In this issue of the Beede Newsletter, we share tips on how to harmoniously share a swim lane, when to register for programs and what to expect after our annual shutdown - when we spruce everything up! We also share information on helping our friends in need of school supplies and bikes to ride. Once again, lots to cover, so let’s get to it! |
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DATES TO REMEMBER
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August 5 - Thursday - Otters Swim Team Tryout 4:00pm-5:00pm
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August 11 - Wednesday - Member registration for Fall Programs
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August 18 - Wednesday - Non-member registration for Fall Programs
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August 20 - Friday - Hawaiian Shirt Day!
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August 23-29 - Monday - Sunday - Annual Shutdown
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ANNUAL SHUTDOWN WEEK
The Beede Center’s annual shutdown runs Monday, August 23 through Sunday, August 29. This allows us to clean, and make adjustments and repairs that are too cumbersome to complete while members are using the facility. The Beede Center is closed to members and guests during this time.
A sneak preview of maintenance and improvements includes a water bottle filler in the cardio room, which everyone may use to stay hydrated. We are also replacing door signage throughout the building. Our carpets will be shampooed and our stairs will be buffed. We thank you for understanding.
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FALL PROGRAM REGISTRATION
Enrollment for our fall programs and classes begin this month. Classes fill up quickly, especially the Saturday swim sessions. Find a complete list of offerings from swim lessons. Beede Center members may begin enrolling at 7:30 am, on Wednesday, August 11. Your Beede membership may save you up to 40 percent off the cost. Non- members may enjoy our offerings. Sign ups beginning Wednesday, August 18. Sign up with your MyRec account.
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BACKPACKS FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL
The Beede Center is once again accepting donations of new and (very gently used) backpacks for Concord school children. Feel free to fill the packs with brand new school supplies - you know, pencils, erasers - before dropping them off in the designated box in our lobby. The annual program, sponsored by Concord Community Services, allows all Concord children to be prepared for the academic year ahead. The box is in our lobby through Sunday, August 22. Please contact Bonnie Wilber at 978-318-3034 for more information.
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While everyone may enjoy the benefits of our facility, an individual family changing room is devoted to adults who require additional equipment and assistance in order to change safely. This changing room is located in Room 108, which is to the right of the fitness studio and closest to the pool. The large changing table, a gift in memory of Morgan “Kim” Smith, a former headmaster of Fenn School, allows caregivers to tend to individuals who need extra care.
The women’s and men’s locker rooms both are equipped with a larger shower unit, complete with bench. These are also designed for members who require extra measures to change and shower safely.
We ask members and guests who do not need the extra safety measures to kindly keep them available for our individuals and families who do. All of our family changing rooms have infant changing tables.
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Kathy Upchurch gets training from Bill Lehmann. |
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A HEALTHY INVESTMENT
You may view hiring a personal trainer as a luxury, but it is actually an excellent investment in your physical and mental wellbeing.
The Beede Center offers top-tier Personal Training to members and nonmembers. Members pay $60 for a single hour or $55/hour if they purchase 5 hours at one time. Non-members pay $80/hour for a single hour or $74/hour when purchasing in bulk of 5 hours. Once purchased, you and your trainer may decide to work in half-hour intervals.
Besides being enthusiastic about their work, our trainers hold current certifications and are constantly researching. A list of our trainers, their schedules and qualifications is here.
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THE SECRET TO GOOD HEALTH
Elizabeth Lane, 93, was born and raised in the Isle of Man, an island nation surrounded by the Irish Sea that, according to lore, boasts views of six kingdoms: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, the isle itself and of course, Heaven. Her home on the Peel Promenade overlooked 17 miles of beach along the Northwest coast, and Peel Castle, built by Vikings in the first millennium.
A typical day began with a swim to the breakwater before breakfast. This early routine is why Elizabeth likes to keep her swims to about a mile.
Fluent in French and other European languages, she worked for the French shipping line Compagnie Generale Transatlantique. She travelled the Continent and to North Africa to interpret for British and American businessmen who did not speak the languages in which the meetings were being conducted.
“It was such fun,” Elizabeth recalled. “I lived in some of the best places.”
A transfer brought her to Cleveland. Her French colleagues said, “You speak the language, you go.” Her first stop in the U.S. was Pier 54 in NYC. She asked a police officer for directions to the location she and a school friend agreed to meet. His response in the Bronx or Brooklynese dialect was so thick, Elizabeth questioned her employer’s decision to send her to the U.S. “I thought they sent the wrong person. I did not understand a word.”
In the mid-19 Century it was said that there were more Manxmen in Cleveland than were left in the Isle of Man. Elizabeth found the Midwestern accent a great relief but was not a fan of the industrial city itself. The heavily polluted Cuyahoga River caught fire, yet again. When her six-month commitment was finished, she was happy to go home. While passing through Boston, she met her husband. The couple had two daughters, Patricia and Heather.
“I love Boston,” she said. “It’s like a composite of European cities. I felt at home here right away.” She worked as a travel agent and until recently, she visited Britain every summer to see family and friends. She also performed research for her work as a volunteer archivist for the J.V. Fletcher Library in Westford.
As for the mile swim, she admits to skipping a few workouts during her working days, but picked it up again after her 1999 retirement. With the exception of the pandemic-induced hiatus, she has swum at Beede since 2008. She returned to Beede in June and began quarter-mile swims and has built back up to her trademark distance.
“I have never been ill,” she said. “The Isle of Man has no pollution. I am sure I am healthy because of where I lived. The Isle of Man is a magical place to grow up.”
Beede Member Elizabeth Lane swims a mile in our lap pool at least three days a week. Many members do this, but what’s worth noting is that Elizabeth's father taught her to swim 90-plus years ago, so she’s been at this for a while.
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Did you know nā pālule hawaiian is the Hawaiian translation for “Hawaiian Shirts?”
On Friday August 20, the Beede staff will be donning nā pālule hawaiian for fun. Join us. Aloha!
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Callie, second from left, with her mom, Helen, and the crew from Channel 7. |
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DIVER MAKES NEWS-AGAIN!
Congratulations to Callie Brady for her tremendous springboard diving success. Callie began her diving career with Boston Area Diving at the Beede Center and will continue with the Fighting Irish when she begins college at Notre Dame next month. Callie has won or placed in a top seed with AAU, the New England Prep School Swimming and Diving, and the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association, to name but a few of her many achievements. She is pictured above, second from left, getting a side hug from mom, Helen, as a crew from Channel 7 Sports gets ready to film an interview about her diving success. Congratulations Callie. We at Beede are so proud and happy for you! If you missed her interview with Trey Daerr, check it out here, you’ll see a clip of Callie with another famous Brady. Here’s a clip of Callie’s recent competition, courtesy of Boston Area Diving. Click here.
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LANE-SHARE ETIQUETTE
In the ideal world, every swimmer would have their own pool with an exclusive lap lane on demand. If you’re a member of the Beede Center, you’re not one of those swimmers. While we offer 2 of our 9 lanes for solo swimmers at various times, there’s a good chance you may need to share. Good communication and consideration will ensure safe and harmonious workouts when lane sharing. In honor of our nine lap lanes, we’ve compiled nine etiquette tips for lane sharing. Before we get to that, here are two hard-and-fast rules:
LANES ARE FOR LAP SWIMMING ONLY
YOU MUST SHARE A LANE WHEN ASKED
- Select the empty lane first, even if it’s not your preferred lane.
- If there are no empty lanes, best to choose a lane according to your ability.
- Notify the swimmer who is already in the lane that you will be sharing. DO NOT just enter the water. As the swimmer approaches the wall, get their attention by waving something underwater.
- Splitting of the lanes is the preferred method.
- If you split make sure you have a conversation before assuming the other swimmers’ intentions. The Butterfly stroke requires a wide arm span. The crawl does not.
- Avoid collisions with proper spacing.
- Rest in the lane corners so you’re not in the way when the other swimmer’s turn. Otherwise you may get a flip turn to the face/gut/ back, or a nasty look.
- Cross the T to turn. When coming into the wall, cross into the center to begin the turn and push off into the opposite side so as to avoid collisions.
- Stay in your lane and give other swimmers space. Do not swim on anyone’s heels. Pass as needed. If passing in Circle swimming, tap the foot of the swimmer in front of you before passing. If your foot is tapped, let the other swimmer pass, do not obstruct their workout.
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MEMBER RECYCLING BICYCLES
Beede Member Richard Fahlander is a self-proclaimed “bike-a-holic.” When he learned about an organization that connects underserved people with bikes, he immediately got involved. For the past year Richard has been a board member of the Bike Connector in Lowell, which recently opened a nonprofit community bike shop. Learn more about the Bike Connector at www.bikeconnector.org or read the latest newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/3ae5f49bbae8/spring2021newsletter-5258511.
If you have an unused or outgrown bike in your basement or garage, consider donating it to this worthy cause. You may drop them off at Richard’s home, 399 Old Bedford Road, Concord or make arrangements for him to pick them up. Financial donations are also gratefully accepted to cover storage and repair costs. Your gift is only a click away at the website.
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Have a wonderful August & see in September!
Your friends at the Beede Center
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