Omaha Masters Swimming

The Omaha Masters Swimming team is hosting a free month in March for those interested in coming to try it out.

Where and When:
College of St Mary/ Lied Fitness Center  (7000 Mercy Rd.)
  • Mornings: Tues/ Thurs 5-6 am
  • Evenings: Sun/ Wed/ Fri 5:30-6:30 pm

DiVentures – 4303 S. 121 Plz. 1 (120th and I Street.)
  • Evenings: Mon/ Wed/ Fri 6:15-7:15 am

These sessions are open to anyone regardless of swimming ability.

I started with Omaha Masters in 2008 with the intent on improving the swimming portion of triathlons. However, before doing a single triathlon, I became hooked on racing my road bike. Despite thinking that I was never going to do another triathlon, I stuck with Omaha Masters and have been a regular member ever since.

The reason I stuck around is because the Omaha Masters program is good. Really good. I have visited/swum with several other teams as a guest when traveling, and none have matched what our program offers right here in Omaha. The head coach, Todd Samland, also coaches the UNO Mavericks women's swimming team. With several years as a D1/D2 coach and more as a Masters Swimming coach, Todd has a ton of experience running swimming programs. He knows how to put a good workout together. In fact, in the seven years I've participated in Omaha Masters, I don't ever recall doing the same workout twice. That's something.

But the best thing this program has done for me was to help me rediscover the joy of swimming again.

There's a terrific mix of people -- from the very young (19), to the not so very young -- that show up to practice every day. The swimmers range in ability from being fast and knowing all of the strokes, to being not so very fast and only knowing one stroke.

What I also appreciate about swimming is that I can always bank on it. I swim at 5:30 AM. Other than being lazy, there's no reason why I can't get a workout in at that time. For cyclists, swimming's low impact makes it ideal for recovery workouts, or to get an extra hour of solid cardio in.

One more thing. After the workout, I feel amazing. It's something like a post-yoga workout, only better. It's a deeply gratifying feeling that combines the satisfaction of accomplishment with the physical sensation of being totally relaxed and warm all over. This feeling creates a feedback loop that motivates me to return again and again and again.

If you know someone who's interested, now is the time to try it out for free. There are no obligations. Nobody cares if you can swim fast. Nobody cares how you look in a bathing suit. Just come out and give it a try.

More info can be found on the Omaha Masters web page, and on Facebook

Happy Friday and Thanks for reading