'PopSCI.com" on the new Speedo Lazr

Blogger Trevr sent me a link to a PopSCI.com gallery which features 10-images of Natalie Coughlin, Michael Phelps and a bunch of computer models wearing the new Speedo Lazr. [Link]

One picture illustrates a "girdle-like" construct within the suit to keep your core tighter. Now, if FINA can let THAT be okay, then why not "tripwires" on the Aquashift? Lame!

The Lazr costs $550; the jammers are $290. It's unfortunate that no swimming publication; albeit online or in print, have the courage to test these types of suits in a side-by-side comparison to see which brand really offers the fastest suit technology or even what sort of time advantage does one offer over the others. What if the Speedo Lazr is the fastest suit in the world but only offers a 2-tenths-of-a-second improvement in a 100 LCM free? Is the suit worth $500 to you if it makes you look like a "trekkie." Also, highly paid "mercenaries" do not count. Michale Phelps could probably with a 200 fly wearing wool board shorts.

Car and Driver has their "Car of the Year" and they certainly do shootouts from time to time.

Since I am on the subject of Brendan Hansen

Look at his timing and glide phase. He is also really flat in the water when he contracts his legs. Did you know that blogger trevr knows Brendan Hansen and even swam with him? You do now.

"Blogger Trevr" on stage with the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble

Trevor Algatt is both a SCAQ swimmer and an actor. This past weekend I saw him in a very powerful play and I was going to write a review, but the pros say it better than I can...

"... This impressive Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble project, drawn from interviews with Iraq war veterans and their families, depicts the personal toll of wartime with visceral intensity, and director Tom Burmester's stalwart ensemble displays an imposing commitment that generally offsets theater-by-committee inequities of tone and structure. ..." Los Angeles Times: [Link]

"... The play manages to convey the tragedy of war without being outright anti-war; it does not try to convince the audience what is right or wrong about the war in Iraq. There is even debate between a few of the characters in which they all have very different opinions about the United States’ involvement in the war. the Daily Bruin: [Link]

"... Developed from the true stories of four severely wounded American soldiers beginning their rehabilitations in the recently maligned Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Wounded does an able job of depicting the awesome burden the soldiers face in assimilating with family and society, but more importantly, with themselves. ..." From Splash: [Link]

The numerous split scenes with overlapping dialogue in the piece are handled effectively by director Tom Burmester, and Francois-Pierre Couture’s scenic design is minimalist, emphasizing the characters’ physicality and their psychological struggles. The entire ensemble delivers strong performances that remind us it’s a “long road to healing.” The L.A. Weekly Calender: [Link]

Theater info with days and times - also a trailer: [link]

Chlorine pools tied to more colds

Here is an MSNBC article sent to me by Trevr; (check out his blog link in the right-hand navigation), that states pool workers and swimmers are prone to more colds due to a mixture of chlorine, sweat, and urates. (Urates is a polite word for urine.) Makes sense, since mixing chlorine, sweat, and ammonia has to make for one heck of a caustic martini. Here is the story at MSNBC: [Link]

But there is a solution! Take the acid and the chlorine out of water completely and replace the chemicals with an ozone purification system. Ozone works amazingly well and produces water completely free of bacteria and viruses of any kind. Thus, the water will be safer for pool workers, swimmers and the ozone layer.

The image above comes from the European Space Agency from a GOME measurements of chlorine activation over the Arctic circle. Chlorine is bad "mojo" for both the ozone layer and our air quality so why are we using it when there is a better solution that is cleaner, safer, and has been in use on an industrial scale for the past 50 years?

Another byproduct of ozonated water is that the water has a clarity to it that chlorine or other chemicals can't match. Here are some links explaining how it works. The first link is to an ozone pool product site, the next two are independent news articles, [Air Tree] - [Water Tech Online] - [Daily Yomiuri Online]

SCAQ Workout - Santa Monica swimming today

My swim club, SCAQ, caters to both Masters swimmers and triathletes. If you are a triathlete in need of swim skills it is a great club to learn and develop aquatic skill sets. Today SCAQ had what is called a Ironman set at VNSO for triathletes; (VNSO: Van Nuys Sherman Oaks pool), but I headed over to Santa Mo for one of Dimitriy's mid distance workouts instead.

I don't remember the intervals but I remember the yardage. Oh, and blogger trevr was there. He has a play coming up on April 13. Go to his website and check it out.

200 warmup
6x50s kick/swim
6 x 75s descending 1-3 and descend 4-6 with a more agressive interval
3x300 with a descending interval.
3x300 with a faster descending interval
6x50s warm down

Total: 3050