Conference championships are quickly approaching for NCAA swimmers and divers all across the county, and Virginia swimmer Bradley Phillips and LSU sprinter Amanda Kendall are locked in on their individual conference championship meets.
Bradley will head to ACCs, hosted by Virginia Tech, in three weeks, where Virginia has its sights on the men’s championship title. SECs begin in three weeks at the University of Tennessee for Amanda and the LSU Tigers.
The ACC and SEC championship meets are two of the fastest and most competitive meets in the country. Brad and Amanda will be pushed to their limits over four days, competing in multiple individual events and relays, with conference championships and NCAA championship berths on the line.
This week, our athlete bloggers remind us that endless hours in the swimming pool and weight room may not be enough to prepare you to perform at the high level expected of an elite level swimmer. In order to be successful, training must be viewed as more than a single activity you undertake during specified hours in the day.
Training more than what you accomplish in the pool. It includes how much sleep you are getting, what you are eating, how you stretch, and most importantly, paying attention to what your body is telling you, including when to take a step back.
While Amanda and Bradley are focused on all the little things they need to do to prepare for the next six weeks of championships, Michael Flach, who took an Olympic redshirt this fall, is taking this opportunity to do something new with his training. Click below to read more from our athlete bloggers.
Michael Flach
“…this part of the season gives me a unique opportunity to “experiment” with my training in ways that I’ve never had the luxury of doing before. The biggest difference in my workout schedule doesn’t involve anything I’m doing in the water, however. It’s all focused on what I’m doing outside of it, which is a part of the sport that is often overlooked even though it is an essential key to success…”
[Keep reading Michael's blog post...]
Amanda Kendall
“Being the competitive person that I am, I was going to push through the pain and swim anyways, but after talking to our trainer and head coach, I was reminded that my health for SECs and NCAAs was more important than this meet. I was lucky that our trainer was on the trip, and I was able to receive treatment everyday…”
[Keep reading Amanda's blog post...]
Bradley Phillips
“I met with our nutritionist at the beginning of the year because I was interested in improving my eating habits, and also just to take advantage of the resources I have at my disposal. We discussed the foods I was eating everyday and what was good and bad about those. He suggested some tweaks in my diet to help me feel better and give me more energy for practice…”
[Keep reading Brad's blog post...]
Tags: Amanda Kendall, Behind the Blocks, Bradley Phillips, Michael Flach
I hope everyone is reading these blogs. Their is no better way for high school swimmers that aspire to swim at this level to get a glimpse into the life of a collegiate athlete. Maybe some of the parents would be better off spending their time reading this series then getting into a pissing contest over who does and doesnt get mentioned.
I have the utmost respect for all these athletes , their hard work and dedication,and wish them the best of luck at their conference meets and hopefully NCAA’s.
Question, what kind of yardage does each of them do at their respective practices?