NEW SESSION STARTING 2/14. See latest message, below.
Hi Folks,
I am “coaching” (organizing) a new Masters swim program in Ames, IA. I’m not getting a dime for it – the fees go to open the pool and pay for a lifeguard.
Here is the info, please contact me with any questions you may have. We start tomorrow:
Ames Masters Swimming – Come and swim organized workouts with adult swimmers of all abilities – Everyone is welcome!
When? Saturdays 10-11am
Where? Ames Municipal Pool (at AHS)
Cost? $13.00
This is a trial program. We are just getting started. If there is enough interest and attendance, then the program may continue.
We will meet on 12/13 and 12/20, then break for the holidays. We will start again on 1/3/09 and go until the early-bird swimming starts in mid-February.
Call Ames Park and Recreation to register: (515) 239-5360
Hey Mike,
I don’t know how set you are for the long term on day and time, but I’d join up if it were held during the week - early am, lunch, early pm - vs. a weekend mid-morning time slot. I live about half an hour away, but work in Ames. Just my $.02 of bailout money.
Finding a good time has been one of the biggest obstacles we’ve encountered. There are a number of interested parties that are in the same boat with you – work in Ames, live in DSM, Ankeny, Boone, etc.
Ideally, in a well-established Masters program, there would be workouts meeting at all different times to accommodate people’s schedules. For now, we’re just trying to measure whether interest is there, establish a presence, etc. Since we’re just getting started, we had to take what the City gave us, and one session/wk is all we can swing.
10am on Saturday isn’t ideal for me either – Sat. am is usually time for road races or long bikes. If this session is successful, we might be able to negotiate with the City for better/different/more times.
FWIW, I usually swim over lunch at the AHS pool during the week. It hasn’t been too crowded of late, and there are a couple good swimmers there who wouldn’t mind a workout partner. Your current swim pass gets you in (and honestly, they never check).
Also, starting in mid-February, the AHS pool will offer early-bird swims from 5:30-7am or so on M/W/F. I may have the Masters swimmers bum-rush one of these sessions if the interest is there. Or maybe we’ll try to take cram into a lane or two over lunch. We’ll see.
Anyway, keep your eyes peeled for updates. Thanks for checking in.
Our first session was a success and we have decided to continue. We have a small but dedicated group of swimmers and are looking to expand our numbers.
Ames Masters Swim Program
10-11am
Ames High School Pool
We will run from 2/14 - 5/16, with a week off for spring break. Cost will be about $1.85/person/session, so about $22 for residents ($36 for non-residents). We need about 15 people to make the class go.
We don’t have a coach, per se, but I volunteer to organize the class and write the workouts. Right now I am writing four levels of workout, starting with ~500yds and going up to 3000+. We break out into lanes based on ability and distance and just knock out the yards.
Please contact me with any questions. To register, contact the City of Ames P&R office (515) 239-5360. Course #610401-B1.