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Newsletter
January 13, 2011
by Tasha Capen
In this edition:

Coming Events

We're starting 2011 off at top speed!  Here's what coming up soon:

 - Annual Swimmer of the Year Party, Saturday Jan 29 at 5 pm at Holbrook-Palmer Park, Atherton. Celebrate our collective 2010 accomplishments and learn who our 2010 Swimmers of the Year will be! It's a great time to enjoy each others' company in a warm, dry place. More details coming via evite soon!

 - USMS 1 Hour Postal National Championship, a Menlo Masters tradition. How far can you swim in an hour? Last year 49 of us swam 188,545 yards. Can we beat that this year? Join us at a workout Jan 28-31, where lanes will be set aside for hour swim candidates. If you can't make it those days, feel free to find a timer/counter and swim it on your own. Details and entry forms are available at:
https://www.clubassistant.com/club/meet_information.cfm?c=1308&smid=2508.

 - Get ready for Can-Do February! We'll track our yards together for the entire month, aiming for 50K or 100K yards, or the new level of 100 *miles* in a month.  And for every 2000 yards you swim, bring in a canned food or other donation item to benefit a local charity.


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2011 Team Challenges

Here are a few year-long challenges for 2011 – take them on if you dare!

 - Year-Rounder Challenge: swim 10,000 yards in a day at least once each month. An even dozen completed the challenge in 2010; you can read about them below. Planning to try it this year? Use this Google doc to record the dates you swim each month:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=tFXCOp4bhQsIrulYXDUL14g&hl=en#gid=1.

 - Million Yard Challenge: swim 1,000,000 yards in 2011. A new challenge this year - and with a solid Can-Do Feb, you'll be well on your way! Participants will track their yardage throughout the year and we ask that you record your monthly progress in this Google doc:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AtUOxuTLNrE0dFZJdXdFZ1dZZnF5Y0syUndLREdpcXc&authkey=CMGNosMD&hl=en#gid=0.

 - Speed Club: swim 100 free faster than the Gold, Silver or Bronze standards for your age group in a swim meet this year. Standards for SCY and SCM will be posted in early February; LCM will be posted in the spring.

Note: You do not need a Google login to access these documents. If you have any trouble getting to the documents, or if you prefer not to use them, please contact Tasha Capen at tasha@menlomasters.com.


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Boot Camp

It has been 1 month since I have offered our new venture Menlo Fit-Boot Camp FREE to all Masters for the month of January.  In that 4 weeks, 65 Masters have tried Boot Camp, with a majority of those  individuals returning for more.

The intent is to have the Boot Camp complement your swimming and have it complete your weekly fitness requirements for healthy and balanced living.  Please come out and try it…the FREE offer is still in place.  Just show up at 6, 7, 8 or 9 am Monday through Friday and give them your name.  Our Saturday Boot Camp 7:30-8:30am will remain FREE to the entire community year round.

Beginning in February the Boot Camp can become a Menlo Masters add-on for
$35/month or
$25/month for an annual commitment.


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Menlo Masters Google Group

Stay in touch with teammates this year outside the pool! Shortly we'll be launching a Google group for the team that will allow you to send messages to the group. (This will require you to use or set up a Google login with your current email address.)  You can coordinate Year-Rounder days, get advice about gear, find a carpool to a team event, see team results and so on.  Look for an invitation soon, and please respond to that email if you want to join the group. We'll continue our Facebook group as well - search for Menlo Masters Swim Team and request to join, if you haven't already.


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2010 Results

Summaries of a variety of performances in 2010 are now available to view on the bulletin board at the pool and on Google docs:

 - Year-Rounders:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B9UOxuTLNrE0N2M1MTZjMmEtYzBjMi00NGM4LWE4OWEtZDRhNDZhNzA1MDc1&hl=en&authkey=CODxyYoD

 - Speed Club members:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B9UOxuTLNrE0OWM4ZTg5YTQtMWI3YS00Mzk0LWFkOGYtYThkZDU5NDc1MDI2&hl=en&authkey=COSS46UJ

 - Open water swim rankings and all recorded Menlo Masters swims:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B9UOxuTLNrE0ODE3ZGE3NzctMjg0ZS00Y2EwLWEzYTAtZDY1MjZiOTNkMmYx&hl=en&authkey=CJj_sIQF

 - Pool swims - point totals, all relay and individual swims annotated with 2010 team records and national Top Ten rankings:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B9UOxuTLNrE0ODAzYTRmY2EtNDc4Zi00MWI4LWE4ZDQtMzM1OTQwYTNjZGQy&hl=en&authkey=CJeWupQH


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Tales of the 2010 Year-Rounders

Twelve teammates completed the 2010 Year-Rounder Challenge:

Kim Freitas        
Martin Michael
Michele Santilhano 
Stacy Fredericksen
Ann Burton         
Jan Jindra
Lalit Shahani      
Duke Rohlen
Brett Bannan       
Nicole Cadman
Ken Plough         
Ken Fine

Each Year-Rounder was asked to share a few thoughts about their experience - here's what Lane 2 swimmer Ken Fine said:

 - How long a Menlo Master?  
Since 2007

 - Why the Year-Rounder?     
I like challenges - new ways to test myself.

 - What kept you going?      
I don't know - peer pressure?  The spreadsheet?  I don't give up on a goal.

 - Your favorite set?        
Anything where I could get a good draft!

 - Your favorite part?       
Last 25 yards in December ;-)

 - Your least favorite part? 
I had to swim with one arm from July to November (shoulder rehab).  Tough way to swim 10k yards.

 - Will I do it again?       
Maybe 2012! Actually - it was fun.  By the end, the swim seemed pretty comfortable - 100x100 was no big deal.

Read responses from other 2010 Year-Rounders at:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B9UOxuTLNrE0N2M1MTZjMmEtYzBjMi00NGM4LWE4OWEtZDRhNDZhNzA1MDc1&hl=en&authkey=CODxyYoD


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