Triathlon Training Daddy: News from pool side with Swim Meister Tony

Even though we haven’t really had a winter (not yet at least), spring is just around the corner, and your warm weather activities will be here before you know it. Are you ready for it?

First, local upcoming events:

March 5, KC Blazers All-Relay Masters Meet: I love this meet! Relays give you that sense of team work that swimmers sometimes miss out on. I really love this meet because I get to help other swimmers that probably will never have a chance at an individual National Top Ten time, earn a Top Ten time on a relay. That is the main idea of this meet, and every year, swimmers of all abilities find themselves on a National Top Ten List. You can do that too! Meet info here.

March 31, Breadbasket Zone Championships: This meet is in St. Louis, which is hardly local. But, several local swimmers are planning to go. It’s a 2 session meet (Sat afternoon & Sun morning), so you can get in more events. I went to this meet at the same location several years ago, of course it was a good time. Meet Info here.

April or May; I have been assured there will be a meet at the new pool in Lees Summit. They have it narrowed down to 2 weekends this spring. Details to come.

July 5-8; USMS Summer Nationals in Omaha

I’ve always thought that adult swimming needs an ambassador, a huge name that people might follow and think “Hey, I might give that a try!” That person may have arrived. Since his retirement from cycling, rumors have swirled of Lance Armstrong taking a stab at the Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Kona, HI. None of that has been confirmed, but here are a few things that have. Lance is a registered member of United States Masters Swimming. He did compete in a swim meet last month for the first time in more than 25 years. And last week, in response to a USMS tweet asking people about USMS Spring Nationals, Lance replied “It’s on my calendar!” Who wouldn’t love the chance to race Lance Armstrong? I admit, the thought entered my mind, but I won’t be in his age group at the Spring Nationals. I WILL be in his age group at the Summer Nationals meet in Omaha that I already plan to attend. Will Lance attend that meet? See more on Lance as a masters swimmer here.