Adirondack Sports September 2023

SWIMMING
Back to the Pool
SEPTEMBER 2023 35
YOUNGEST (22, 23) AND OLDEST
(76, 77, 85) COMPETITORS AT THE
MASTERS MEET AT HARTWICK
COLLEGE.
SWIMMERS RECEIVE
DIRECTIONS FOR A
MASTERS GROUP
FITNESS WORKOUT
AT GLENS FALLS
YMCA.
Adirondack
Masters and
US Masters
Swimming
By Kathy Meany
As swimmers and triathletes in the
great Northeast, we are fortunate
to live in an area where we have
access to beautiful lakes and outdoor
town park pools to swim in throughout
the summer months. But like it or not,
the outdoor season comes to an end, and
we are forced to move our workouts to an
indoor pool at a local fitness club, high
school, college or community center. The
challenges of returning to swimming in
an indoor pool for many months of the
year can include finding a facility with lap
swimming hours that match our schedule,
getting a lane, endlessly staring down
at the black center line, and dealing with
the effects of chlorine!
For some of us, the reality of returning
to indoor swimming is mitigated by the
opportunity to swim in programs sponsored
by Adirondack Masters Swimming
(AD-LMSC). Adirondack Masters
Swimming is one of 53 local Masters
swimming “committees” (LMSCs)
affiliated with United States Masters
Swimming (USMS), the national governing
body of competitive and recreational
swimming for athletes age 18 and above.
Adirondack Masters, one of three of the
committees in New York State, covers the
greater Capital Region, Hudson Valley,
Mohawk Valley, Adirondacks, and the
Leatherstocking region.
Who are the swimmers who comprise
VOLUNTEERS CHEER
ON SWIMMERS AT
THE ADIRONDACK
MASTERS MEET AT
SKIDMORE COLLEGE.
the membership of Adirondack Masters at
the local level and United States Masters
Swimming at the national level? Many of
our members swam competitively as kids
in age group programs and/or as young
adults on high school and college teams
who want to continue training for and
competing in races and meets once youth
swimming opportunities are in life’s rearview
mirror. Many of our members are
“lapsed” competitive swimmers, those
who swam competitively at an earlier time
in their life, got out of it for any number of
reasons, and want to get back into training
and competing later in their twenties, thirties,
forties, fifties, sixties … you name it!
Some of our members are triathletes
who appreciate the importance of a good
swimming stroke, want to improve their
performance in the swimming leg of their
events, or want to add variety and diverse
goals into their training during the off-season.
And the majority of our members are
dedicated recreational swimmers who
have no interest in competition but want
to take advantage of Adirondack and US
Masters resources and programs for continuing
on their fitness journey.
There are diverse benefits and
advantages to becoming a member
of Adirondack Masters/US Masters
Swimming. US Masters Swimming offers
a TREMENDOUS collection of workouts
to tap into for athletes of all interests and
ability levels, as well as a vast collection
of training tips and instructional articles
and videos. These are great resources,
especially because many of our members
train on their own instead of with a workout
group or in a coached program.
Membership is often a gateway to
opportunities to enjoy the fun and camaraderie
of swimming with others, sometimes
in a clinic with certified coaches,
in a group fitness event, or in an ongoing
coached Masters workout program. As
the number of athletes in our area committed
to swimming returns to pre-Covid
levels, Adirondack Masters is pushing
for more coached Masters workout programs
where adults of all skill levels can
See SWIMMING 37 ▶