NEVADA POOLS

• Elko
  Pool: Municipal Pool
  SGOL Link 
  Rating: B 
  Good News: Indoors, 25 yards, 6 lanes, kickboards. 
  Bad News: The Bad News: No pace clocks and only three lane ropes. It gets wavy. 
  Details: Elko is on I-80, in the middle of nowhere, so the pool gets a decent score for just being there. 
  
  
• Las Vegas 
  Pool: YMCA 
  Rating: A- 
  The Good News: Indoors, 25 yards, kickboards, paceclocks, Y card is honored for ten visits. 
  The Bad News: You can swim only ten times a year, so you have to get your lookalike sister's Y card and ID if you return within six months. Oops, er, that's what I do. 
  Details: Lots of old people here. Not a problem, but I just thought I'd mention it. The lifeguard Mary is friendly and there's a jacuzzi just a few yards from the fast lane. In the summertime, millions of children pee and play in the Y pool, and there are only 2 lap lanes available. Circle swimming is inevitable. Why not go to... 
  
  
  
• Pool: Buchanan Natatorium at UNLV 
  SGOL Link 
  Rating: A 
  Good News: Indoor 50 meter pool, cool deep water. plenty of pace clocks and you'll probably get your own lane.
  The Bad News: Kickboards are in the equipment room, wherever the hell that is. 
  Details: Most university pools require a student ID or a fee. Nobody asked me for money til Sunday and even then it was just two dollars. UNLV- I owe you about ten bucks. I'll either give it to a homeless person or slip it in the MGM's nickel slots. 
  The Masters team has a 6 am workout. Six in the morning? Good Lord. How about a late night workout? Just think how many comics, strippers and prostitutes would join the Masters team if there were a 2 am practice. 
  
  
• Reno 
  Pool: YMCA 
  SGOL Link 
  Rating: B+ 
  The Good News: Indoors, 25 yards, kickboards, paceclocks, free with a Y card. 
  The Bad News: Four lanes. 
  Details: There is a great guy named Mike who coaches an age group team here, and he also lifeguards occasionally. On the way back to I-80, there's a fast food Chinese restaurant on the right. Their awesome and economical Veggie Delight is a great carbo feast after your nasty workout. 
  The last time I worked out here, on the way home from another hell gig I swore I'd never take again the last time I drove home from it, I noticed this senior bird backstroking in the lane next to me. She's not bad for an old dame, I thought and we introduced ourselves. She was Ivy Brown, 86 years old and chief competitor to my 86 year old teammate Jean Durston. (Jean is the star of Chiquita Banana's latest tv campaign; she has better tv credits than I do). Ivy wanted to know if Jean was going to Nationals and if she was, what events she'd entered. I had no idea and then we did a backstroke sprint and she touched me out. 
  
  
• Pool: Idlewilde
  Rating: A 
  The Good News: Outdoors, 50 meters, 16 roped 25 yard lanes, pace clock, boards, pull buoys and a Masters Team. 
  The Bad News: The desert sun at high noon is about twenty inches from your face. If you are Irish like me, prepare for facial peelage. 
  Details: Idlewilde is in Idlewilde Park, which runs against the Truckee River. The Sierra Masters head coach, Steve Lintz, couldn't have been nicer on the phone and Steve, you give good directions. I joined in on the 11:30 am workout and died an ugly one. Reno is at altitude so unless you are too, the warmup alone will kill you. Then you get to the main set. If you are an actor or performance artist, now is a good time to rehearse your asthmatic character. Oh, they will pity you!

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