Saturday, December 31, 2011

Turning the Corner

The video above is what greeted us these last four mornings on Florida's Gulf Coast.  The picturesque backdrop that we've enjoyed at FGCU has been something from an artist's canvas   Starting the final day of 2011 with one of our finest practices of the season can serve as a precursor to 2012.  The conditions this morning were ripe for accomplishment and we took full advantage.

Here's the first half of our slate:

* 2100 broken into 6 parts (see me if you want to know these parts.)
FIN LADDER - IM at 75%, Free at 95% - on 30 seconds rest
* 600 (200 IM, 400 Free)
* 500 Free
* 400 (200 IM, 200 Free)
* 300 Free
* 200 IM
* 50 free without fins

Usually towards the conclusion of a training trip, the collective thoughts of a team morph from "this is the hardest thing I've ever done"  to "well, since we're here, we might as well make the most of it."   Our finest morning practice of the Ft. Myers adventure saw the Bison move to the dark side of the pool and climb onto the block.  The goal was to only race the clock with no one next to you (in fact, we made lanes 6 and 7 the warm down lanes and raced in lanes 5 and 8, ensuring you racing only the timer in your head.)  Take the times the coaches bark, make adjustments, and post a lower total on the next go-around.

The sprint group threw down 5x50s for time and the distance friends fired 4x150s.

We were tremendous. 

Undoubtedly, the chance to rest a bit before a dynamic performance was much more welcomed to repetitive aerobic demands.  Every Bison was fabulous and on point with making their times descend.

Three Howard student-athletes, though, highlighted the herd:
#3 - Darell Hungerford - Rousing performances with his 50 breaststroke sprint should not be Darell's only accomplishment.  His Fin Ladder was not in his wheelhouse of sets, but he pushed himself when asked and had plenty of juice to spare for his 50s.
#2 - E'lan Brewer - When you've already been on 2 full Florida trips, practices like this seem familiar.  Brewer's 150s were awesome...easily her fastest of the season in any pool.  Her 300 freestyle in the Fin Ladder was equally impressive.
#1 - Emeka Brooks - Emeka NEVER complains.  Emeka NEVER takes a set off.  Every team needs an Emeka or three.  The alterations he is making in his stroke have visibly benefited the freshman.  Awesome time in his 50s and impressive work passing teammates during the Fin Ladder.

Great work Bison...buckle up for this afternoon.  We're going to make the most of every minute we have remaining in 2011...

Running Wild

Five groups punctuated our performance in the water Friday afternoon.  Our first 3650 yards were very good; you can tell we are developing a routine in the afternoon as the sun beats down on our backs.  The soreness remains, but the fitness level is right where it needs to be. 

When we separated, each pod had specific goals that were corralled.  The men were divided into three sections based from main events that will most likely be swum on the second day of the conference championships.  Ben and Darien hauled the most yardage preparing for their 400 IMs.  It may not seem that difficult, but concluding practice with 20x25s sprint was a challenge, but the two men performed above expectations and were the final two standing from the Bison practice.

Trent, Miles and Kelvin polished their 200 freestyle practice with excellent pace work, specifically their 8x100s at pace level.  The sprint stroke section of Steven, Darell, Ham, Emeka and Jerome sprinkled sprint 50s throughout their 1700 yard section, nailing their closing speed off the final turns.

E'lan, Keely, Ashley, Lauren and Briana coupled max underwaters in backstroke with some polishing of technique in their long axis events while Janai, Camille, Shai and Caleah rehearsed greater turnover in their middle 50 of a 100.

Ashley (#8) supervises a chaotic scramble for the "safe zone."
Seven practices in the pool had concluded; it was time to shuffle to the grassy training grounds for our annual battle of Capture the Flag.  With our pull-up pyramid in the books and our sculpting of abdominals done, we split into two teams to claim the right to be called Champions of Capture the Flag.  Rules were explained, but strategies were plotted and the match was on...
If you've ever played Capture the Flag, you know animosity can spike at any moment.  The ferocity to win is tremendous.  The chance to defend your turf after being invaded almost seems personal.  "What, you're in my space?  Get your sorry self back on the other side."  Or if you are the predator, you risk your body just to have the opportunities to claim the flag and validate that your side of the field is supreme.  Most of the officiating is self-policed (not always a good thing.)  The rush of sprinting at a target and succeeding or failing to reach that target is intense.  The string of chained events just to earn one team point is precise, aggressive and daring.

Capture the Flag personified...Keely Monge protects her team's integrity and real estate by tagging out Darell Hungerford, who could not penetrate the safe zone within the rules of the game.
 In the end, Team Steven Michael prevailed 9-7.  It should be noted that Team Fire and Desire were down 4-1 and eventually led 5-4. 

Here were our three stars of the afternoon:
#3 - Briana Dillon - Bri showed good form throughout her swims.  The freshman also kept her composure quite nicely during capture the flag and executed a brilliant point for her team.
#2 - Miles Hector - the 200 freestyle practice permitted fast swimming and Miles took full advantage.  His 50 splits immediately following a thorough set and interval were tremendous.
#1 - Darien Washington - not only did Darien lay the lumber in his 400 IM practice, but he understood the main concepts behind Capture the Flag and did his best to explain the game's motives to his teammates.

The bus ride returning to the Lighthouse Resort was a good one.  People were exchanging tales of bravery on the battlefield and the fellowship regained its centralized purpose for this trip.  That's what made today so special.  There were moments where we needed to "flip the switch" for the good of our group and display the intensity of a starving wolf.  No one was going to interfere with our accomplishments.  But when it was time for reflection and admiration, we laughed like hyenas and good excited for dinner (but resorted back to wolfness upon the first sign of food.) 
Us

Friday, December 30, 2011

Together Everyone Achieves More

Being a teammate is not easy. 

As physically demanding and disciplined as the sport of swimming dictates, there are many circumstances that are well within our control.  Hopefully swimmers understand their perfect practice habits, their dietary decisions, their structured schedules and their cerebral capacity for improvement are all ingredients for a bona-fide water warrior.  And with these staples of a great swimmer, we never have to play defense.  We shouldn't have to worry about fouling-out or send a replacement in the contest to minimize the damage from our opponent.  Rarely do natural elements affect the final outcome and there aren't any bad hops or bad calls that preclude our ultimate outcome.  It's all right in front of us. 

A swimmer's accomplishments are largely a product of individual achievements strung together over a competition or season.  The more we succeed as individuals, the better each individual feels.  In swimming, if we want to feel good about our accomplishments, we do something about it.  Personal improvement and the victories than ensue from such improvement largely set the climate for a team's success or demise.  If you're on board with the notion that getting faster and winning is fun and you're willing to follow a recipe for fun, there's a good chance you're on a good team.

Victories, however, are not always discovered in meets or with a certificate.  To the contrary, victories are planted in the thousands of opportunities in practice and in the preparation for a competition.  It is our responsible to take advantage of those opportunities to help us mold our perception of ability and teamwork.

Today's Friday morning practice, our sixth official workout of the Fort Myers Experience, challenged the Bison in more ways that just an assessment of endurance and pain tolerance.  The regiment required collaboration, enthusiasm and a willingness to perform at a high level for the good of the team.  Without one of these ingredients, there is disconnect.  Those individuals to incorporated them thrived.

Just as is the case in any sport, we you're put in an unfamiliar spot, there is always the chance for hesitation and angst.  There were glimmers of brilliance from the Bison in executed the morning practice, but the unfamiliarity of a unique and challenging set caused uneasiness accompanied with its usual aches.  Those ingredients are challenging to overcome in their present form, but not impossible. 

We had many Bison elevate their level of performance to meet the mental and physical strain of a daunting task.  The women's challenge looked like 17x100s fast on a goal time.  The men negotiated their 8x200s, 4x100s and 1200 fast, highlighting their willingness to struggle for team benefit.


The steam punctuated the effort.
Our three stars of the morning:
#3 - Mohamed Bouzaghrane - already battling a fever, Ham continued his magnificent Florida trip by taking on the lion's share of responsibility for the men's team circuit...also had an excellent 500 free sprint.
#2 - Caleah Gregoire - commendable attitude and accomplishment throughout the most taxing portion of practice.  Caleah's efforts were very encouraging for such a rigorous routine and a model for each teammates.
#1 - Matthew Jerome Calhoun - every practice has been met with persistence and improvement.  Jerome's 4x200 IMs in Orange and 300 back sprint highlighted his marvelous efforts.

We have learned from each of our practices and this one was no different.  We'll be back for more in the afternoon...

Thursday, December 29, 2011

The Give and Take

The goals for Thursday afternoon's workout regiment were simple:
1) Recreate facets of races for Day I of Conferences
2) Dynamic execution during breakouts after all turns and takeoffs
3) Make the dryland regiment sizzle the core

We stretched the warm-up to cover three sets, concluding with butterfly kick work and butterfly tempo training.  That first 3400 yards of practice were very well done by the group - our most focused and precise work for the first half of practice while in the Sunshine State.

From there we split into three groups catering towards either the 500 free, 200 IM or 50 free.  The effects of training rigorously  for the fourth time in 30 hours were beginning to take its toll on the young Bison swimmers.  Certainly this was the highest quantity of distance and anaerobic we've done in a 2-day window.  There were a handful of team members that took control of their practice and set the tone for their teammates.

Dryland in full effect ... two appropriate messages on Janai's and Bri's backs
We tightened the screws a bit during dryland.  There were 5 physically demanding activities designed to strengthen the core and shoulders.  Just like yesterday, the encouragement and energy were extreme.  The exercises, though, demanded a longer amount of work for one individual while the partner recovered from his/her taxing routine.

1) Burpee Pullups...30 sec. on, switch, 30 sec. off - done 6 times
2) Sit-ups with Med Ball Extension, Throw - 3x25throws
3) Med Ball Jumps with Shuttle Runs - 3 times
4) Med Ball Pushups with Shuttle Runs - 3 times
5) Hanging Roman Chair - 3x5crunches

There were three Bison that were proficient from warm-up through each dryland exercise:
3) Briana Dillon - Bri's morning was very good, but her afternoon was marvelous.  Had some superb breakouts to jump start freestyle sprints.
2) E'lan Brewer - Really took to a leadership role during practice and justified her words with fantastic efforts with the sprinters.  Dryland execution was her best for the trip.
1) Ben Skelding - In a zone of utter focus and execution throughout the day...dominated the challenging intervals for IM and led the way during dryland. 

Determined to win "Best abs in the CCSA"
Our reward for such a great practice is a visit to our friendly Super Target.  It has been a whole 2 days since we last visited the grocery store and getting more food was essential.  Hopefully this sustenance will at least hold us over until our New Year's Eve dinner.

Full Squad...Full Throttle


Thursday morning featured a photo for the ages...what are your thoughts?
It was slightly more daunting getting from the bed to the bus to the barracks on Thursday morning.  The wind had taken the morning off but the chill still blanketed the Gulf Coast.  We stretched as a team to kneed some of the soreness, stiffness and strain from the previous few days and by 6:03AM, we trotted into the steamy waters of FGCU. 

Finally, everyone scheduled to make the trip has arrived so the level of intensity is bound to elevate from just two days ago.  This morning, everyone had a hand in our finest water practice to date, undoubtedly to the perfect attendance. 

Our warm-up was not a sharp as it could have been, but we bounced back with a well-executed fin set.  That made way for our most physically demanding set of the trip.  Groups were established - one a longer freestyle clan and a two others focusing on short distance, main strokes.

Here the main set for the distance clan...remember this is long course meters:
9x400s
#1 - Base...Heart ra:te at threshold on 1 min. rest
#2-3 - 4x200s on 2:50 / 3:10 - base
#4 - Pink, Breathe every 3
#5-6 - 4x200s on 3:10 / 3:30 - 50 IM order, 150 Free
#7 - FAST for time...No limits
#8-9 - 4x200s on 2:30 / 3:00 ... closer to orange.

Ben, Miles, Trent, Darien, Camille and E'lan tackled this set and their drive to elevate their execution was commendable.  After the 7th 400, the group was visibly tired, but each battled through the final 4x200s on a more challenging interval are recorded some excellent splits.

Below is the main set for the sprint group:
5 x 100 @ 2:00 (25 stroke/ 75 free)
4 x 50 @ 1:15 des 1-4 stroke
4 x 100 @ 2:00 (50 stroke / 50 free)
4 x 50 @ 1:10 des 1-4 stroke
3 x 100 @ 2:00 (75 stroke / 50 free)
4 x 50 @ 1:05 des 1-4 stroke
2 x 100 @ 2:00 (100 stroke)
4 x 50 @ 1:00 all fast stroke

Fifties and 100s may sound more enjoyable than your run-of-the-mill 400, but to continue to churn fast 50 after fast 50 is asking a lot on the muscles.  The group really took their efforts to new levels.  As the amount of stroke work increased, so did the difficulty of the interval and speed. 

The Bison complete their final 10 minutes of practice as the sun peaks through.
It was very difficult choosing three student-athletes that performed well when circumstances this morning were less than ideal.  Nevertheless, here are the three stars for the morning:

#3 - Shaianne Johnson - always positive, always smiling, always willing to listen, Shaianne had one of her finest practices as a Bison.  Johnson received quite a few complements from the coaching staff about her stroke work and improvement with rolling her shoulders.

#2 - Miles Hector - Never one to shy from an obstacle, Miles led the lane with the most challenging intervals coupled with the longest yardage.  His 7th 400-meter split time of 4:43 was the fastest on the team.

#1 - Janai Ederaine - we knew there was something missing from the team and that was our sophomore sunshine from Corona, CA.  Fresh from her own training and just in time for a life-changing workout, Janai swam butterfly for every 50 in her main set, doing an outstanding job maintaining tempo and rhythm.

We're back on the bus very shortly for more physical challenging in and out of the water.  Stay tuned.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Burnin Up the Sun

"I'm not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat."

This is one of my favorite quotes, poignantly stated by the great Michael Jordan.  His Airness knew a thing or two about sweating and pushing himself when others may have settled for working on just foul shots and 3-pointers. 

Today, we turned up the heat and this afternoon's practice combined the technical components of great stroke work with the toughness of a rigorous dryland routine.

A view from the 3-meter board as we work on our tans.
The guts of the practice had us split into two sections - three lanes of explosive freestyle work and two lanes of IM aerobic and anaerobic sets.  The freestyle group was excellent, combining work with fins and kicking and finishing with some high-tempo freestyle for 4x125s.  The IM group carved the most yardage of the trip and finishing their sets with 6x150s (100 IM, 50 Free) on a challenging, orange interval.

The Bison earned their meals, though, with their dryland efforts.  I can't tell you how fantastic it is watching teammates encourage each other and perform to the height of their physical potential.  There's no doubt it stings the muscles and lungs, but we fought valiantly through the soreness.  Dryland was broken into three parts and each part will be given a name that I simply made up :)

The beginning of The Panda...
Circuit I - The Panda ... executed 3 times
5 mechanical pushups done on the IRON GYM
50-yard dash
10-yard tricep balance walk on dip bars
5 pull ups
50-yard dash
* No partners are needed for this circuit.
At this point, the heart rate is very high and the legs are getting heavier.  The pull up bars are about 8 feet off the ground and doing each of the items may look easy, but after a long, physically demanding day in the pool and the sun sauteing your skin, this opening circuit was quite a bear.

Keep your feet up when you order Meatballs to Go...
Circuit II - Meatballs to Go...executed 3 times
* Grab a partner and a medicine ball
* 3 Russian Twists w/med ball...pass to partner
(Each partner does this 10 times each.)
* Both partners then sprint 100 yards around pull-up bars
This becomes a small respite for the shoulders, but the legs are still getting a workout, especially when your legs remain off the ground when doing Russian Twists.

Circuit III - Cannons...executed 3 times per person
* Grab a partner and a medicine ball
* Each partner chest passes medicine balls as hard as he/she can 5 times each.
* Partner closest to runway sprints to pull-up bars 50 yards away
* Partner A does 5 pullups
* Partner A sprints back to Partner B and chest passes resume.
* Once chest passes are done 5 more times, Partner B sprints to pull-up bar
* Partner B does 5 pullups
* Partner B sprints back to Partner B and chest passes resume.

THREE STARS for the afternoon
#3 - Keely Monge - super job durng both kick sets...dryland was done with terrific effort ... influential and quite encouraging to all teammates...
#2 - Darien Washington...aka Fire and Desire - the junior co-captain is in the best shape of his life, and it shows with each workout.  He's making tougher intervals and executing each circuit with textbook precision.
#1 - Trent Popovich - made tremendous impact on sprint freestyle group and led the charge in every dryland circuit.  One of the finest practices Trent endured as a Bison....

We returned to the bus with a feeling of accomplishment, fatigue and hunger.  The work put into today was extensive and complete and each Bison understands fully that we didn't sweat just to know what it felt like to sweat.





Good Morning, Ft. Myers

The bus pulled from the Lighthouse Resort at 5:16AM with everyone on board.  The sky had cleared nicely as the air chilled our muscles in time for stretching.  The lifeguards reeled the pool covers and a glimpse of steam swirled throughout the 50-meter arena. 

The trip may have begun on Monday and our first practice may have been Tuesday, but Florida Training doesn't officially commence until that FIRST morning baptism.  It's a sign that we are, genuinely, beginning to make sacrifices for the good of our teammates and season.  Training with a tropical backdrop can feel like an oxymoron, but any strides we make towards personal and program achievements are not accomplished without that sacrifice.

The battle of waking up before most of the world and beginning the regiments outdoors is always a rush, usually unpleasant.  There wasn't anything fancy about the workout, though.  The true test of perseverance came just 25 minutes into practice.  The Bison were in the middle of 15x100s at a moderate pace combining drill with freestyle.  The final 8x100s in the set required the team members to climb from the water atop the tall bulkhead and dive back into the water for a 50 of freestyle with an aggressive finish.  Getting out of the water was not as easy as it sounds and the winds were pushing 20mph, a harsh reminder that swimming in the water was much more pleasant than climbing out of it.  Practice moved a brisk pace and the aerobic assignments that we endured made way for the chance for fast 100s to conclude the circuit.

During our training trip, we will highlight the THREE STARS OF PRACTICE, acknowledging them with a chalice, a bag of microwavable popcorn and a handshake.  This morning's three stars are as follows:

#3 - Matthew Calhoun - If you were wondering why Matthew Jerome was not in yesterday's photo, you'll have to get the full story from him.  He made amends for his peculiar absence by taking command of his lane and showcased 4 terrific 300s during the main section of practice.

#2 - Camille Dykes - For the next few mornings, we will be swimming next to the University of St. Thomas, who hearken from the beautiful state of Minnesota.  Camille claims to live very close to St. Thomas and you could tell she tried to impress her hometown university.  She climbed from fourth to first in her lane and challenged herself to swim IM during a difficult stretch of 200s and 100s.

#1 - Steven M. Lott - Excellent work from our men's co-captain.  Come to think of it, Steven, along with Darien and E'lan, are the only Bison to partake in the Florida Training Trip all three years of its existence.  Steven, though, is wrapping-up his HU career and you could tell he wants to make the most of every practice.  His final 6x100s were very strong and he paid careful attention to detail to begin the practice.

The turnaround is quite brief as we'll be headed back to FGCU for our 1PM practice.   We'll need our sunscreen and water bottles...

With the sun still asleep, the Bison take to the pool for their first morning workout.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

We've Arrived and We're Under Way

Day One of our Training Excursion is in the books.  We had our fair share of traffic departing from Washington, DC and ran into a dab of vehicle cogestion as soon as we reached the Gulf.  But the 18-hour drive was made impossibly smooth thanks to our terrific drivers Mickey and Anthony and we've secured our spots in one piece.

Ft. Myers greeted us with a slight drizzle and a sharp wind, but the temperatures are magnificent and show no sign of regressing to the averages of the North.  We arrived at Florida Gulf Coast University just a little after 1PM and the facilities were completely open to us.  The rain intensity had increased and we were having difficulty finding dry spots to place the backpacks and equipment.  This sideways rain, though, was short-lived and once our warm-up had finished, the sun began to peek from the west, dissolving the rain.  This afternoon we used the 50-meter pool and watched as the scoreboard was fixed, just in time for us to utilize the pace clock.

Our first practice was solid.  Most of us had to shake the cobwebs that came from the long bus ride combined with the weekend's Christmas spirit.  We worked on a good amount of long-axis length, a pinch of underwater fly kicking and some uptempo finishing to seal the workout.  Of the three seasons we've come to Florida, this was the most complete, thorough first day we had.

Keely, Briana, Steven and Matt joined us from out-of-town, just in time to make our first stop to Winn Dixie.  I'm pretty sure we increased the store's revenue by about 142%.  With grocery bags in hand, we all found our rooms at the Lighthouse Resort and Inn and Suites.  The rooms are unique with no real pattern to the room numbers, the room layout or the room decor.  Our keys are actual keys, which I don't think I've used for a hotel since the 20th century.  The rooms at The Lighthouse surround a restaurant and, needless to say, the natives are not preparing for 6AM practice for the next few days.  But we're lucky to have kitchens that work, free shampoo and lotion, and each other (drying my eye.)

We close the evening cooking our meals, situating our living quarters and watching some television.  Our alarms are set for tomorrow and we're excited for what FGCU has in store for us.

Looking good on Day One...



Monday, December 26, 2011

Welcome to the Howard Bison Swimming Site

Good morning to you all,

We hope you had a warm and safe Christmas surrounded by those you love.  It certainly is a time to reflect on everything that we are thankful for and absorb the spirit of accomplishment, sacrifice and love. 

Today, December 26th, marks the beginning of our new Howard Bison Swimming and Diving blog site.  And what better way to open the blog than with our first day traveling to Ft. Myers, Florida.  Our annual training trip commences later today when a convey of Bison Swimmers will hop on the bus and make the trek to Florida Gulf Coast University.

Throughout the sunshine, camaraderie and the cardiovascular challenges our team will face, we hope to give you an inside look at our team and the adventure that is The Florida Training Trip. We hope you will be able to check-in periodically and offer your comments and suggestions.  The site is a work in progress, so you may see a new wrinkle here or there.  Regardless, it will be informative, complete with a variety of vantage points and circumstances.

We hope you will be able to check-in as often as you can.  We are looking forward to the start of the second half of the season and what promises to be a record-setting, historic season of the program.  Thank you for all of your support and encouragement.

All the best,
The Bison of Howard Swimming