The training is intense like you cannot imagine. This is no 17.5 hours a week this is 40 hours in one week. The week starts off with 2 hours of swimming in the morning. Day 1 is based on butterfly, lots of stroke correction, drills, streamlines, turns and starts. The kick in butterfly is super important; it's called a dolphin kick. Dolphin kick is very critical in every stroke. The dolphin kick is exactly like it sounds, you move your hips and feet in a syncronized fashion just like you see a dolphin on tv.
Between 9 and 3 PM we watch films on swimming and motivation, we play games designed to strenghthen our core and improve our stamina. We also eat and rest during this time. 4 PM we are back in the water again.
Tuesday same routine but backstoke.
Wednesday same routine but breaststroke.
Thursday same routine but freestyle.(15x100's might happen here).
Friday is special olympics, I know what you guys are thinking here but it's not like that.
We form 6 teams 8 people on each team. Every team is named after a colour, last year I was team black.
After morning work out we have our activities, they can be as crazy as climbing the Grind, playing beach volleyball, scavenger hunting or driving go carts. All in all it's a fun time.
Surprise surprise 4 PM Friday night we are back in the water crankin' it up. Another 2.5 hour work out.
This week is one of the greatest and worst weeks of my summer. With it I improve, with out it I crash and burn.
Swimming is not for everyone, it's lonely, intense, requires huge discipline but the positives way out weigh the negatives.
I love it. Next stop Regionals, if you don't swim here you cannot compete at Provincials.
Stay tuned,THE GAMES ARE JUST BEGINNING...
N
Whoa!!! That sounds intense!!! How do you even have energy for anything else in that week!!! That sounds crazy... Like I said before... you must be really motivated for swimming!!!
ReplyDeleteP.s. When was that photo taken?
Oh my gosh! I could never ever go through 'Hell Week'. I can't imagine how difficult that is. But atleast you get to have your activities. Those sound fun, like go carting and playing beach volleyball. Atleast 'Hell Week' has a bit of heaven in it, get it? (hahaha)
ReplyDeleteBallet is very similar in the way that it's not for everyone, again you have to be determined, not mind being corrected( actually you have to want to be corrected), but there is much more positives than negatives.
ReplyDeleteI know that I could not do hell week, because I'm not motivated like you, but I do know what it is like to be passionate and your lucky that you've found that one thing that you love to do, and that you're passionate about.
Are you writing this blog to try and plan out how you're going to get 'Provincial Gold', or have you already gotten it and you are replaying how you did it? Anyway what are you going to write about once you've reached 'Provincials"?
This is a good blog, with a great topic.
-Emily
Wow, that sounds pretty intense.
ReplyDeleteAnd they made you do the grind? I remember doing the grind sometime in the summer and it was so long and so hard!
In the picture, you already look tired enough!
What club do you swim with? Is it NSWC???
Yes I swim with the NSWC marlins. I agree the grind is a grind but spencer begs to differ he can do it in only 40 minutes... I take 49 minutes but that's a whole other story... Thanks again for reading...
ReplyDeleteStay tuned.
The photo was taken before the grind (july 20th 2010)
N
Very intense! I am so thrilled to see you compose such detailed and captivating writing! Your blog is definitely an interesting read!
ReplyDeleteI would just like to make sure that you have checked with a parent about posting any photographs of yourself and of friends. Please just make sure that this is okay or else I can help you make your blog 'private' if this is something you would like to do.
:)
Mme miles, i really appriciate your concerns but i did have a parent with me and i did confirm with them...
ReplyDeleteStay tuned.
N