Dixie Zone Newsletter

January-March 2000

Zone Representative: June Krauser

USMS Items of Interest | Electric City Masters Swim Meet | 1999 Zone SCM Championships

Congratulations| Editor's Swim Bag | News on Full-body Swim Suits | March to Munich

Dixie Zone Top 10 Patches | When to Eat | Warming Up


ZONE COMMITTEE MINUTES

 

17th Annual Electric City Masters Swim Meet

by Steve Wycoff

The 17th Annual Electric City Masters Swim Meet was held on November 13-14, 1999, at the Sheppard Swim Center in Anderson SC. Two hundred eleven swimmers (a new record) from 13 teams entered this 25-meter competition. Paris Island Masters was able to defend by winning the Team Championship. Second through sixth places went to the North Carolina Masters, Georgia Masters, Team Greenville, Gamecock Aquatics, and the host Anderson Masters.

A world record was set by the North Carolina Masters 280-319 team of John Murphy 75, John Kortheuer 68, Clarke Mitchell 67, and Dick Bell 70 in the 200-meter medley relay with a time of 2:28.34. Congratulations guys! Many state records, Dixie Zone Top 10 and National Top 10 were established as well.

The Anderson Masters Social at the Anderson Country Club on Saturday night featured good food and a drawing for a wide variety of prizes. The "Elvis" award was presented to John Ziegler of the Georgia Masters for his support of and dedication to Masters swimming. John received the bust of Elvis along with an "Elvis doing the Butterfly" T-shirt and he will be known as the "King of Swimming" for the next year. On Sunday, "Elvis" with goggles and cap on sat in the bleachers next to John.

Hopefully, everyone had a great weekend in Anderson and we hope to see you in November 2000 for the Dixie Zone Short Course Meters Championships.

1999 Dixie Zone SCM Championships

The Dixie Zone SCM Championships were held on December 3-5 at the Coral Springs Aquatic Complex in Coral Springs FL. There were 20 teams entered and a total of 120 competitors. The weather was cooperative and the meet was over by early afternoon on Saturday and Sunday. Marcia Barry broke the USMS National Record in the 1500m freestyle while the 240-279 men's 200 freestyle relay from Gold Coast Masters broke the world record! Swimming on the relay were Cav Cavanaugh, Herb Kern, Alan Rapperport, and Roger Hawkins.

Congratulations

The following e-mail was received: Ryan Henry Rabalais was born to Muriel and Scott on Wednesday, November 24, at midnight. He weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 19 1/2 inches. Both baby and mom are doing great. And as a coincidence, Meg and Stu Marvin's second son was also born on November 24.

From the Editor's Swim Bag

by Jim Donnelly, Florida LMSC

The August issue of the Florida LMSC newsletter was Jim's last. He is looking forward to getting back into competitive shape with the extra time he will reclaim. The new editor is Abbie Goff. She just finished her fourth year swimming for the Gators at U. of Florida and swam in her first Masters meet for FAST in July. She will produce the newsletter in Gainesville while she is a grad student for the next three years.

Good News on Swim Suits

FINA has approved the use of body suits! With the aim to obtain direct and full information on the "full body" swim suit, the FINA bureau invited sporting goods companies Adidas and Speedo to present a report on their research, design, and other aspects. FINA ruled that the use of these suits does not constitute a violation of the FINA rules. FINA leaves the choice of swim suits up to the swimmers.

March to Munich

St. Pete Masters is slowly but surely building up its Munich Fund. It has been sponsoring different events in order to raise money to help its swimmers get to the VIII World Championships in Munich next summer. Check the calendar for its next big event on March 4.

Dixie Zone Top 10 Patches

A supply of brand new Dixie Zone Top Ten patches is now available. At our Dixie Zone meeting in San Diego, Debbie D. Cavanaugh volunteered to be the "keeper of the patches." Dick Brewer has volunteered to put the Dixie Zone Top Ten times on our Dixie Zone web site. They will be on-line in the near future.

Anyone who has made a Dixie Zone Top Ten time in individual or relay events may purchase one of these patches for $3. Send your $3 check to Debbie D. Cavanaugh - PO Box 14341 - Ft. Lauderdale FL: 33302 with your name, address, event (with SCY, SCM, or LCM course), age group, and year, and Debbie will send you one of these colorful patches by return mail.

When to Eat

by Dr. Jessica Seaton (reprinted from Voice of the Southern Pacific Masters Association)

Many patients have asked me relative to their workout when is the best time to eat. There is a lot of individual variation when it comes to eating and exercise. Some people can consume a greasy hamburger in the middle of a swim meet; others can barely eat a cracker.

Here are some general guidelines which work for most, but not all, athletes.

If swim practice is first thing in the morning:

Have some juice, a piece of toast, or a few crackers before you swim. This gives the body an energy boost and you'll find your self more energetic throughout practice. Eat a regular breakfast afterward.

If swim practice is midmorning:

Have a good breakfast anywhere from one to three hours before. Breakfast should preferably be low in fat, as should all your meals. The more fat in a meal, the longer t takes to digest and may interfere with your enjoyment of workout.

If swim practice is at lunchtime:

Have a good breakfast and then a very light midmorning snack, such as crackers, yogurt, or fruit.

If swim practice is mid afternoon:

Have a decent lunch, bot not a large heavy meal.

If swim practice is in the evening:

A late afternoon snack will probably be necessary to carry you from lunch until a very late dinner. Ideally, one doesn't then go right to bed after a late dinner, as this may cause abdominal reflux and other discomforts during the night.

If you tend to get dehydrated fairly easily, you may want to avoid fruit juice or fruits before workout. The fructose in fruits inhibits water absorption. Most swim practices are of relatively short duration, so this shouldn't really matter; however, some swimmers are particularly sensitive to dehydration.

Warming UP

by Dr. Jessica Seaton (reprinted from Voice of the Southern Pacific Masters Association)

A common cause of injury to muscles and tendons in adult swimmers is a poor warm-up. The scene: a swimmer is stuck in traffic, late to the pool, jumps into the work-out just when the first set has begun. After the workout, a mysterious pain in the should appears.

The time it take to warm up will vary from swimmer to swimmer. In general, as you get older, your body requires more time to prepare for strenuous activity. I was recently reminded of the reasons for a good warm-up in an article by James Peterson, Ph.D., in ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal (Jan/Feb 1999). The following are some of the reasons for a good warm-up:

Increases blood flow to the exercising muscles. This in turn will increase the blood saturation of muscles and connective tissues (tendons and ligaments -- which technically don't have their own blood supply). Why do we care about this? Blood carries oxygen and nutrients, such as glucose, to the muscles. If you start swimming hard before your muscle has access to the optimal amount of oxygen and nutrients, you may find yourself experiencing muscle cramps or tight and tired feeling muscles.

Decreases the viscosity of the muscles. A warmed up muscle is more pliable and supple. This improves the mechanical efficiency of the muscle, thus reducing your chance of injury.

Increases blood flow to the heart. This prepares the cardiovascular system for the more strenuous requirements of the main set. This decreases your chances of having a heart attack.

Increases the degradation of oxyhemoglobin. On a biochemical level, oxygen is split off from its carrier, hemoglobin. A warm-up allows this system to slowly start delivering oxygen to the muscles, thus initiating aerobic metabolism.

Increases the body temperature and causes an early onset of sweating. Warm muscles and tendons are less likely to be injured than cold ones. Sweating helps the body regulate its core temperature and prevents overheating during strenuous activity. Yes, we do still sweat in the water!

Enhances the speed of transmission of nerve impulses. This, in turn, improves neuromuscular coordination. Have you ever noticed how you can "feel" the water better after you've warmed up?

So next time you're running late, just get in last in your lane and take it easy for the next 20 minutes. Or warm up in an area not used by your punctual teammates, and join them only once you're properly warmed up.

For any questions, you may contact Jessica Seaton, D.C. at Jseaton@aol.com or by telephone at 310/470-0282. Dr. Seaton is a chiropractic orthopedist in private practice in West Los Angeles.