How are you spending the extra time you now have while away from swimming? 3

During this time of isolation (“shelter at home”) which is a result of the Government’s reaction to the COVID-19 virus, swimmers have extra time on their hands.  So I thought it would be fun to hear what other swimmers are doing with that time.  Some of the most serious swimmers are increasing their regular dryland workouts, others are just enjoying the opportunity that this time away from swimming gives them to enjoy life in a different way!

This project has become much longer than expected, so if all of your comments or pictures are not included, I apologize.  I appreciate all those who responded.

Anicia Criscione

I’ve been working hard to stay positive.  These are the minimums…sometimes I do a little more.

Each day I read fiction for 30 minutes, nonfiction for 30 minutes, create something (paint/sew), cook a healthy meal for my family, and exercise in my garage.

Reading fiction:

I’m working on motivating my teenage daughters to do a book club with me;.hoping that we can pass the books to each other and then discuss them.

Reading nonfiction:

My husband and I are trading books and discussing.

Anicia Criscione’s quilt

Create something:

The quilt I’m working on is so fun!!!  It’s keeping my hopes up for the “Bridge Swim.”  I’m teaching myself a new skill in appliqué.  I painted a picture incorporating the Olympics 2021 for our local Olympian, Jacob Pebley (I know it will still be called Olympics 2020).

Cooking:

I purchase a local veggie box that is delivered to my door once/week so I look for creative ways to use the veggies new to me.  It’s also been fun cooking with my teenagers, for soon they will be off to college.  So I’m hoping to share a few cooking/health tips with them before they fly the coop.

I’ve always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, yet circumstances dictated my need to work.  So I’m reframing this as an opportunity I’ve always wanted…even though 24/7 with “screenager” teenagers can present its own challenges.

Ginger Pierson

I am still swimming, or, I should say still in the water.  Fill up the bath tub and do sprint kicks as fast as you can.  Do several reps of this to get your heart rate up.  Oh, by the way, stay flexible by wiping up the floor.

Ralph Mohr

I’ve done nothing.  I’m waiting for Eel Lake to warm up.  It is 58.1° at the moment.  The news is talking about May for the pandemic to lessen.  As we in Coos County have zero cases so far, we may be later than that.

Caryl Schiavon

I never thought I would be missing the pool so much!  Mostly I miss my Sweet teammates – OPEN Narwhals!  We have been having a weekly Zoom chat during our regularly scheduled practice time.  Saturday’s at 0800.

On our last chat, one of our swimmers, Leah Hinkle, posted a video using a deck of cards to guide a workout — of torture.  Trust me.  I am taking it super slow.  I do not need a silly injury because I over-did something.

Good luck during these strange times!!

Leah Hinkle

Leah Hinkle

(Leah, an OMS swimmer, is general manager for the Oregon Ravens, a women’s tackle football team.  This year, 2020, was to be their inaugural season.  So far they haven’t been able to play.  She presents this interesting workout, given to her by one of her line-women whom she calls the “strongest woman in football.”  Editor)

Grab a deck of cards and draw one at a time.  Each time you draw a:

Spade = 10 Pushups

Heart = 10 Air Squats

Club = 10 Situps

Diamond = 10 second Glute Bridge

Joker = a 30 second Plank

Variations to accommodate different dry land fitness levels.
If you feel confident, you can complete the entire deck and time yourself to see how long it takes to finish.  Then the goal is to beat your last time every time you do the entire deck of cards.  The other method is for those that are a little less confident about completing the entire deck.  You can pick a set amount of time, like 5, 10, or 15 minutes, and try to get through as many cards as you can during that time.  Then the goal is to get through more cards every time.  When you double the number of cards you did the first time, add five minutes to your time and continue this way until you can do the entire deck.

Arlene Delmage

Arlene Delmage chipping

During this time I have gone on many walks with my husband and family.  Instead of my boys being away at university I have come to know them better by walking and talking.  We are fortunate to have a gym in the garage which has dumbbells, kettle bells, chords, and bands.  Our son, who was on the football team at WSU last year, has taught us many new workout techniques.  We’ve also set up table tennis, darts, and a chipping (golf) mat on the back deck; so there is plenty to do.  My hair is enjoying a break from the chlorine.

Nancy Vincent

Nothing will replace swimming, but I am:

1. Running the stairs in my house (10-15 times)
2. Doing daily strength exercises (20-30 minutes)
3. Walking my dog multiple times per day.

Dave Radcliff

Nancy and I do a 35 minute walk every morning.  Now, with the pool closed because of the Virus, I have “amped” up the amount of dryland training.  One of the things I have found out as I age is that you lose conditioning fast.  A couple of days or a week out of the pool is very noticeable.  I am anxious to return to the pool to see how much this increased dryland work has helped.

Click to read: Dave Radcliff’s DryLand Routine

Sandi Rousseau

Sandi in her garden

During this ‘stay home, stay safe’ time, my husband and I were going hiking at least once per week, but since trailheads and state parks closed, we are walking in the orchards and the nearby irrigation canal for exercise.  I am also doing some dry land exercises, but they are stretching and strengthening, four months post-op shoulder replacement, to regain my range of motion and regain strength; so I cannot be too aggressive at this time.  As a nice stretch of weather is coming up, I plan to start biking …. which is earlier than I would normally start, so I will have to get used to bundling up a bit more.

Since one of my hobbies is gardening, I have lots of projects and gardening activities to keep me occupied on the home front.  My various garden areas have never looked this tidy before the end of March!  In fact, last year we still had snow on the ground at the end of March.  Columbia Gorge Masters is staying connected with a weekly Zoom session, and it is very nice to see everyone’s face.

Steve Darnell

I’m still getting multiple forms of exercise:

1)            Going up and down the stairs in my house at least 76 times per day.

2)            Walking around the hilly neighborhood, maintaining a 6-foot distance.

3)            Clearing blackberry bushes and other brush on my hillside.

4)            Vacuuming the house more than usual.

5)            Lifting weights at home.

6)            Playing Pickleball, on outdoor courts, with my friends, maintaining a 6-foot distance.

Marisa Frieder

I work in a lab.  For the last several weeks we’ve been working hard to support the virus testing in any way we can, and to make sure we can maintain staffing to do the core testing in my section.  In terms of mental energy, it feels like we’re putting on the Bridge Swim every day.  I’ve been out of the pool for a month and so far my exercise goals have focused on recharging and trying (in vain) to offset my stress-eating.  That’s meant a lot of walking, at work with colleagues when one of us needs a break and when I get home to get outside with my family.  On the weekends my partner & I have been going on “urban hikes”, 2-3 hour walks through our neighborhood and beyond.

Keeping in shape isn’t just about my body, it’s also about staying mentally sharp so I can continue to harass Ken Zell when we get back in the pool.  So, to keep my competitive streak strong, I’ve been tracking the speed with which I process paperwork and talking smack with my colleagues about my PRs.  I think they’re all hoping I can get back in the pool soon.

I just started doing the USMS dryland workouts this weekend and am hoping to do them on my regular swimming schedule because I need to get my pulse up and tire myself out.  Physical fitness would be ideal, but I think many of us are probably just trying to find a way to feel normal and sleep through the night.

I hope everyone in our OMS community is healthy and well.  They are on my mind every day.

Ron Nakata

Dave Radcliff and Willard Lamb are the motivation for me, not only for swimming, but also for health!  With no gym or pool, my dryland activities almost mimic Dave’s except for some golf specific exercises.  My goals are to continue to swim in my age group in the 100-yd freestyle, and in golf, for as long as I can.  One hundred fifty plus pushups and sit-ups and 20 min with kettle bell every other day complimented with daily 45 min walks with my wife.  If there is a good aspect to this current situation, spousal bonding is huge.  All please stay healthy, and as you already know (but it cannot be overemphasized), WASH your hands — from this retired dentist!!

Mike Self

Picture a sad, little, hotel workout room.  Now picture that sad, little, hotel workout room with even less equipment, and picture it in my garage.  THAT’S what I’m working with and I’m grateful for it!  I’m making the most, of the free weights and bands I have, on a daily basis.  I have a morning routine I stick to every day, and finish it with a long walk.

A friend has let me use her 13-yard backyard pool and it’s been an incredible gift!  It only takes a tight streamline and 3 strokes to get from one side to the other, but I’m smiling the whole time.

Valerie Jenkins

Valerie Jenkins

For me, I start with my attitude.  I have taken long breaks from swimming in the past due to injury, so I know I will be able to return and get back into the pool.  My swimming form will come back.  So my top priority is to keep a healthy mindset during this time.

I am taking this as an opportunity to work my core.  I do 40 minutes on the Stair Stepper in the morning for cardio followed by a sit up/crunch/plank/stretching session for about 20 minutes.  My goal is to do that 5/7 days a week.  Alternate days I at least do an hour walk outside.

Last week I did a fair amount of “resistance training” with the weeds in my garden!  So I am taking this time to work outside, and when the rain stops, I’m going to get out on my bike for a change of pace!

I look forward to seeing everyone back in the pool!

Allen J. Larson

My daily routine to stay in shape for the next swim practice, whenever it may be:

• I start with a 2 to 4 mile walk. When I started I was averaging a mile in 16 minutes 45 seconds; I am down to 15 minutes 23 seconds.  I downloaded an app that gives me this feedback every half mile.
• Upon arriving home I get out my weights and bands.
• I start with 8 pound dumbbells and do 3 X 20 horizontal shoulder shrugs, followed by 3 X 15 shoulder rotations.
• Both of these exercises start with weights at shoulder level elbows bent. Shrugs pull straight back then return.  Shoulder rotation from same starting position just rotate from elbow to lift weight toward ceiling.
• With same weights at my side I do 3 X 15 arm raises to shoulder level.

(Allen does a lot of exercises for his workout and he describes them in detail.  He finishes his workout with 3 X 40 seconds wall sits.  Editor)

Yes, it is a lot, but what else is there to do.

Tim Waud

(Tim shared some unique dry land swimming exercises.  These links are the first three workouts.  Editor).

Here are the links to some YouTube videos of dryland training with soup cans.  They are done by Michael Collins, who is the Head Coach of Nova Aquatics in California.

Soup Can work out Introduction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_-zSnEEjbA

Soup Can work out #1 Fast Friday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3TMQynQaMQ

Soup Can work out #2 Middle Distance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQaAkSoHokA

Michael Hargitt

For those that do not have any equipment at home.  You may go to a bodyweight workout which is 20 minutes.

• Each exercise is for 60 seconds
• No rest between exercises
• 60 seconds rest between rounds

1) Plank

2) Squats
Lunges

3) Bicycle Crunches
Kickouts
Leg Lifts

4) Push Ups
Mtn. Climbers
Dips
Push Ups

5)            Jumping Jacks
Burpees
Power Jacks
Burpees
Jumping Jacks

Do it twice 1,2,3,4,5…5,4,3,2,1 (40 minutes total)

Some people are still swimming

SOMA swimmer Rick Howell – Backyard swimming with bungy cords

Brave open water swimmers David Hathaway and Christine Mcclafferty