by Norah Johnson/Guest Writer
Photo Caption: Girls swimmers going to state- Selah Vahle, 9, Alyssa Osborn, 10, Norah Johnson, 12, Cece Duffy Johnson, 11, Mary Ellen Stratman, 12, Rachel Stutz, 10, Reagan Crouch, 12.
Day in the life of a swimmer:
I wake up at 5:45
Breakfast is a fast granola bar
Morning practice is at 6:30-7:50
Showering at school with only three showers and another fast breakfast before school. We have yogurt, make bagels, or heat up breakfast sandwiches from our “breakfast room” in the pool area.
8:30-3:25—-School day—-with snacks, most swimmers eat snacks during their classes
Snacks after school are usually a granola bar, apple, or a banana
Afternoon practice starts at 3:45-6
Go home for dinner and homework
Read/watch tv during any free time before bed
I try to be asleep by 9:45 for a solid 8 hours before I repeat it all again the next day.
How we feel about that:
We all know that it is an intense and rigorous training schedule, but we all understand why it has to be that way. Swimming is such a unique sport as to where the movements that we perform in the water cannot be directly translated by movements outside of the water. I feel that this schedule has taught me outstanding time management, as well as understanding what I need to prioritize throughout my day. After a pretty intense practice, the last thing I want to put more energy towards is calculus homework, so I know that if I have free-time during the school day, I should get that finished so I don’t have to do it later that evening. From an outsider’s perspective, I could see how 9 practices a week could seem intimidating, or maybe even crazy. And I will admit, it is not for just anyone. The swimmers on the team are some of the most mentally tough teenagers I have ever been around. We train almost 20 hours a week in an attempt to better our personal best time by only 1 or 2 seconds. That can be mentally draining. Overall, I feel that it has provided me with structure and it has taught me so much about myself. The practices themselves are, as Mark and Emily Logan put it, “fun and challenging.” They constantly monitor and adjust our workouts based on how we are responding to training at that time. I am very thankful that they can appreciate the science and quality of swimming, rather than focus on the amount of distance we can swim in a day.
Why we do it and what keeps us motivated:
I swim because I love the sport. I love the challenge and the feeling of pushing myself not only physically, but mentally. The sport is not easy, and it is not for everyone. It causes you to challenge yourself everyday. These challenges are difficult, and some days you want to give up, but after you complete them, the reward is so great. Each day you have the opportunity to earn your reward. In the past four years, I have learned that it can be so easy to get caught up in the end goal, such as sectionals, state, or even a goal time. But in reality, in order to reach the end goal, you have to focus on the everyday goals. Such as winning every practice, focusing on technique, creating any goal for yourself that you can reach at practice. It has made my journey of swimming more beneficial mentally, and I believe it has altered my personal definition of winning. Beyond training physically and mentally, I get to do it with my best friends. We are the only ones who understand what this type of training is like. It becomes relatable for us. Not many teenagers spend 6 out of 7 of their days waking up before 6 o’clock. We are with each other so much and we have a positive shared goal that keeps us united together. We uplift each other everyday. The team does not improve if not everyone is working hard. Lane one pushes lane two, lane two pushes lane three, lane three pushes lane four, and so on. Without each other to race at practice and make each other better, we would likely not see our high successes. We are all highly determined individuals that come together to unite as a team that wants the same thing. We crave the intensity, the competition, the race. We love it.