Quote:
Originally Posted by thealmighty
How do the college workouts compare to what Brett was used to as a club swimmer?
|
I talked with Brett last night to coordinate our visit for parent's weekend, and I asked him about practice. There are quite a few items to pass along as there are different aspects to this question.
Yardage:
He said they are swimming around 6000 Meters each day and they practice 1 time Monday through Saturday. The twins are swimming around 7000 yards during their afternoon practices (Mon thru Saturday) and around 5000 on mornings of doubles (Mon, Wed and for Bear Fri). So the amount of laps is significantly less. I think it is important to note that the twins did start practicing 3 weeks earlier, so Brett's total distance may still increase, but I doubt they will reach 7000 and I was told they only do doubles for a short period of time between semesters. Overall, I would say the swimming is easier than what the Twins are doing, but what E&H is doing is harder than the Gold team (high school/senior 2) Brett swam on during the Summer.
Atmosphere
Brett said practice is much more relaxed and the coach is very laid back. For example, he mentioned to the coach his shoulder was very sore and rather than dismiss the comment or instruct him to "swim through it" which is what he heard at Gold, he was told to get out and see the PT (who is on deck for every practice). Another example, at the end of one of the practices Brett's calf was cramping up, and they were supposed to do a 100 free all out. The coach told Brett to get out and stretch and they would wait for him. So the coach held up the entire team so Brett could stretch out and participate. (This is BIG reason why Brett is so happy at E&H, and why he's having fun swimming again)
Dry Land
This is where things get tough. At Gold, the coaches make the swimmers do quite a few dry land exercises to strengthen core muscles, stretch to create flexibility, and do some work (chin ups, push ups, etc.) to build strength. At E&H, Brett has a weight program he is a part of, and he's expected to do it all regardless of how long it takes. This is much more demanding, and it is teaching him "A whole new level of tired". He said the coach is tough as he really pushes them hard, to which I responded, "being tough and pushing is basically a job requirement for that role." However, he likes the challenge, and he can feel himself getting stronger. I suspect he's going to be significantly bigger soon. In fact, we might be buying him new clothes as early as Christmas.
Thanks for the question...If I hear more I'll let you know, and if you have any other questions fire away.