What better way to start this series than with Alex Kostich.

Many of you know Alex from Active.com, where he inspires and motivates you with his column about swimming. For those of you who don't know Alex, who swam on the collegiate level for Stanford, here are a few of his stellar accomplishments: a member of the US National Team for eight years, three time gold medalist in the Pan American Games, and holder of 6 Masters world records. He continues to train at the elite level and is one of the premier ocean swimmers in the world. Did I mention he does all of this and still keeps his day job? Alex's latest victory was the St. Croix 5 Mile Coral Reef Race in October, where for the 5th consecutive year, he was the top overall solo finisher, with a time of 1 hour, 45 minutes, 33 seconds. He holds the course record, set in 2002, at 1 hour, 36 minutes, 12 seconds.

So now you get the picture about Alex. He has a few thoughts to share with the team. I hope you enjoy them. Take it away, Alex!

Dear MTSC Masters,

I caught up with your coach Ron Chlasta last summer right before the Santa Monica Breakwater Swim. Now, I still can't believe he moved to Tennessee, but he assures me that your community has plenty of "shoreline", and there are lots of people who are beginning to discover the pure exhilaration and joy of swimming. I loved hearing about your Olympic effort to get into the "swim of things", especially becoming involved in Masters Swimming. Good luck on your 'Road to Indy'! Don't be tempted to take that long winter's nap this holiday season. This month is a great time to NOT make a New Year's resolution .... let me see .... December

December.

It's a hectic time for all of us. Family obligations, holiday shopping, work functions--all combine to make what's supposed to be the best time of year into what often ends up being a dreaded three-week period of overspending, overeating, and overindulging. Then, when it's supposedly all over on January 1st, we're faced with another daunting prospect for the next 365 days: the New Year's Resolution (designed to erase the overspending, overeating, and overindulging from the last three weeks!).

I never bought into the New Year's Resolution gimmick. I mean, if you want to improve your life and your health, why would you put it off until January 1st? Why would you deny yourself improvement even for a few minutes if it meant feeling better, looking better, BEING better...right away?

In spite of being pulled in several different directions, December is a great time to get into the swim of things, even if you've never ventured into a competitive pool environment. Why? The list could rival Santa's:

Swimming is great way to get in shape.

Swimming improves your cardiovascular system and thus helps prevent heart disease.

Swimming is a great way to lose weight.

Swimming is a low-impact sport where injury is rare, if not impossible.

Swimming is an escape from stressful daily pressures; imagine diving into an inviting pool of water and washing the day's worries away while invigorating your tired muscles and sore back?

Swimming is a social event when you join a masters team, exposing you to other healthy, positive people with likeminded goals to motivate you.

Swimming in supervised coached workout conditions not only helps develop proper technique and better speed, but ensures discipline and offers a motivating force in helping you achieve your goals.

Swimming and consequently competing in a Masters event promotes camaraderie while building self-confidence, discipline, and self-fulfillment; essential ingredients to overall mental health and well-being.
If you approach swimming (or any exercise, for that matter) as a treat, or a privilege, rather than a chore, suddenly it beckons...it becomes something you look forward to and enjoy rather than something you do because some health guru on Larry King tells you that you have to do it to be a good person.

Do it because you want to. Do it because of what it can offer you. Do it to escape and rebel against the Holiday McSpirit that threatens to invade our wallets and our families and our free time! If the list above doesn't encourage and inspire you to take the plunge, then maybe you aren't the right person for swimming and swimming isn't the right sport for you--but how can you deny yourself improved health, happiness, and mental well-being? Even until the end of the year?!

GO FOR IT NOW!

Alex