The Chills and Thrills

Wind, Steam, Sunrise, Action ... It must be Florida

(In the course of reading some of our blog entries and watching some of the videos, it's important to clarify what day and practice we have just completed.  So, please know, today was the fourth day we've been in Ft. Myers; we've completed four afternoon practices and three morning practices.)

The full moon greeted us this morning on a clear, windy and chilly day throughout western Florida.  Our morning practice was designed to forge our men's team and women's team.  We positioned all of the women in lane 8 and ran through a gauntlet of distance sets that featured each of them sacrificing themselves into the brisk wind.  Their final 50 had to be done on the block.  It was reported that all of the women (Bri, Jan, Ash, Brew, BHG, Killa and Shy) gave a supreme effort ... well done ladies.

The men basically swam as fast as they could for an 800, a 400 IM, and 5x100s.  Some of them say it was hard.  Others asked for more.  It's hard to argue their fight; the set asked them to swim as fast as they could for as long as they could.  The unforgiving air didn't do anyone any favors.

Our video journalism skills continue to exceed expectations.  I could spend an hour writing about the nuances of each of the Bison, but why not let this historic clip sum it up.  (Please be sure to watch it at least three times to appreciate it more and more.)

The afternoon session went very well as we continued to build from one good practice to the next.  We tried to write a workout that might inspire some of our DC natives that might have a little more on their minds.  Here you'll find sophomore Shaianne Johnson, freshman Cameron Gray and another person modeling the practice. 

Do you think Benta knows she's in the picture?

We spent the first six practice breaking into different groups.  This afternoon, we switched it up a bit and had the entire team tackle the same obstacles.  Afternoon routines have been designed around the conference championship events.  The second day of conferences is a pivotal day for everyone on Howard.  Whether they will tackle the 400 IM, the 200 free or the 100s of stroke, something could be gained from each set.  Here, now, is a quick video journal of the practice:

Stretching ...

followed by ...

protesting ...

punctuated by...


ignoring coaching instruction.

And then it was time for our annual Hoover Ball game.  Every year we've chronicled the adventures of this great game.  If you are unfamiliar with the rules, here's how it works:
* Same as volleyball, except you catch and throw a medicine ball instead of a volleyball
* Be careful not to hurt your shoulders and face (but your knees and wrist should be OK, so that's a plus...)

This photo provides a lot of helpful information.  Notice how the medicine ball lands on the sand in bounds.  This means the team in the foreground earns a point.  Despite Matt Calhoun pointing at the medicine ball, his team does not receive a magic point for simply spotting the throwing utensil.

Check out these two videos that both highlight some of the in-game action and recap the winning team's humility.  The game was very well-played; the fastest moving contest that we've had at Howard.  There was strategy, sacrifice and the occasional rejection from the net (click the link to the left) or a drop through the fingertips.  When the sand settled and the comebacks were thwarted, Team Chiseled (E'lan, Bri, Shai, Darien, Miles, Matt, Trent and Cameron) emerged winning the contest against Team Ripped, 2-0 (15-13, 15-10.)

Here is the recap from one person's gracious point of view.

This Sunday, though, proved to be a magnificent day for the Bison.  To put a bow on the chilly day, we offer this recap from four Lady Bison.  Some items to note from the video:
1) Notice how much space the ladies have to film and they choose position themselves in the direct aim of the sunlight (which is opposite of yesterday's morning video that was filmed in the dark.)
2) Why do you think Ashley looks so angry in the first and final 30 seconds of the video?
3) Do you sense a theme that no one knows what day it is?
4) Check out Bri's glamour pose when E'lan requests the trio scoot in...
5) I would like to apologize for the below-average grammar throughout this particular clip.
6) At least we have each other to motivate each other.
7) What do you think Trent was doing in the dirty dishes section of the eating room?

There are probably 10+ more questions that you are asking yourself, too.  Feel free to post a comment or a question on any of these posts.  Tomorrow is the final day of 2012 and it promises to be extraordinary. 

You Can't Make This Up

I will try to be as brief as possible with this particular entry because of the fine work many of our Bison did today both in and out of the pool.

Today (and in many future entries,) we asked several members of the team to take charge of the camera and play the role of investigative reporter.  If today's raw footage is any indication of what is to come, you are in for quite a treat.

What I enjoy most about these videos is how each has a distinct approach to the assignment. 

Let's examine this first video:

You might be saying to yourself, "There's something wrong with my computer; I can't see anything."  The reason you can't see anything is because we couldn't see anything this morning, either.  We arrived at the pool around 5:45AM and the lights would not be turned on until around the top of the hour.  In this video, you'll hear sophomore Matt Calhoun ask a couple of questions to team members.  Usually the first rule of taking videos is to make sure you can see something, but I guess the audio will have to do.

 

Other interesting observations include how the Bison Matt is interviewing not only think they can be seen, but how they there isn't a solid train of thought from anyone.  It should be pointed out in the beginning of the video that Matt's first question is, "Is it dark outside, guys?"  Listen to the commentary and have a small amount of sympathy for anyone trying to talk in the dark before a workout.  We should, however, Herc Up, as is junior Darell Hungerford's advice.

 

This morning went really well from the groups.  We had four different workouts going, with solid performances from senior Darien Washington, sophomores Briana Dillon and Miles Hector.

 

Speaking of Miles...

 

This second video (click the link to the left)was reported by junior Janai Ederaine.  You should know that Janai put a lot of thought into creating this video, including making sure the audience could actually see something and using the Christmas tree has a backdrop to give the effect this training trip is one massive holiday gift.  Miles, along with sophomores Mohamed Bouzaghrane and Ben Skelding, endured the most meters in the long course morning practice and should be commended for it.  Miles does a nice job articulating his thoughts while Janai continues to ask questions with the help of the telepathic, voodoo Santa. 

 

The afternoon practice started sluggish, much like yesterday afternoon's workout.  The difference, however, came in the second half of the practice.  The 50 sprint group and 500 free group stepped-up nicely during the most anaerobic portions of the practice.  It was a nice rallying cry for the group as fatigue seemed to transform into motivation to give more effort.

 

The dryland portion of the afternoon followed the workout.  I could write a lot about the land activities, but why don't we let the video below, featuring sophomore Trent Popovich and freshman Cameron Gray, do the talking:

 

There are many points of note from this video (click the left link again:)

1) Notice how Cameron is allotted the :11 sec. mark to the :14 sec. mark to talk and Trent takes the :14 sec. mark to the 1:00 mark.

2) Did you hear how Trent told the world that he and Darell missed the bus for practice.  Can't say I told him to say that one ...

2a) Trent and Darell made it 2 miles in their jog to the pool before their coach politely requested that Anthony and Miriam pick them up in the bus.

3) Ben takes great pride in getting Trent and Cameron excited about Trent "dunking on" their coach, who just so happens to write the workouts for each practice.

 

Emeka will break you.

 All-in-all, it was a good day to be a member of the Bison.  We worked very hard, forced the wind and cloud cover to head north and away from our training schedule, and build team camaraderie at the expense of one of the greatest recreational, basketball activities known to mankind.  We continue to build muscle, build trust and build the foundation for what hopes to be a epic final eight weeks to the season.

 

Sunrise to Sunset

You haven't officially arrived on your Florida training trip until you've swum when the sun was still napping.

It looks like we've arrived.

The morning chill certainly could have been much worse.  It felt like it was in the low 50s when the bus pulled from the Homewood Suites at 5:30AM EST and into the FGCU Aquatic Center.  We were first on the scene and, as you'll see in the video, were slightly more spry than our friends from St. Thomas.  The water temperature was a good 30 degrees warmer than on deck, which is always a nice incentive for swimmers to get in the pool quickly and remain in there.

Today was the first real test of attrition for the Bison. Many team members have not experienced close to 5 hours of training in a single day since last year's Florida trip.  The morning workout was a good one and the unfamiliarity of swimming for a longer time without a wall caught a few team members off-guard, especially when it came time to kicking in streamline on our backs.  Nevertheless, the first hour gave the team the chance to get their legs loosened with the second hour providing opportunities to push their thresholds for the first time in Ft. Myers.

Two noticeable, excellent morning performers where senior E'lan Brewer and sophomore Emeka Brooks.  Brewer took complete control of her lane during the set of 4x300s and 5x200s.  It is great to see the veteran make the most of her final training trip to the Sunshine State.  Brooks challenged himself during his round of 4x200s and 7x100s, opting to swim fly during the first 50 rather than settle for freestyle for the entirety of the set.

The gorgeous scene at 7:10AM as the Bison battle through the water.

The afternoon started sluggish on a number of fronts and fatigue was settling into many members of the team once the 3PM hour commenced.  You could attribute this to the gray clouds that draped the area or the newness of being 18 hours from DC wearing off.  We eventually broke into two groups that included IM on the right side of the pool and freestyle on the left side.  Both sides had an aggressive run of 2700 yards before a demanding run of 4x150s for the IM group and 6x125s for the freestyle group.

The fun of the afternoon was not over, though, as dryland's intensity demanded quite a lot of physical discipline from the Bison.  Each team member completed two different circuits.
Circuit I - Done 5x in groups of 3
* 50-yard dash
* 5 medicine ball burpees
* 5x3 jump ropes
* 5 dips
* 5 Ab Wheels
* 5 Pull-Ups
* 50-yard dash

Circuit II - Done 2x in groups of 3
* 40-yard dash
* 10x3 jump ropes
* 10 iso pushups on Iron Gym
* 20 med ball twists
* 40-yard dash

Freshman Benta Horton-Gee starred in this segment for the women's team, showing particular athleticism in the aerobic areas of the circuits.  Sophomore Trent Popovich was physically imposing and consistent with all seven rounds of the circuit.  Both athletes carried their efforts from the pool into the dryland routine.

Battered, sweaty and looking straight into some storm clouds, we trudged onto the bus after a long day of physical demands.  The aches and pains of some quality efforts will be felt when we climb into bed this evening.  It's a good feeling, though, knowing you've set the groundwork for what lies in front of us. 

Florida provides an invitation to make a name for yourself.  You can command respect with an unmistakable work ethic or shrivel to the pressures of inconvenience and pain.  Which side you choose is ultimately your decision and will define your character whether you would like it or not.

Stay tuned for more adventures.  Thank you, again, for your support and encouragement.

From Ft. Myers with Love

We made it.

Thanks to some swift, excellent driving from Charlie and Anthony, the Howard University swimmers have arrived in Ft. Myers, Florida for their fourth straight winter in the care of Florida Gulf Coast University.  Today's forecast was 75 degrees without a cloud in the sky.  What a pleasant welcome!

This year we are staying at the Homewood Suites by Hilton, right by the Ft. Myers Airport.  This place is fantastic.  It's 7 minutes from the pool, across the street from a massive outdoor mall and right off Route 75 for easy arrival and departure.  The rooms are very comfortable with high-definition televisions, Internet, full kitchens and lots of other neat stuff.  Because we arrived so early, we could stay in our rooms for about two hours before heading to the pool for our 2pm practice.

We had the entire facility to ourselves and it was great.  The water was pristine and calm and the warm sun glistened the surface as we passed through the 81 degree pool.  The workout was solid and the Bison looked pretty good considering everyone had been traveling for an extensive amount of time.

After 2100 yards together, the team broke into four separate groups with similar foundations in the main set.  Here's a look at Miles, Ben and Trent's main set, with the other three groups having similar aerobic intentions:
10x75s on 1:15- 25 Fly Kick with board (hips up,) 50 Free, descend 1-4
12x100s on 1:30- #4-9 = Descend 1-5 starting at 85%
10x125s on 2:00 - 25 Short Axis Sprint, 100 Free

When practice ended, we went on a run through the jungle that is the campus of FGCU.  We knew there was an element of danger to our jog as the campus is a natural habitat for many endangered and dangerous wildlife.  I would be lying if I told you I knew where I was leading the team.  I figured we would get lost and read a couple signs that would eventually return us to the bus.  The jog went for about 30 minutes.  Here is a clip of some of the things we saw on our jaunt through the campus.

We made our way to SuperTarget to find some groceries and returned to the comforts of our hotel before 6PM.  All-in-all, it was a magnificent first day.  Tomorrow begins our first day of two practices.  The wake-up calls are set and we'll be ready.  We look forward to checking-in with you throughout the week.  Please feel free to send your comments and well wishes to the team.


It was an outstanding day for a swim.