Swim Lab Time

Friday mornings we break into stroke groups arriving at different times to focus in on specialties. More space and great technical exploration! I was really happy with our work this morning and the attention everyone gave to the drills and skills. I was inspired to send an email to the team afterward thanking them and highlighting some key points to take forward from our work this morning:

Freestylers/Backstrokers: Rotation is power. Rotation is healthy swimming. Make each arm a strong anchor so each stroke counts. Free/Back drills are kicking drills!

Butterflyers: Remember, the rhythm controls the stroke. Butterfly is finesse as much as it is power. Keep your rhythm to keep your speed.

Breaststrokers: Know you’ve made it back to your platform quickly so the hips follow the torso in line. Take your pullout speed into fast breaststroke swimming.

Voodoo strikes swim workout!

Saturday's workout capped a successful first week of the season and I wanted to throw a minor celebration. Voodoo Doughnut is a Portland institution and the situation called for four dozen of their finest creations!

Swim Season is here! (and armed men in dark shades)

It begins! Training is upon us and the energy is amazing. I didn't fully realize the void of the off-season until we started a new year this week. Writing workouts and walking the pool deck beside our athletes is the best thing I get to do each day. It’s been a great week because of the excitement our swimmers bring to the pool and the exuberance with which they approach training. We’re having fun!

Today campus is crawling with secret service, K-9 units, and all manner of chauffeurs. As I write this, Sandra Day O’Connor is speaking next door in the gym at an event for our law school. Howard Dean was here last week so the movers and shakers are certainly rolling through early this school year. Who will be next?

I'm thinking of asking for my own security detail. Dark sunglasses, ear piece, waterproof loafers for the pool deck... the works.

Hall of Fame Swimming Alum LeAnne Desilet conquers 2nd Ironman Triathlon

I am a Pio Swimming alum, circa 1986. When I swam my final 200 yard breaststroke at NAIA Nationals in March of 1986, I never dreamed I'd ever use my swimming in a competition again. However, time marches on and I wanted to start competing in something. My husband's family was into triathlon. I still had the same five-gear bike I'd had during my LCC years and only four gears worked. Oh, and I could not run three miles without stopping to walk. But, I trained a little bit and found that I enjoyed the structure and the goal setting (sound familiar?). I didn't know if I was going to keep my breakfast down after finishing that first sprint tri in 2002, but I did and have participated in many more races since then.

Flash forward to early 2006 when I was training for Ironman Canada. Long story short -- major car accident crushed my pelvis and left foot. I ended up covering the race for the magazine Inside Triathlon, carrying a cane, five months after that accident. I then slept outside in a long line in the city park, rock concert style, so that I could sign up for Ironman Canada 2007. With months of physical therapy and a lot of pain behind me, I got to Penticton in August of 2007 and competed. My husband and three children drove to various points alongside the course to cheer me on for over 14 hours that day. Finishing that race was a fabulous accomplishment, but many things went into it and one major component was the support system I had and still have. It's a key for any and every athlete to surround ourselves with positive people who understand and support your goals and commitments.

Last month my family drove once again to the Great White North and installed ourselves in a condo for a week so that I could do Ironman Canada 2008. I had the race of my dreams. I cut four minutes off my swim time, which started the day off very well. During the 7 hour bike, my extended family were at various spots on the course. I am not sure I could ever do this race without seeing family during the course of the day. 7 hours seemed like about 12 and I finally deposited my bike to the waiting volunteers and put on my running shoes.

It had started to rain by that time -- nearly unheard of during Ironman Canada where they routinely record temperatures of 100F. I was probably one of the few people who was really happy to see the rain, since I live and train in it all winter and spring. It rained during my entire run, and I remember seeing Brazilians, Mexicans, and Greeks running by in garbage bags as I stayed happily in my tri suit. I had never run an entire marathon before, and during this one only walked about a half mile during a steep uphill section. I kept telling myself that it would end faster if I ran.

At mile 21, I saw my wonderful daughter running toward me and I could hear the finish line announcer 5 miles away. My daughter ran with me for a short section and I continued into town. By mile 24, the spectators were three-deep on either side of the racers and the noise was incredible. At mile 25, racers turn onto the road where the finish chute is, and do an out-and-back. There, I saw my entire family once again, all screaming and yelling and the kids joined me from the sidewalk. During the time it took me to get to that finish line, I don't think I heard any noise, though. I asked my kids after I finished, "Where were the grandstands this year?" and my middle son turned me around. They were 50 yards behind me, so noisy that we couldn't make ourselves heard without yelling.

My final time was 13:12:32. Everything had come together -- my training, my nutrition and hydration during the race, my support team throughout the year, and even the weather.

Oh, and on the day prior to the race, I signed up for Ironman Canada 2009. Guess I'd better get to the pool.

More of LeAnne's race-day photos:

BARBECUE!

Team barbecue at the apartments on campus to welcome the freshmen swimmers. Sam grilled me a cheeseburger and someone was thoughtful enough to bring a couple plates of mini-cupcakes. I thoroughly enjoyed one (one cupcake, not a whole plate).

Welcome to Campus!

Tomorrow our incoming freshmen arrive for orientation! I look forward to seeing our newest team members and their families this week. After a summer of recruiting, swim camps, planning, and watching pools do their thing, it’s exciting to know our swimmers will be back in school next week and a new season is upon us.

For a few weeks our returning swimmers have been popping back onto campus. The reunions have been grand and this Olympic summer has put everyone in a seriously motivated frame of mind. Now the fun begins!

Gold Medal moments of August

If there was ever any doubt about the value of a good finish, surely we've learned our lesson. The Lezak freestyle relay anchor leg and Phelps' 100 Fly were tight enough to knock a person off his couch in anticipation. I was reminded of the finger tip margins in great 50 Free duels between Tom Jager and Matt Biondi, the great American heroes of my swimming youth.

The pundits and journalists deign to call this the best Olympics ever and, as a swim coach and swimmer, it's hard not to agree. As I watch the U.S. women win the mile relay on the track, I am sad to see the competition drawing soon to a close, but I have to say I welcome the end of my sleep deprivation.

"What I did on my summer vacation!" Part 5: Erik Khazoyan, Freshman

The highlight of my summer so far has been going to Europe and spending 12 days travelling through Switzerland, Italy and France. Some of my favorite moments included: swimming in Lake Lucerne at night which was cold but was really refreshing and relaxing to float in the lake and stare at the stars and commune with nature. Switzerland was beautiful and Lucerne is a great city.

Venice and Florence are also amazing cities. In Venice, we saw a thunder storm and were in the middle of the laguna on a water taxi during the storm; it was really intense. Eze was also absolutely gorgeous and for those who do not know of Eze, it is this little old hilltop village that looks down on the Mediterranean and near Nice in the South of France. Then on to Paris.

Since I have been back from my Europe trip, I have been working at a pool and getting ready for school. But now, I am looking forward to meeting all of you.

"What I did on my summer vacation!" Part 4: Zach Yeager, Senior

I love the team blog! What a great idea Chris. This summer was a blast. I learned all about nutrition with Koy, studied Yoga with Chris, worked at the Nike swim camps with Cat, Sarit, Koy, and Mandy, watched the Olympic trials in Eugene, and then went to Philosophy camp in Boulder, CO for a month!

It wasn't really philosophy camp but almost. CU puts on a seminar for undergrads in philosophy every summer. They bring in a bunch of amazing professors from all over the country to lecture on their specialties. It was a lot of fun but I'm not looking forward to the twenty page paper I still have to write. As for the rest of the summer I'll be getting ready for the XC season, that is, when I can pull myself away from the Olympics. I'm so excited! I hope everyone else is having a great summer as well and looking forward to swimming as much as I am.
See you soon, Zach

"What I did on my summer vacation!" Part 3: Elle Stark & Claire Jordan, Sophomores

Claire took a break from nannying and long course training and Elle from guiding raft tours outside Aspen, CO so they could spend part of July in the Hawaiian islands. See them here communing with nature and one another...

"What I did on my summer vacation!" Part 2: Sam Palmer, Senior

it's been a glorious summer for me out in the boonies of california rafting on the american river. i've spent my days working on the south fork and training for the class IV middle fork river which i finally am running commercially as of last week!! if you don't know what it's all about you should look for it online and even come up rafting with me! i love the days here even though they are super long and hot.

sad for the summer to be closing but super stoked to be moving up to portland in about a week. i'm running the Raft The Deschutes NSO trip so you freshmen better watch out. either way we should plan a team trip some time in september before it gets too late. i'm going to go catch the last hot part of the day and make some dinner, but to all, welcome to Lewis and Clark College and especially the Pioneer Swim Team. you're in for a real treat.

"What I did on my summer vacation!" Part 1: Coach Chris Fantz

I just returned from four days at a horse ranch in British Columbia with my wife and her family on our annual Canada vacation. Warm days filled with horseback riding and eating, reading and playing games, lake swimming and stargazing.

We saw coyote and deer. We watched loons, ducks, and bald eagles. My wife and I went on a two-hour trail run where we communed with dragonflies and damselflies, bees (and bee stings), mosquitoes (and mosquito bites). Every year I finish another book or two and reach the pinnacle of relaxation before coming home recharged and ready for a new season!

Sectional meet comes to Oregon

I spent several days with Assistant Coach Michael out at the Mt. Hood pool watching recruits race and speaking with a lot of great coaches. Fast swimming! Summer sun! A great meet!

Too hot for dry land!

Our outdoor pool has been enormously popular in these hot days of summer. Sarit, a team captain next season, is holding things down poolside. Tough lifeguarding gig, but she's up to the task!

Track & Field Trials!

Last night I traveled to Eugene, OR with fellow L&C coaches and families to take in a session at the track, watching the best in the world vie for spots on the U.S. Olympic Team. Eugene is known as "Tracktown, USA" for good reason. We saw javelins flying higher than the grandstand roof and women high-jumping Michael Jordan's height. The swell of excitement through each lap of the women's 5K and the men's 10K finals grew to a frenetic, deafening roar. What a night for racing!

Nike Swim Camps bring age group excitement to campus

Late June and early July saw our campus and our pool bustling with activity as Pioneer Swimming hosted two weeks of Nike Swim Camps. A total 97 age group swimmers swam, learned, and played through glorious summer days on campus.

Camp was a time of much excitement and much exhaustion for coaches and the hard-working camp counselors (otherwise known as our generous swim team members who gave of their time and energy to create great camp experiences).

Awards and Desserts!

Last night the Athletic Department honored its athletes at the annual Student-Athlete Recognition Dessert. This year we met in the intimate setting of the Council Chambers. Swimmers were nominated for several awards!


(I only break out my patriotic swimming tie once every few years.)

Northwest Conference Championship!

What a weekend! We entered the Conference meet prepared to set the tone the first morning and our athletes did just that.

It was a weekend encompassing fast swims, countless laughs, and a salute to our beloved seniors. After dinner and a stop at Dairy Queen (and some number-crunching) we were glad to report 75.9% lifetime best swims for the entire team, including prelims and finals. No small feat and a real testament to our swimmers' hard work, preparation, and team spirit.

He's got spirit, yes he does!

A spirited interlude during the team talent show over Winter Training.

Winter Training special treat

We used state-of-the-art equipment to take real-time velocity measurements and underwater video of every athlete on the team. This helps us define the strong and weak points in each length and focus our efforts in training.

Wound up and ready to race!

Team cheer before finals at the Northwest Invitational.

Halloween hits L&C campus hard

With school colors like orange and black, you have to know Halloween is a major holiday all over campus. This morning I saw a ninja with textbooks on her way to class...

First Away Meet of the Season

Travel meets make intercollegiate competition what it is. This shot was from about four minutes before the opening relays.

The view outside my office at 9:12 this morning.