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Apr 08 NewsletterPhotos from our Winter Party!
On the Road Again...
By: Mary Pat Moeller, 15 Aug 2005
My profession takes me on the road from time to time. This can disrupt one's swimming routine.... and I can't seem to handle that. After a daily swim, all seems right with the world...without it, I have been known to become crabby. So, to protect those around me (as well as my heart), I try to find a Masters swim group in whatever city I am visiting. Because we are all members of USMS we have a travel pass. I have found that clubs are quite willing to have a traveller join them; some charge a pool fee but many just accept the USMS card. It is fun to see how other programs train; often it makes me appreciate our "home base" at CSM.
This spring-summer, I had the opportunity to swim with Masters teams in Atlanta (at Georgia Tech in the pool where the Olympics were held), in Indiana (Indy Swim Fit at the IU Natatorium), Nashville (Vanderbilt University) and Iowa City Masters. In both Indy and Iowa City, the whole pool swims on the same interval, and slower swimmers use fins, paddles and will power to keep up. It pretty much stinks when you show up and have no paddles or fins....but ah well. It makes me appreciate lanes with tailored intervals! If you are planning to travel you can find Masters programs on the places to swim section of www.USMS.org. I often send an email to the coach to make sure it is ok for me to join them. Finding a Masters team is a nice way to meet great people who love to swim like we do. |
Mary Pat Moeller, Ph.D., grew up in Indianapolis, IN, one of nine children. She was active in age-group swimming at the Miramar Swim Club. After a long hiatus, she found her way to Masters Swimming at age 38 and has been "hooked" ever since. MP is currently the Director of the Center for Childhood Deafness at Boys Town National Research Hospital. She does research with infants with normal hearing and those with hearing loss.
