Come Out and Swim 2009

200 SCY breaststroke 3:22.42
100 SCY breaststroke 1:35.55
100 SCY freestyle 1:22.12
50 SCY breastroke 43.08

I also swam 50 breaststroke leg of the 200 IM relay with Jeff Rice, Marc Forget, and Minh Truong.



This was the first meet that I swam freestyle, and that I swam a relay. It was also the first meet that I placed in my age group, for the 200 yard breaststroke.



I was one of the organizers of the meet, so this was 6 months in the making. I was involved with all aspects of the meet. My main task toward the end was to coordinate 40 volunteers to work for the meet event. Luckily, volunteers showed up on time. After giving a quick orientation, I transfer the supervisor duty to my friend Eric, so I could start warming up for my first event.

The 100 yard freestyle was the most difficult for me. Although I practiced this about 100 times, I was very nervous swimming freestyle for the first time in a meet. I did well, but I almost had no energy left for my last event, 50 yard breast, which was only about 5 minutes after my freestyle swim.

vote for speedo power

vote for speedo power
Originally uploaded by reflexblue

My swim team, Fins Aquatics Club, nêds your votes to advance to the Final Four as Best Local Sports Team.

Please click to vote (UPDATED LINK) http://www.vizu.com/vot/Sports/outsports/poll-vote.html?n=155078&cId=

Thank you!!!

Philly Fins Postal Swim 2009

Philly Fins Postal Swim 2009
Originally uploaded by reflexblue

I was scheduled to swim one hour during the Fins Postal Swim 2009. However, an unscheduled swimmer showed up, and I gave him half of my timeslot. I swam about 1500 yards in 30 minutes, basically followed a drill of 50 yards freestyle and 25 yards breaststroke. Dan was my timer :-) I felt great afterward but not sure if I could carry on for 30 more minutes.

Fins Postal Swim 2009

It turns out that I will swim a one-hour shift tomorrow during the postal swim fundraiser. I am accepting cash or checks!

Fins President Anh Dang said, "I personally look forward to doing the Postal Swim every year. It's my favorite Fins event because it creates a connection between the team and the Philadelphia LGBTQ communities. The event blends three main aspects of the Fins: swimming, social, and community service." Spectators are invited to the event and can expect the usual Fins’ flair.

Fins Swimmers to Host Event to Benefit MANNA

For Immediate Distribution

Fins Swimmers to Host Event to Benefit MANNA



PHILADELPHIA, PA

The Fins Aquatics Club, Philadelphia’s gay swim team, will host its annual fundraiser on Saturday, January 24, from 10am to 1pm, at the Friends Select School, 17th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

The team traditionally selects a local non-profit as recipient of half the proceeds of its Postal Swim. This year the team chose to donate 50 percent of the money collected to MANNA (Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance). MANNA is a Philadelphia non-profit group which promotes wellness through nutrition in communities living with, affected by, and fighting HIV / AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening illness. The other 50 percent will benefit the Fins.


During the event, participants will swim as many laps as they can within a one-hour period to compete with other swimmers across the country. There are two one-hour sessions: from 10:30 to 11:30 and 11:45 to 12:45. Swimmers can either do a full hour or form relays. The results are then mailed into United States Masters Swimming (hence the national name of “Postal Swim"), with awards granted by age group and gender.

Fins President Anh Dang said, "I personally look forward to doing the Postal Swim every year. It's my favorite Fins event because it creates a connection between the team and the Philadelphia LGBTQ communities. The event blends three main aspects of the Fins: swimming, social, and community service." Spectators are invited to the event and can expect the usual Fins’ flair.

“The Fins is an athletics team that is also a strong, warm community,” said Fins Vice-President and event organizer Kacie King. “The Postal Swim is a perfect example of how the team brings people together and gives swimmers the opportunity for personal challenge. The swim also is a chance for those who are touched by the value of the Fins to support the team and for the Fins to give back to the broader Philadelphia community.”

For 2007’s event, the Fins re-named their version of the fundraising event “Swim for Jim! The James A. Robles Memorial One-Hour Swim” to honor the memory of the team’s recently deceased head coach Jim Robles, who was also one of the founders of the team. That year, 100% of the $3,920.20 raised was donated to MANNA, in honor of Robles. In 2008, over $1,500 was raised for the Mazzoni Center.


~More~



The Fins Aquatics Club is Philadelphia's gay and lesbian masters swim team. The Fins Aquatics club, formed in 1988, current has approximately 130 members. Members range from 19 years old to 63 years old.
We currently have 4 practices a week. The Fins welcomes swimmers of all ages, skill levels, genders and orientations. The team provides challenging, well-organized, coached work-outs. Some members focus on local, regional, national or international swimming competitions and/or triathlons while other members swim to keep fit.
The Fins Aquatics Club is affiliated with International Gay & Lesbian Aquatics and US Masters Swimming.

Dewey Beach Sprint Triathlon

Seven Fins participated in the Dewey Beach Sprint Triathlon held on Saturday, Sep 13
http://www.deweybeachtriathlon.com/
1/2 mile swim
7.2 mile bike
3.4 mile run



Why this was my favorite triathlon race ever:

I did it with six other Fins
We had a great support crew / photographers
It was my first ocean true ocean swim race
I swam mostly straight
I swam at a proper and consistent pace
Flat bike course ... I didn't need to shift gears
It was only a sprint distance ... no training or recovery time for me.



I finished 125th out of 491 overall men.

Swim - 290th out of 491 men; 20 minutes 42 seconds
T1 - 1 minutes 57 seconds
Bike - 248th of out 491 men; 24 minutes 36 seconds
T2 - 56 seconds
Run - 60th out of 491 men; 25 minutes 28 seconds

Provincetown Harbor Swim for Life 2008

The sea was a lot calmer. So was I the second time around. My boat got to High Point early, so there was some time to warm up, socialize, and pee before the start of the swim.

My fellow Lane 5 Fins Kevin and I decided to stick together, and that was what we did. I swam for about 100 yards and stopped to look for each other. I zigzagged all over the place, so I probably added 1/4 mile to our swim. My brand new Nike googles didn't fit me, so every 100 yards I had to let water out.

Toward the end, Kevin took a rest by hanging on to a kayak, so I finished a few minutes ahead of him.

Dan and all the Fins participants were waiting for us! As I ran up to the dick dock, I felt like I could swim another 1.5 miles!

Confessions of a Lane Five Swimmer - Part 2

I am settling comfortably in Lane 5. I can keep up with the lane during 50's and strokes. If we do 8 x100, then I line up toward the end. But if we do 150 or more, then I fall behind. I still need to find my comfortable zone that I can pace myself out for 200 yards and be ready to move right on to the next set.

Last Thursday's workout
Warm--up
12 x 75 (kick, drill, swim by 25)
12 x 25 stroke count reduction

Main set
200
2 x 150
4 x 100 by 1:40
4 x 50
100 easy
Repeat main set

Confessions of a Lane Five Swimmer - Part 1

Whoa, I've moved to Lane 5! The migration was mostly due to a few new beginners joining the team the past two months. A few fellow former Lane Six regulars moved with me which made my move a lot easier to adjust.

Lane 5 can be fast one day and slow the next day, depending on who shows up. Some days I was able to complete all lane 5 sets. Certain days, I have to skip a few 50's to catch my breath. I can keep up well if the set includes breaststroke or freestyle of 50 yards or less. I lose pace at every freestyle turn since I can't flip!

I'd have no problem going back to lane 6 during practices when lane 6 is more appropriate for me. Lane 5 for me is a new challenge, and I hope that I will feel more comfortable as time goes by.

IGLA Championships 2008

I finished last or next to last in all my events (200m, 100m and 50m breaststroke), but it was a joyful swim meet. It was great to see all my teammates setting records and simply kicking ass. Our Pink Flamingo performance was awesome! Best of all, Dan came down to see me swim. He was probably bored to tears waiting around for me 100m event, but he never complained. We had an amazing time on the rooftop bar of the Beacon Hotel.

Confessions of a Lane Six Swimmer

Two of my fellow lane six swimmers have already moved over to lane five. I'm not ready yet, but I'm working on it. Depending on who shows up at practice in lanes five and six, I know where my ass belongs.
I swam in lane five twice the past two weeks. I could keep up with their speed for 50's, but I was not ready to do 100's with 10 seconds rest yet.
My freestyle definitely improved. The biggest thing I've focused on the past month was my freestyle pull. I wanted to make sure I kept my elbows high, rotated, reached, glided, pulled with closed fingers, and followed through. I was very encouraged to see that I could keep pace with some lane five during 50 sprints.
There are many things I need to work on before my ass can firmly stick in lane five, but how exciting is it even to be considering that possibility?

Confessions of a Lane Six Swimmer

Bilateral breathing is the next swimming skill I'm learning. Basically, I've been breathing on my right side every 4 strokes. I need to use alternate side and breath every three strokes. This skill will help me to balance my stroke so I can swim faster. In addition, I want my lat (back) muscles to develop evenly on each side.
So far, I only do bilateral breathing during 25- or 50-yard drills. It doesn't come naturally, so I have to do a stroke count in my head. It's easier to do during pull drills when I already focus on my upper body movement.

Confessions of a Lane Six Swimmer

Anh test 5209
Originally uploaded by jasonsmith

I went to all four Fins practices last week! That was the first!
Tuesday November 6th (election day)
Coach: Jen
Swimmers: can't remember anymore!!


Thursday November 8th workout with Coach Tom
Swimmers: Bill H, Jan E, Jeff B, and me. Jeff was late and decided to go slow the entire practice.
3 x 100 (25 kicks, 50 fist drill, 25 swim) I turned the middle 100 into a 50
8 x 50 free; 10 seconds rest.
8 x 75 (25 free, 25 stroke, 25 free) on 2:30. I made up and gained during the 25 stroke
1 x 100 easy
4 x 75 (25 free, 25 stroke, 25 free) on 2:10. Since I blurted out that the previous set was too slow, I was the lane leader for this set.
2 x 50 sprint
1 x 100 easy

Saturday November 10th
Coach: Roger
Swimmers: Jan, Tree, Steve G, and me
I swam 150 yards freestyle non-stop for the first time during the warmup. Don't remember the rest of the sets. Lots of breaststroke drills


Sunday November 11th
Coach: Roger
Swimmer: Ryan (new), and me
Ryan was faster at freestyle, I was faster at breaststroke. The sets had an even mix, so we were able to keep up.
Jen was swimming, but she came around toward the end to give a breaststroke demo. She pulled her groin while mimicing his wide kick!!!

Fins president

It's official ... I'm the president of the Philadelphia Fins Aquatics Club. It's an honor to represent such a great organization. I'm looking forward to an exciting year with many events already under works.

Exchange of Clothes (Fun Relay)

Come Out and Swim Fun Relay
I was the lead off swimmer on the winning team.

Confessions of a Lane Six Swimmer, Part 11

For the first time in my 18-month swim with the Philadelphia Fins Aquatic Club, I was more comfortable with freestyle than breaststroke. I knew that this day would come, but I still couldn't believe it was happening! This was the workout given by Coach Tom:

3 x 100 warm-up
10 x 50 descending 1-5 and 6-10. My 5 and 10 were 45 seconds.
1 x 100 easy
8 x 100 (25 breast, 25 free, 25 breast, 25 free). I was the lane leader :-)
1 x 100 easy
5 x 50 (easy, build, fast, easy, FAST). My fast laps were 47 and 45 seconds.
1 x 100 easy

This was an unusally long set for Lane Six. We didn't have to do any drills yesterday so we covered more yards. It helped that the other three Lane Six guys were roughly my pace. For the last 100 easy, I started out doing breaststroke but after the turn couldn't spread my legs any longer. I switched over to freestyle, finished my set, and felt great!

Confessions of a Lane Six Swimmer, Part 10

Anh's First Time ...
Originally uploaded by reflexblue

200m breastroke: Event 12; Heat 1
There were 3 people in my heat, but one was a no-show. Thus, there were onlly two of us on the start blocks. I didn't want a falst start so I jumped a little slower. It was a good jump, considering that I only practiced this jump a handful of times.
I made the typical first-timer's mistake by starting out too fast. I was almost sprinting for my first 50, then realily settled in that I had 3 more 50's to go. I struggled to hold pace and fell behind. I could hear all my 50 teammates cheering for me. I was excited, but I couldn't go any faster! The 25 meter pool seemed so long as I struggled through the last two laps. Someone said my time was 3:41 which was 19 seconds faster that my predicted time.

Exchange of Clothes 200m Fun Relay
I was the lead-off swimmer, followed by Eric, Todd, and Professor Mark. I produced my best 50m breastroke ever! The last 25m wearing a church lady's hat I still managed to stroke my way past another team. My team ended up winning this fun relay. The rumor is that a video of this relay will be posted on YouTube shortly.

Come Out and Swim!

Total Registered Swimmers 123
------------------
FINS- Fins Aquatics Club 41
TNYA- Team New York Aquatics 22
DCAC- District of Columbia Aquatics Club 17
LANES- Liquid Assets New England Swimming 14
PAFC- Pennypack Aquatic and Fitness 6
1776- Colonials 1776 5
JAM- Jersey Area Masters 4
TDA- Team Detroit Aquatics 3
BALT- North Baltimore Aquatic Club Masters 2
METRO- Metro Masters Swim Club 2
OHSPL- Ohio Splash 2
NAD- Nadadores de South Florida 1
MACC- Montréal À Contre-Courant 1
OR- Oregon 1
STLM- St. Louis Masters 1
VMST- Virginia Masters Swim Team 1

The meet is today! Most out-of-town swimmers arrived last night for the registration party! Everything has gone well so far!

2007 Philadelphia Fins Swim Meet

Logo Revealed!
Originally uploaded by reflexblue

It was a typical coming out party: denials, tears, confusions, confrontations, histrionics, and finally common sense. This was the planning process for the 2007 Philadelphia Fins International Swim Meet -- Come Out and Swim!
It's being held this weekend along with the OutFest National Coming Out Block Party in Philadelphia. The registration process is over. We're getting about 150 swimmers and 50 volunteers. I'm the chair of the meet housing and transportation, so my work continues until all swimmers and volunteers return home from the meet.

Confessions of a Lane Six Swimmer, Part 9

Lane Six
Originally uploaded by reflexblue

With Jeff B moving to Lane 5, Brad, Bill, and I are keeping each other on face. More accurately, I try to keep up with them during freestyle and they try to keep up with me during breaststroke. The sets we got on Thursday from Tom drew evenly upon our strength. We did everything in sync!

10 x 75 freestyle (25 kicks / 25 fist drill / 25 swim) - 20 seconds rest
1 x 100 easy
4 x 25 breaststroke kicks
4 x 25 breaststroke drills
1x 100 easy
6 x 50 (25 breaststrokes / 25 freestyle) - 20 seconds rest
1x 100 easy