TIMELINE - The 2022 event has begun and runs through January with entries due to USMS on/by February 2nd.  Plan ahead, reserve your lane and time slot, team up with a buddy to count your laps and go online to register for your swim BEFORE you push off. Return to the online site AFTER your swim to log your splits and pay your entry fees. 
 
FOOD DRIVE - The Yolo Food Bank has ceased traditional food drive activities and requests monetary donations in lieu of food items. DAM participated in the 'virtual' fund drive last year and it was very successful, raising nearly $5,000. Donations this year will be accepted through January at Arroyo and Civic in the form of checks payable to: Yolo Food Bank.
 
SIGNUPS at CIVIC/ARROYO – January signup calendars are posted at Civic and available at Arroyo for pre-swim signups. One lane will be set aside at each practice for two swimmers to split on Tue thru Fri, with additional lanes and hours available during lap swim on the weekends at Civic. 

• Every Saturday through the month, the entire Civic pool (16 swim slots) is set aside from 9:00-10:00am for the OHS. 
• We’ve also reserved Arroyo pool on Monday, Jan 17, MLK Holiday for two hours of OHS availability (9-10am and 10:30-11:30am). Signup sheets are available at both pools. After the 9:00am session fills up, then the 10:30 slots will open.

GRAND PRIX Points – Because the event is a National Championship, a DAM-hosted event and we take the task of dethroning NEM seriously, the Grand Prix award for this one event is SIX points. In addition, as the role of lap counter is equally important to our objective, that job is worth ONE point per hour of counting, for a maximum of SIX points.

NEW this Year! - All Time Top Twenty Swimmers. DAM members have been participating in the One Hour Swim since 1982 contributing literally thousands of swimmer entries. After nearly 40 years, it's time for our club to start recognizing some of the best of our best. Younger/newer swimmers can take notice of how far and how fast our members have swum. Our older swimmers can note how good they used to be while also making plans to move up and into some newer age group rankings.
Use this 1HR Pace Chart to predict and plan for your swim.

STRATEGIES - The OHS is not easy. Swimming non-stop for 60 minutes is a challenge in physical and mental perseverance. If this is your first time or it's been a few years, there are a couple things that happen during many swims. 

• First, don't be surprised if, as a result of continuous turns and wall shoves, you find yourself getting calf cramps. Keep swimming, and try to relax and briefly shake your ankles. Usually, as quickly as the cramps arrive they depart at about the same rate.
• Second, your brain and body are going to notice the hour feels like three 20 minute segments. 
  • The first third is the feel good section. Stay steady, holding back a little by watching the clock and timing your pace.
  • The middle third is the doldrums where the swim seems interminable. This is the time to stay focused on tangible efforts, such as; counting strokes per lap,  streamlining off the wall, staying oxygenated by breathing often and on opposite sides.
  • The last third is the culmination of all your efforts beginning to take their toll. Hang in there and start looking forward to the end. It's not easy but keep in mind that suffering builds perseverance, perseverance builds character and character builds hope. 

Although every DAM member is capable of swimming for an hour, not everyone wants to. And that's ok, but here are a few hacks to make it less grueling. 

1. You can stop and rest during the swim but the clock does keep on ticking. 
2. Many competitors follow a swim set during the hour so they're swimming shorter, manageable chunks of distance and time. 
3. Others ask their lap counter/timing friends to give progress signals (verbal or visual) throughout the hour.
4. Some just swim 30 or 45 minutes and call it a day.

OHS Club Results History

DAM Individual Records

DAM Relay Records 
 
Additional OHS details