are held at Rockville Fitness. Contact Tom at: waterprfch@aol.com or 301-564-4234.

Waterproof Coach & Triathlete The Waterproof Coach & The Waterproof Triathlete Tom Denes, waterprfch@aol.com 301-564-4234		Sport Fair Proper swim equipment is vital to a successful swimming outcome. SPORT FAIR, an Arlington based swim store specializes in competitive swimwear and equipment. We are one of the largest Speedo dealerships in the country. SPORT FAIR wants to help you achieve success. Please call me to arrange team discounts for your masters team or open water swim program. Margaret, Director, Masters & Open Water Swimming 5121 Lee Highway Arlington, Virginia 22207 703-524-9500 Fax: 703-524-9500 Email: sales@sportfairusa.com

H2O Audio

I'm Dana, the Community Manager at H2O Audio, a company founded by athletes for athletes. I am reaching out to say hello, introduce you to our products and offer your club 20% off so you can save on H2O Audio gear and enjoy music during your swim workouts.

We worked with gold medal swimmers Natalie Coughlin and Michael Phelps to develop our waterproof cases and headphones. Our swim specific solution, the Interval, attaches easily to goggles so you'll never have to chase the black line in silence again. With H2O Audio your swim club can save 20% and bring their playlist to any workout, in and around water. Just enter the coupon code 'Team20' at checkout to get your exclusive discount.

We offer group discounts and an affiliate program that can be a great fundraiser for your club. Email me if you'd like more information about group discounts, and click here to learn more about our Affiliate Program.
Thank you,
Dana Swanson
Community Manager
www.h2oaudio.com

Jansson Prize for Environmental Writing

$500 First Prize

The Potomac River Association (PRA) in conjunction with the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) at St. Mary's College of Maryland is pleased to hold the first annual competition for the Jansson Prize for Environmental Writing. Dedicated to the memory of Holger, Mary and Eric Jansson and their contributions to the betterment of the environment and culture of St. Mary's County, the prize will be awarded each year to the best essay on important topics related to the environment and environmental affairs.

The 2010 topic asks for essays reflecting on the relationship between property rights and Maryland's critical areas regulations.

Private property rights can be examined from a number of perspectives-cultural, legal, historical and political. Discourse and conflict over the limits of public interest and private ownership are at the center of modern debates about the proper interaction of government and markets. Environmental protection is one of the justifications used to limit the rights of individual property owners. For instance in current law, Maryland's Critical Areas Regulations extends control over private property at the water's edge to protect the public interest in preserving the Chesapeake.

Compose an essay that places private property rights in the context of environmental regulations such as Maryland's Critical Areas Regulations. Essays can be written from philosophical, legal, historical or cultural perspectives. Prizes will be awarded to essays that creatively illuminate the relationship between modern understandings of property rights with current or new ideas about environmental regulation.

The author of the best essay will receive a first prize award of $500. One runner up will receive $150.00 award. A committee organized by The Potomac River Association and The Center for the Study of Democracy will judge all entries.

Eligibility:
1. All residents of Calvert, Charles, St. Mary's or Anne Arundel Counties are eligible to enter OR any student enrolled full-time in an accredited high school or post-secondary institution within one of those counties. Proof of residency or matriculation must be submitted upon request.

2. No member of the PRA Board of Directors or officers of CDS or their relatives by blood or marriage are eligible to win the contest.

3. Submissions become the property of PRA and CSD. This includes PRA and CSD's right to use, reproduce, or distribute the essay in whole or part. Authorship will be acknowledged in any subsequent use.

4. By submitting an entry, the author warrants that the work is original and does not violate the intellectual property rights of any other person or entity. Quoted or excerpted material the length of a sentence or more must be identified as such. By submitting an entry the author warrants that the work has not previously been published or submitted for publication.

Rights:
5. By submitting an entry, the author grants permission to PRA and CSD to use her or his name for publicity purposes. By submitting an entry the author grants permission to PRA and CSD to reproduce the work in any form.

Format:
6. The essay should have two title pages. The first title page should contain the author's name and contact information in addition to the title. The second title page should have the title only. Information regarding the author's identity or affiliation must not appear within the body of the submission itself.

7. Submissions must be in English and length should be between 2,000 and 5,500 words. Pages must be numbered.

8. Entries must be postmarked by December 1, 2010. Two copies of the essay must be submitted as hard copy mailed to this address:
Potomac River Association
attn: Essays
P.O. Box 76
Valley Lee, Maryland 20692

More information:
Information on Maryland's Critical Areas Regulation can be found at www.dnr.state.md.us/criticalarea For questions related to the essay contest contact Potomac River Association at: potomac.org@verizon.net or call 301-769-3840.

For questions related to the essay contest contact Potomac River Association at: potomac.org@verizon.net or call 301-769-3840.

POTOMAC RIVER ASSOCIATION

PV Newsletter Editor Wanted

Do you enjoy writing and sports reporting?
You could be the next Potomac Valley Newsletter Editor for the Swimmer's Ear.

Contact Cheryl Wagner if you are interested: cherylw@crosslink.net.

Sprint Classic - October 24, 2010

Patriot Masters (GMUP) will be hosting our 11th annual Patriot Masters Sprint Classic meet on Sunday October 24 at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. The entry deadline is 3 weeks away (October 12).

Entry Form:
www.patriotmasters.org/GMUP.SprintClassic.Oct2010.Entry.pdf

Estimated Timeline:
www.patriotmasters.org/SPRINT.CLASSIC.OCT.2010.Estimated.timeline.pdf

I look forward to seeing some fast swimming and as many of you as possible at our meet!

Cheryl Ward
Meet Director

All photos by Cheryl Wagner unless noted.

2010 Pool Event Calendar

Oct 16
MARY Swim Series Meet #1 at Howard County MD YMCA www.teamunify.com/EventShow.jsp?returnPage=/Home.jsp&id=92876&team=msmdlmsc

Oct 24
Sprint Classic at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. www.patriotmasters.org/GMUP.SprintClassic.Oct2010.Entry.pdf

Nov 6
Clay Britt Freestyle Clinic www.claybrittswimming.com/clinicschedule.html

Nov 6
VMST 30th Annual Fall SCM meet in Virginia Beach VA www.clubassistant.com/club/meet_information.cfm?c=1212&smid=2491

Nov 14
MARY Swim Series Meet #2 at Washington College www.teamunify.com/EventShow.jsp?returnPage=/Home.jsp&id=99836&team=msmdlmsc

Dec 11
MARY Swim Series Meet #3 at Talbot County YMCA www.teamunify.com/EventShow.jsp?returnPage=/Home.jsp&id=99837&team=msmdlmsc

Jan 16
MARY Swim Series Meet #4 at Ann Arundel Swim Center Annapolis, MD www.teamunify.com/EventShow.jsp?returnPage=/Home.jsp&id=99838&team=msmdlmsc

Jan 22
Clay Britt Swim Clinic www.claybrittswimming.com/clinicschedule.html

Jan 30
ALEX Tropical Splash Alexandria, VA

Feb12
MARY Swim Series Meet #5 in Severna Park MD www.teamunify.com/EventShow.jsp?returnPage=/Home.jsp&id=99839&team=msmdlmsc

Mar 19
ANCM Albatross Open at the Montgomery Aquatic Center Bethesda, MD

Mar 26
MARY Swim Series Championships & Invitational at Loyola University Maryland www.teamunify.com/EventShow.jsp?returnPage=/Home.jsp&id=99840&team=msmdlmsc

Apr 15-17
Colonies Zone SCY Championships at GMU Fairfax VA

Oct 1, 2010 - Mar 31, 2011
Virtual OW Swim usopenwaterswimming.org/virtualswim

Sep 15-Nov 15
3000/6000 Yard Championships postal. www.usms.org

Oct 10
15th Annual St. Croix 5 Mile Open Water Swim www.swimrace.com/coral_reef_swim_schedule.htm

Oct 13
Open Water Swim Vacation - La Paz Mexico - October 13th to 30th 2010 (8 days & 7 nights adventure trips). Contact Gary Emich at: www.bajaex.com/ChooseYourAdventure/SwimmingExpedition.html

Oct 16
Gertrude Ederle Swim (17.5 Miles) - Starts in NYC www.nycswim.org

Oct 17
Bermuda Round the Sound EcoSwim ... www.AquaMoonAdventures.com or info@RandyNutt.com

Dec 5
10th Annual Bonaire EcoSwim 10K, 5K, 3K & 1K Swims in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles ... info@RandyNutt.com Information and Entry ... www.AquaMoonAdventures.com

Jun 4
Potomac River Swim - 7.5 miles - Point Lookout, MD - www.potomacriverswim.com

Jun 11
Chesapeake Bay Swim - 4.4 and 1 mi - Stevensville, MD - www.lin-mark.com

Jun 25, 2011
Maryland Swim for Life 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 mile swim. Chestertown, MD www.swimdcac.org

Jul 6
Kingdom Swim - 10 mi, 6 mi, 3 mi, 1 mi, 1/4 mi, 100 yd - Vermont - www.kingdomswim.org