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NEW YEAR'S FITNESS RESOLUTIONS: If you're already fit, you can take it easy...sort of

According to the NEW YORK TIMES @ well.blogs.nytimes.com, folks who simply want to maintain their fitness through the winter months can "workout a whole lot less" if they have a solid base of training behind them. 

(Photo from "Trusted Fitness")

NY TIMES: "New Year’s resolutions tend to war with wintertime malaise. Resolution urges you to work out. Malaise suggests that you linger in bed. But there’s good news for those of us torn between these impulses. A number of newly published studies offer compelling reasons to get out and exercise on the one hand, as well as new estimates of just how little we can do and still benefit on the other."

According to the research, former athletes with big foundations of training can workout as little as twice a week to maintain their strength and endurance levels. Now, it isn't saying they can go on to win Olympic gold floating through each winter season, but if they want to look good, twice a week can do the trick...

That's good news, especially if your fitness goals are based in vanity.  Sounds like a copout, and certainly shallow, but most former athletes will tell you the same thing:

"I just want to maintain some semblance of my former self."

In other words, they just want to look good. 

(SIDE NOTE: I've worked out the "malaise -way" for years, three times per week in the pool. After my wife joined boot-camp last year at LifeTime Fitness, becoming a hardbody--ripped abs, toned arms, aerobically fit enough to kick my butt--I decided to join the boot-camp world as well. I start in January......and my goal, being 100% honest, is still vanity. Swimming remains my heart-healthy routine.)

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Olympic swim coach Sean Hutchison resigns

FROM THE WASHINGTON POST, REPORTED BY AMY SHIPLEY: A 2008 U.S. Olympic coach who leads the most acclaimed group of female swimming stars in the nation has decided to resign his coaching position in Fullerton, Calif.

"My goal all along, even before I came to Southern California, was to have a stand-alone professional team," Hutchison said. 

Hutchison said he did not know whether his biggest stars - including world-record holder Ariana Kukors and multiple Olympic medalists Margaret Hoelzer and Katie Hoff - would remain at FAST or join him. Kukors and Hoff did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

WASHINGTON POST REPORTER, AMY SHIPLEY, HAS COVERED OLYMPIC SPORTS FOR MANY YEARS AND IS RESPECTED AMONG HER PEERS

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"Swimming Friends" meet at Costa Rica Dream Swim Camps

Swimming is my life, my heart and my home.  When I'm down, I go swimming for a pick-me-up. When I'm happy, I swim to celebrate.  I need the water. It's healing. It's makes me whole. 

My closest friends feel the same way.

Keith Dennison was a great flyer, a 1992 and 1996 Olympic Trials qualifier, and he's still great, competing in the masters ranks. I trained with Keith at the height of my career.  I raced him everyday.  Like many world-class swimmers, I owe Keith. Training with him helped me along the way.

Now Keith lives in paradise, and he's rediscovered his passion, swimming almost everyday. He's started a paradise swimming vacation, "Costa Rica Dream Swim Camps," and I can't wait to be a part of it. My swim camp is Febuary 7-11th.  If you can find the time, came down and swim with us for a week.  FOR DETAILS, READ KEITH'S BLOG POST BELOW OR GO TO HIS WEBSITE:

http://www.CostaRicaDreamSwimCamps.com

KEITH DENNISON'S U.S. MASTERS SWIMMING BLOG ABOUT "COSTA RICA DREAM SWIM CAMPS":

I lovingly call swimming “my passion”. I have been swimming for some 26 years; twelve of those years spent in high school/college/post grad training. At the top of my career, I qualified for two Olympic Trials, in 1992 & 1996. For the last 8 years I have been a competitive Master’s swimmer and I love the competition again, after a 10 year break in my late 20’s/early 30’s. The best parts of Master’s swimming is meeting new folks and maintaining physical health. I just turned 40 and this past January I relocated my young family to Costa Rica. 

When I arrived to Costa Rica, I thought I would find a place to train without giving any thought to specifics. However, once we got settled into our new lives, I ran into a bit of a problem - there is literally no place (besides the Ocean) for a pool swimmer to train. Of course, there are pools in Costa Rica, but 99.9267% of them are free form and less than 10 meters in length. I met a few new friends here that swam in the Ocean a few times a week and I joined them on several occasions. Ocean swimming was not as bad as I expected - the water temperature here is amazing (usually 80-82) and is usually extremely clear. But my friends rarely swim over 1500 meters (which is pretty minimal from what I am use to) and are a bit on the slow side.

So, out of frustration more than anything, I needed to find and pool and a more competitive environment.

It all started from a crazy brainstorming session with my wife and after a morning swim with my Open Water group. I was asked to coach a few of their children in competitive swimming. Although I had always wanted to coach, I never really wanted to work for free (as most coaches do starting out in the US). I also was not 100% sure I would even like coaching. Boy was I in for a shock!! Not only did I like coaching, I loved it!! The kids were attentive and hungry to learn. I started with 2 kids in a 15 meter condo pool and within 4 months I had 10 kids training every week. This made the need to find a competitive pool an even greater priority, as the space was limited and the word of mouth on my program was growing. 

The second part of the brainstorm was from my past. During my competitive swimming career, I have met and friended some amazing people. Several of these folks were Olympic Champions and World Record Holders. So I started putting a few pieces of the puzzle together (Costa Rica eco-tourism and the ability to train with and/or be coached by Olympic Champions and World Record Holders). If you were going to marry these two ideas together in one of the beautiful places on Earth, what would you call it??

What I came up with was Costa Rica Dream Swim Camps (CRDSC) – Founded 2010
http://www.CostaRicaDreamSwimCamps.com

To digress for a minute or two; during the previous six months, I had had discussions with a few land developers in the area and shared with them my ideas of building a competition pool and what it would mean for the community as a whole. Although the feedback is extremely positive, getting an actual commitment to build a 50 meter competitive swim complex is going to be a bit more challenging than I was hoping - as no one was throwing any pool funding my way as of yet. But in my search, I have found a great place to start my club team and develop Costa Rica Dream Swim Camps. Country Day School is located in Brasillito, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. I was able to secure their 5 lane pool for the club team, Master’s team and CRDSC’s. The pool is located 3km from the Ocean and is surrounded by many of the best beaches and resorts in Costa Rica. More on that topic of my next blog…

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Lochte tops reporters year-end reviews, but says he still feels like the underdog

FROM OMAHA.COM, By Rich Kaipust, WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Four days to catch up on his sleep and shake the jet lag that comes with returning from Dubai. Then it's back in the pool — because the next 20 months might be the most important of his swimming career.

“With the World Championships and Olympics, I want to go out with a bang,” Lochte said. “I'm still going to swim afterwards, but I want to put all my marbles in a basket and see what happens.”

“I thought '08 would be my peak, but I'm finding ways to get better, stronger,” Lochte said recently from Daytona Beach. 

“A lot of people might think I'm the guy to beat now, that me and Michael are the guys to beat, but for me I honestly just feel like I'm still the underdog trying to catch everyone,” Lochte said. 

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Peter Vanderkaay Making the Move to Train with Lochte, Troy in Gainesville | The Swimmers Circle

FROM  theswimmerscircle.com, this is, in my opinion, one of the biggest stories on the ramp-up to the London Olympics.  Congrats "theswimmerscircle" for breaking this news!  Click on the link and share!  

Below is an excerpt from PVK's blog about his move to Gainesville: 

Other than Dubai, the big news for me is that I’m moving to Gainesville, Florida right after Christmas.  I’ve actually had this planned for a little while now, but didn’t want to talk about it prior to competing.  It basically comes down to this:  I need to shake things up.  I love Michigan and Ann Arbor, and it’s been really hard to decide to leave because the coaches and team have been really supportive over the years and I’ve had a lot of success here.  But I feel like I need to get out of my comfort zone, and moving to FL will help accomplish that.  I’ve been here almost 9 years, and things are just too comfortable for me because its so familiar.  I’ve always worked hard and been challenged here, but there’s something to be said for a change to scenery, especially nearing the Olympic year.  I love Michigan and the team but I feel like I need a new challenge both in and out of the pool.  I’ll always be a Michigan fan and support the Wolverines!

I’m really excited to swim with Lochte and some of the great guys they have down there.  I admire Ryan a lot for his tenacity and accomplishments, and I hope that swimming with him will be beneficial for both of us.  I also have a lot of respect for their program and I’m grateful that the Florida coaches will take me.

Right now I’m planning on driving down the 29th with big brother.  We are planning to stop and eat at every Waffle House along the 1000 mile trek.  Just kidding, probably only every other….and hopefully with a little luck, I can be in Jacksonville on New Year’s day to watch Michigan play Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl!

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VIDEO MEDLEY: American Record Holder Josh Schneider

AT SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS in DUBAI, Josh Schneider stepped up, yet again, in the sprint free.  He won a bronze medal, his 1st on the international stage representing Team USA, and did in it in American Record time, 20.88.  (2008 Olympic Champion, Cesar Cielo, won with a 20.51, while France's Frederick Bousquet took silver in a 20.81.)

The World bronze caps off an incredible year for Schneider in the 50 freestyle: 2010 NCAA Champion, 2010 Tiburon Sprint Classic Champion and 2010 Charlotte Ultraswim Champion.

Below is a video medley of Schneider, highlighting his success, his intimate goals and psychological progress: 

This is a great video profile of his 2010 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP WIN in the 50 yard free. 

Here's his post NCAA win press conference: 

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AP News: Lochte looking like an 8-medal threat for London

The performance showed what Lochte might be capable of at the 2012 London Games.

"He's certainly establishing himself as the best swimmer in the world, and he's doing that in a way where I don't think we're seeing any end," U.S. assistant coach David Marsh said. "In many ways, I think we're just seeing the beginning of what he can do."  (via m.apnews.com)

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Lochte looks unbeatable after World Championships

From www.timeslive.co.za:

“There were a lot of mistakes I made and I can go a lot faster, I know that,” Lochte said on Friday after adding the 200-metre individual medley mark to his 400 record a day earlier at the short-course world championships. “It’s just a matter of time where I finally have a perfect race.” 

From CNN: 

"I knew before the meet that my last day would be one of the toughest, but I am always up for the challenge. This is probably one of the worst shapes I have been in for a world championships," he told the sport's official website.

 "I'm not really 100%. I've done a lot of training, I haven't really rested for this meet and it's actually very good for me because it makes me want to race harder and it's a stepping stone for the [2011] Shanghai worlds."

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The Ricky Berens video medley

Ricky Berens, 2008 Olympic gold medalist in the 4x200m freestyle, is heading to Short Course World Championships in Dubai to represent Team USA.  Watch the video medley below and send your well wishes to the man on Twitter @RcBerens. 

Videos above were first run on swimnetwork.com, the competitive website for USA Swimming. 

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USA Swimmer, Jacob Pebley, a rising star

Jacob Pebley, only 16 years old, kicked-butt at USA Swimming's Short Course Junior National Championships in Atlanta, Georgia.

Pebley took the 100y backstroke in 47.66 seconds and the 200 backstroke in 1:42.73, each swim a meet record!

Pebley captured silver in the 200 IM with a 1:47.46. 

Pebley got 4th in the 400 IM in 3:51.98 and 6th in the 100 freestyle in 45.05.

Many thanks to my Oregon buddy, Amir Hartman, for keeping me posted on Pebley's success. Pebley's been a longtime Oregon swimming talent, rising through the age-group ranks.

Read this FANTASTIC REPORT about PEBLEY and his hero AARON PEIRSOL @ gazettetimes.com.

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Michael Phelps: Up Close and Personal

Craig Lord, of swimnews, is doing an interview series with Mr. Swimming set around Short Course World Championships in Dubai.  While it looks like a Speedo marketing plan, it is, in fact, quite good.  

"In his latest interview, Michael Phelps, the greatest Olympian in history, talks of motivation, the people and partnerships that made the difference, those who inspired and challenged him and his goals in and out of the race pool." READ THE REST OF THE REPORT @ www.swimnews.com.

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Teri McKeever and Gregg Troy Crowned 2012 Olympic Coaches for U.S. Swim Team

"Teri McKeever and Gregg Troy, longtime personal coaches of two American swimmers likely to make headlines at the 2012 Olympics in London, were named Wednesday to head the U.S. swim team at the London Games.

McKeever coaches Natalie Coughlin, an 11-time Olympic medalist who with two more medals would become the most decorated female U.S. Olympian.

Troy coaches Ryan Lochte, a six-time Olympic medalist who overshadowed Michael Phelps in the pool this year and could vie for a Phelps-like medal haul in London."  (Read the rest of this report @ www.usatoday.com.)

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Swim with a ham on your head | Fit City

The enormous online swim shop SWIMOUTLET.COM gets some Austin, Texas love! 

via www.austin360.com

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What We Learned from Ryan Lochte - GoSwim! By 1980 Olympian Glenn Mills

I love GLENN MILLS (co-founder of GoSWIM!). He's a swimming brother, an odd brother as he does breaststroke. And he's smart. Period.... He's also nice, and an Olympian, and, as of the last time I saw him randomly on the streets of NYC, he's got style.  Checkout his most recent blog WHAT WE LEARNED FROM RYAN LOCHTE.  You'll learn a thing or two.  www.goswim.tv

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Ryan Lochte Graces Cover of Swimming World Magazine For Fourth Time

Ryan Lochte nets his 4th well-deserved cover on Swimming World Magazine.  11-time Olympic medalist, Natalie Coughlin, has graced 5 covers. Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz have 9 covers each. 

For swimming stars today, I wonder: Does the honor still carry the same weight?

During my career, I landed 4 Swimming World Magazine covers and that was the biggest, broadest and best visibility you could receive. Sure, we got 3 to 4 page features in Sports Illustrated, or write-ups in the New York Times, but only during the Olympic years.  In sum, landing on the cover of Swimming World was a very heady experience. 

Pride's a funny thing. Ego's even funnier...looking at it now from my age, north of 40.  It starts out strong and wanes over time.  I can mark my pride by those Swimming World covers and inwardly smile. 

When I was 10, I wasn't on the cover, but I got a big write-up for having the most age-group top-16 times.  I swear, I thought I was superman, the United States President and Mark Spitz, all rounded up into one.  I strutted through my elementary school as if I were a flesh and bone god.  I am in Swimming World! I thought. I am somebody! I kept an issue inside my desk for easy access, to show my teachers, principle and friends. I think I even showed the cafeteria staff, after everyone else had tired of seeing it and saying, "Yeah, yeah, that's nice Melvin. Thanks for showing us. Again."

 I was on the cover in 1987 after my high school, the Mercersburg Academy, won prep school (national) mythic championships. I knew by then to keep the bragging nonexistent, or, at the very least, low-key. The next two covers were for world championships and for a brief comeback in 1996, and, being honest, I still felt the same thrill that I did when I was a 10 year old kid.

Today, I contribute to Swimnetwork.com, geared more to swimming lifestyle coverage (see Gustafson's Swimmers Series), social media and high-profile USA Swimming meets, but I always enjoy seeing the guys from Swimming World Magazine.  

Swimming World Magazine meant the world to me for so many years. I studied every issue, made notes of times, and simply enjoyed reading about swimming. 

Swimmers today, they get lots of coverage, from NBC to Time Magazine to--gulp!--TMZ.  I hope, however, that they still appreciate the stalwart coverage Swimming World gives to our beloved community.

To see a list of the swimmers who have graced the cover of Swimming World, go here www.swimmingworldmagazine.com.

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