With the 2008 Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Neb., less than a year away, America’s top swimmers have begun preparing for what could be the biggest and most important meet of their careers. Every week until then, two athletes – Olympic veteran Dana Vollmer and up-and-coming hopeful Caitlin Leverenz – will share their perspectives as they inch closer to the March to Beijing.
This week’s journal entry comes from 2007 national champion Caitlin Leverenz.
Journal 13 – April 16, 2008
It seems like a lot has gone on since I last wrote because I have been so busy. But looking back, I think it is just because I have been so busy with homework. I spent my entire weekend doing homework. I went to the Sanford Grand Prix two weekends ago, so I was trying to catch up on some missed work. I also had to write a research paper for English, as well as do a project for both math and history, plus get caught up on my physics work. I am only taking four classes so I probably shouldn't be complaining too much, but it can get difficult at times! Traveling and competing doesn't always give me time to get the school work completed.
The Stanford Grand Prix went well! You would think that being from Arizona I would know what to bring for a meet at an outdoor pool in order to stay warm, but I wasn't very prepared. It has been in the 80's and 90's here so I wasn't really expecting or ready for the cold. The wind there was rough. It reminded me of my age group days when I used to compete outdoors all year round. Despite the cold and wind though, it was a fast meet. I had a rough start to the meet but it wasn't something that I let get me down too much. I know that my training had been pretty intense going into the meet so I was actually more rested toward the end of the meet.
The last day I swam the 400IM and had a best time by only one tenth, but it was still a best time! I went 4:40.5 I have been right at that 4:40 mark for a year now, and I have gone right around that time five or six times so I am really hoping to break it soon. However, I have heard the story of Kaitlin Sandeno who went 4:40 something like ten or twelve times before she went under. But, when she did break it, she went 4:34 and won a silver medal at the Olympics. Hopefully I will follow in her footsteps and be able to go under 4:40 when it counts the most!
This school year is wrapping up for me. I only have three weeks left. On May 9th I leave for Colorado Springs and I will spend three and a half weeks there, training at the Olympic Training Center with other National Teamers. It is a long time to be gone from home, but I am leaving for college in a little over a year so I better get used to being away from home. I like being at the Olympic Training Center and it is obviously a great place to train. So, I will write one more time from home and then I will be writing from the Springs for a little while!
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