NEVADA
- Elko
Municipal Pool
SGOL Link
B
Indoors,
25 yards, 6 lanes, kickboards.
The Bad News: No
pace clocks and only three lane ropes. It gets wavy.
Elko is on I-80, in the middle of nowhere, so the pool gets a
decent score for just being there.
- Las
Vegas
YMCA
A-
Indoors,
25 yards, kickboards, paceclocks, Y card is honored for ten visits.
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.
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...
-
Buchanan Natatorium at UNLV
SGOL Link
A
Indoor
50 meter pool, cool deep water. plenty of pace clocks and you'll probably get
your own lane.
Kickboards
are in the equipment room, wherever the hell that is.
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
YMCA
SGOL Link
B+
Indoors,
25 yards, kickboards, paceclocks, free with a Y card.
Four lanes.
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.
- Idlewilde
A
Outdoors,
50 meters, 16 roped 25 yard lanes, pace clock, boards, pull buoys and a Masters
Team.
The
desert sun at high noon is about twenty inches from your face. If you are
Irish like me, prepare for facial peelage.
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!
