Non-swimmers can’t appreciate what swimmers go through during their lengthy and arduous season.
Starting in early September, the girls have practiced for countless hours with one goal in mind: swim as fast as possible at the GLIAC championships. Their training regimen has included swimming tens of thousands of yards (a truly absurd amount), doing dryland training, Navy SEAL challenges, and lifting weights.
For the majority of the season, the girls would swim twice in one day, with the first session starting at 6 a.m.
They are now going through taper, which is the process whereby their muscles finally have a chance to fully heal. After being torn apart for months, the athletes will receive the most rest they’ve had since September.
Taper is sophomore Alissa Jones’ favorite part of the season.
“As sprinters, we love quality (shorter, faster intervals) work over endurance (longer, relatively slower). The end of the season gives us a chance for more sprint workouts, which we really enjoy,” she said.
Fellow sophomore Sarah Rinaldi enjoys taper as well.
“The beginning of taper will hurt and you won’t feel good, but once your body is fully healed you’ll feel great,” she said.
Rinaldi also noted that the girls are preparing themselves mentally. For many people, the mental aspect of racing can be just as important as the physical one.
Sophomore Mikalah Smith enjoys taper as well, but for her own reason.
“We have a long season, and swimming can be a drag sometimes. Everyone is getting excited, and this is the fun part of the season,” she said.
The girls have come a very long way since the season began, and don’t have long to go. The team will be travelling to Cleveland, Ohio for GLIACs, which begins Feb. 12.