Quote of the Month

I was pretty nervous. I thought I had a far shot at the medal. My plan was to keep going hard and hit my hand on the wall first.

Brent Haydon, Canadian swim team

Upcoming Events

Date	Event	Groups Attending
14 April 2007	CPWD Swim Carleton Place	Entry Non-Competitive
22 April, 2007	Minnows and Superfish Fun Swim Meet	Minnows and Superfish
29 April, 2007	OYO Sprints (Nepean)	All competitive

Coaches Report

Report from Coach Rob - How much water do you need every day?

Water is an important structural component of skin, cartilage, tissues and organs. For human beings, every part of the body is dependent on water. Our body comprises about 75% water: the brain has 85%, blood is 90%, muscles are 75%, kidney is 82% and bones are 22% water. The functions of our glands and organs will eventually deteriorate if they are not nourished with good, clean water.

The average adult loses about 2.5 liters of water daily through perspiration, breathing and elimination. Symptoms of the body’s deterioration begin to appear when the body loses 5% of its total water volume. In a healthy adult, this is seen as fatigue and general discomfort, whereas for an infant, it can be dehydrating. In an elderly person, a 5% water loss causes the body chemistry to become abnormal, especially if the percentage of electrolytes is overbalanced with sodium. One can usually see symptoms of again, such as wrinkles, lethargy and even disorientation. Continuous water loss over time will speed up aging as well as increase the risk of disease.

If your body is not sufficiently hydrated, the cells will draw water from your bloodstream, which will make your heart work harder. At the same time, the kidneys cannot purify blood effectively. When this happens, some of the kidney’s workload is passed on to the liver and other organs, which may cause them to be severely stressed. Additionally, you my develop a number of minor health conditions such as constipation, dry and itchy skin, acne, nosebleeds, urinary tract infection, coughs, sneezing, sinus pressure and headaches.

So how much water is enough for you? The minimum amount of water you need depends on your body weight. A more accurate calculation is to drink an ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight.

Report from Assistant Coach Liliana

Nine kids from Silver and Bronze groups went to the Eastern Ontario Short Course Regional Championship on the 9^th, 10^th and 11^th of February at the Nepean Sportsplex.

All of the kids worked hard to get best times and they placed many times in the top 8. In the relays they also did very well, one of them placing 4^th. Some kids were very close to qualifying for “Regionals”, but I’m sure they’ll make the times for the Long Course Championship.

Congratulations to all of our kids!

On the 17^th of February, 17 kids from our Superfish and Bronze non-competitive groups went to the Ravens of Carleton fun swim meet. Kids got many best times; experience in swim meets and had a lot of fun at the end of the meet. Thank you to all the parents who helped by volunteering at the swim meet.

Even though only 10 Silver swimmers went to the Go Kingfish Gee Gee Invitational on 24^th and 25^th of February; they got some medals, top 8 places, new “Regional” and Personal Best Times, and of course more experience in racing against other swimmers.

Great achievement kids!

After a welcomed March Break, we will start the Long Course season. The first swim meet will be in Montreal. Most of the Silver and part of the Bronze kids are excited to go and swim in the Olympic Pool.

A new 6-week session is offered for the Developmental groups. Starting March 26^th, registrations will be open for new swimmers. For more details, please see the Developmental Programs page of our website.

Practice Changes

All the practices are cancelled on the following days:

Friday, April 6^th – Good Friday

Saturday, April 7^th

Sunday, April 8^th – Easter Sunday

due to a shortage of maintenance staff at the GRC swimming pool.

Practices are changed for:

Monday, April 9^th – Easter Monday

Only Platinum and Gold groups have practice from 4:30 to 6:00pm.

Normal schedule starts on Tuesday, April 10^th.

Platinum Stretching

There will be facilitated stretching session at 5:00pm for all Platinum swimmers every Monday night. All Platinum swimmers are encourages to attend.

Tip of the Month – Competition Diet

This week’s Speedo Tip of the Week comes from special correspondent Sarah Knott, who writes about balancing a training diet with a competition diet for your best season-ending performances. Here are some guidelines:

A training diet, which should be in gear at least two to three months before the big meet has more modified carbs than a competition diet, according to Lisa Dorfman, the national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. It should consist of:

§ About 50% of total calories from carbs, 30% from fat and 20% from protein.

§ Five to six small meals a day.

§ Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean meats.

§ About a week before your big meet, refine your diet. This means:

o Revising your diet to consist of 70% of calories from carbs, 20% from protein and 10% from fat.

o Lowering the amount of fibrous foods.

Right before a race, Dorfman suggests swim-friendly foods. Fruit, frozen fruit pops or fruit gummies will energize muscles (but no more than 60 grams of sugar or carbs every hour). Get some carbs within 30 to 120 minutes after an event.

GSH Contact Information

GSH Office:

Office Hours:	Tuesday – Thursday 9:30am - 2:30pm
Address:	P.O. Box 280, Stittsville, ON, K2S 1A4
Office Phone:	613-726-7901
E-mail:	gac@bellnet.ca

GSH Coaching Staff:

Robert Beattie	E-mail:	robert.beattie@sympatico.ca
	Office:	613- 726-7901
	Home:	613- 592-0113

Liliana Rusu:	E-mail:	lilianar@magma.ca

Matt Hyne:	E-mail:	matt.hyne@ottawa.ca

GAC Board of Directors

Joseph Elchakieh	President
	Email:	joseph.elchakieh@sympatico.ca

Greg MacPherson	Vice President and Director of Public Relations

Mary Raphael	Treasurer
	Email:	mssraphael@rogers.com

Carole Houde	Secretary and manager of GAC swim meet
	Email:	andrehoude@rogers.com

Ian Lightbody	Director and Officials Director
	Email:	casa_lightbody@mac.com

Your feedback is important and encouraged; please contact the office at any time with your suggestions or concerns.