Masters Swim Classes

I know this won't help very much for those in the city, but for us folks down here in the southern suburbs, the Lemont Park District is offering a masters swim course starting September 8th. Discounts available if you belong to TriSmart tri club. I wish I weren't so busy...I totally need something like that!

Dogteacher - I'm looking at that Masters Swim program.  Are you a member of the TriSmart club?  I've been thinking about joining.  Just trying to get my head around what the benefits of doing so are.

If you are downtown, check out the Chicago Blue Dolphins.  They swim at UIC and Moody Bible year round.

http://www.chicagobluedolphins.com/about_cbd_swim_team.html

Nice!!! thanks, I had no idea about this and I get off the train in Lemont every day.

I did some investigative work:

http://www.usms.org/links/usmsclubs.php

Click on Illinois and you get this:

Alligator Aquatics (Arlington Heights)

Academy Bullets Masters (Aurora)

Saluki Masters Swim Club (Carbondale)

Chicago Blue Dolphins (CHICAGO)

Chicago Masters (Chicago)

Chicago Smelts (Chicago)

Max Multisport (Chicago)

Mt. Greenwood Masters (Chicago)

Westloop Athletic Club Masters (Chicago)

Deerfield COHO (Deerfield)

Elgin Blue Wave Masters (Elgin)

Evanston Masters Swim Team (Evanston)

Lincoln-Way Masters Swimming (Frankfort)

Rich Port YMCA Masters (La Grange)

Naperville WAVES Swim Club (Naperville)

Red Snappers (Naperville)

Gray Sharks Masters Swimming (Niles)

Park Ridge Penguins (Park Ridge)

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Masters (Urbana)

I second the Blue Dolphins. They were great. Depending on how `downtown' you really are they're at UIC, so very close.

For those in the west 'burbs...

There's allegedly a Masters swim club at the gym by 7 Bridges Ice Arena in Lisle.  It's been a couple of years since I've looked into it though...

Thanks for the input!  Website looks good and I'm just up the street on Damen in Bucktown so it's really easy for me to go to UIC or the Moody practices (there's a lot of them).  Prices look pretty decent too ($250/ season OR $750/year). 

The only other one I was looking at is Chicago Masters Swim Club.  They're at the same pool, less practice times, but only $150 per season (which is divided into semesters) and I think it supports the UIC swim team...

Hmm I've actually never heard of them. Let us know how they work out, if you decide to go with them.

Sadly I do all of my swimming in the lake. I dont think I swam from November (after the IM) until June or so. Hmm is that why I'm such a slow swimmer? Seriously, masters swim helped me with technique and such. I should've stuck with it.

The Elgin Blue Wave looks pretty interesting.  Seems affordable at $35 for the season (and $225 or so for the year to work out at their facility), and from what I understand that's where the "elite" in Elgin workout.

Also, up at LifeTime Fitness in Algonquin there's someone who holds a W/F masters class.  It's $35 or so for the month.  I just met him last Friday while I was there before the class started, but he said that it mostly runs at full-steam from October through April or May while it's cold out. 

Annnnnd I would've ran you down, as usual.

I'm on Team Tri Smart!

Our Master's swim starts Sept. 8th, MWF @ 5:30 - 6:30 a.m. at The Core in Lemont (on 127th).

We're coached by two experienced coaches - both are sub one-hour Ironman swimmers.

Feel free to try the swim program for a week - free - to see what you think.

And feel free to contact me if you have any more questions, about swim or the team in general.

Dawn

I am also a member of Team TriSmart. This Master's swim in Lemont at The Core is going to be great ! I have never met a Coach Like MJ before and can't wait for Sept 8th to come. Just a note on the Team. In the first year of existance we are battling for the regional championship this weekend at Petosky, Mi. Not bad for year 1. It is the club to watch in the future.

So I've narrowed it down to three groups in Chicago:

Chicago Masters Swim Club ($150 per 'semester', the most class times)
Chicago Blue Dolphins ($250 per season, various locations)
WAC Masters Swim Team ($100 per MONTH, chepaer for members...)

Just curious if anyone has any experience with these masters' classes and their opinions.

Thanks!

Blue Dolphins. I like them and they made me faster, for the few weeks I went. I don't handle instruction well.

Do you need to be a member at LifeTime to join?  I live in Algonquin.

I'll throw a bump up there for Max Multisport.

They swim at Northside College Prep, Northeastern Illinois University, Presidential Towers, and I think some suburban schools.  I recently started swimming with them at Northside College Prep H.S. and have been very impressed. 

I'm just getting back into swimming, but will try and do some Masters swim meets in Evanston and Rogers Park in January and March.

I'll make the assumption that you've asked all the questions that pertain to your situation. If you haven't or if others are reading this looking to improve their swim for triathlons; you should find out how specific that particular program is for distance swimming. Many Master's teams are geared toward Master's swim competitions (all four strokes, various distances, etc). There are other programs where the workout is posted on the white board and it is up to you to "fit in" and complete the workout.
In other words, don't assume anything even if they advertise that they are for triathletes. Ask questions, especially if you want help with stroke technique or some individualized attention as they may not be set up to do that (or want you to pay for private coaching).