The Road to Nationals-Amanda Weir
The Road to Nationals-Amanda Weir
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American record holder and 2004 Olympian
Amanda Weir has big goals for the
2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships, and her recent success in the pool indicates she is on track to achieve them. This past year, Weir has found herself back on the international sprinting stage after missing the opportunity to compete at the 2008 Olympic Games. Weir placed in the top four in the 100-meter freestyle and 400-meter freestyle relay at the
2009 FINA World Championships, placed first in both the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle at the
2009 Short Course Nationals in December, and anchored the 400-meter medley relay team that swam to a short course world record time at the
2009 Duel in the Pool.
Prior to traveling to the
2010 Missouri Grand Prix this weekend from Georgia, where she trains with Swim Atlanta, Weir and I spoke about her new training regimen and goals for this summer’s Nationals.
National Teamer: Amanda Weir
Distance from the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships: 2,243 miles
Distance from the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships: 2,243 miles
You had strong performances at last year’s Missouri Grand Prix, placing first in both the 50m and 100m freestyles. What are you looking forward to for the meet this year?
Amanda: I’m just looking forward to racing. I haven’t raced since December and I much prefer long course to short course. I’m really excited for that and it will be nice to have some good competition.
Amanda: I’m just looking forward to racing. I haven’t raced since December and I much prefer long course to short course. I’m really excited for that and it will be nice to have some good competition.
Speaking of strong performances, how do your recent races at short course Nationals and Duel in the Pool impact looking ahead to Nationals this summer?
Amanda: Well December was really cool. I had a lot of fun at short course Nationals and was really happy about placing first in both of my events. Duel in the Pool was also a really cool experience. It was fun to have a two-day meet and to be in and out of there. It was a really unique event. Even though it was a small venue, it was totally exciting. I think the crowd was packed all the way to the ceiling. It got me fired up for training the second part of the year. We kind of have a plan to stay really fit, have pretty steady practices, and then really go at it in April. From April to Nationals we will be really focused on hard training and taking it up a notch.
Amanda: Well December was really cool. I had a lot of fun at short course Nationals and was really happy about placing first in both of my events. Duel in the Pool was also a really cool experience. It was fun to have a two-day meet and to be in and out of there. It was a really unique event. Even though it was a small venue, it was totally exciting. I think the crowd was packed all the way to the ceiling. It got me fired up for training the second part of the year. We kind of have a plan to stay really fit, have pretty steady practices, and then really go at it in April. From April to Nationals we will be really focused on hard training and taking it up a notch.
With the Missouri Grand Prix as your next meet, what types of training are you focusing on?
Amanda: Right now I train with a high school group, so we are actually synched up pretty well with our training. They have high school states when I go to Missouri, so unlike other parts of the season where I might be tapering at different times then they are – not that I am tapering right now – it’s nice to just get a little bit of a break before a meet.
Amanda: Right now I train with a high school group, so we are actually synched up pretty well with our training. They have high school states when I go to Missouri, so unlike other parts of the season where I might be tapering at different times then they are – not that I am tapering right now – it’s nice to just get a little bit of a break before a meet.
As far as short course training goes, I am doing more sprint training right now. We actually have been doing some experimental stuff. We have these homemade medicine balls where we have taken a basketball, filled it with sand and covered it in duct tape. These things are about 25 pounds and sink. So, we’ll swim with tennis shoes and t-shirts on, go to the bottom of the pool in the deep end, pick up two medicine balls and then run a 25. After the 25 we’ll then sprint a 50, with the shoes and shirt. That kind of stuff has been really cool, and I really think that it helps me a lot with my 50 [freestyle].
You mentioned in April that you will take it up a notch. How will your training change for the long course season?
Amanda: I think any swimmer will tell you that when you start to focus primarily on long course, just the transition of doing long course every workout is a big difference. Starting in April, we won’t do any more short course. We’ll have more middle distance sets and endurance-type sets. I find the more of that I do, the more confident I am in the last half of the 100 [freestyle]. I tend to swim the 100 a bit differently than most people by trying to almost even split it, and the endurance training really helps for that.
Amanda: I think any swimmer will tell you that when you start to focus primarily on long course, just the transition of doing long course every workout is a big difference. Starting in April, we won’t do any more short course. We’ll have more middle distance sets and endurance-type sets. I find the more of that I do, the more confident I am in the last half of the 100 [freestyle]. I tend to swim the 100 a bit differently than most people by trying to almost even split it, and the endurance training really helps for that.
In what other ways will you prepare yourself for Nationals this summer?
Amanda: I do a lot of Pilates. So far, I’ve just done mat Pilates and in the spring I want to start Reformer [Pilates] on the big contraption. I life weights 3-4 times a week and I plan to continue doing that. My weight program has worked really well for me, and I do a lot of shoulder physical therapy to keep things stable. I’ve had some shoulder weakness in the past, and as long as I can keep those at bay, then my training stays consistent. I think that comes a little bit with maturity when you realize that you have to protect your body if you plan on using it for a while, which I do, so all of those things are coming in to play.
Amanda: I do a lot of Pilates. So far, I’ve just done mat Pilates and in the spring I want to start Reformer [Pilates] on the big contraption. I life weights 3-4 times a week and I plan to continue doing that. My weight program has worked really well for me, and I do a lot of shoulder physical therapy to keep things stable. I’ve had some shoulder weakness in the past, and as long as I can keep those at bay, then my training stays consistent. I think that comes a little bit with maturity when you realize that you have to protect your body if you plan on using it for a while, which I do, so all of those things are coming in to play.
Have you set any particular goals for your races at Nationals?
Amanda: It has always been a goal of mine to break to the 53 [seconds] barrier [in the 100-meter freestyle]. It was my goal before the technical suits and it is still my goal after. I definitely think I can do that, and that is what I am training towards. Anytime you get a chance to break a barrier like that it’s fun, especially in the sprint events. That was always the fun thing about age group swimming, like the first time I broke 23 [second] in the short course 50. It seems like the older you get, the more focused you are on smaller increments of a second and you don’t get to think about those barriers as much. So that one is definitely on my mind.
Amanda: It has always been a goal of mine to break to the 53 [seconds] barrier [in the 100-meter freestyle]. It was my goal before the technical suits and it is still my goal after. I definitely think I can do that, and that is what I am training towards. Anytime you get a chance to break a barrier like that it’s fun, especially in the sprint events. That was always the fun thing about age group swimming, like the first time I broke 23 [second] in the short course 50. It seems like the older you get, the more focused you are on smaller increments of a second and you don’t get to think about those barriers as much. So that one is definitely on my mind.
How do you and your coaches balancing training with traveling?
Amanda: I travel a lot less than a lot of people and it is because of the training. I think it is so important that it stays consistent. Even one or two days of missed practice can really have an impact on your progress for that week, and I like to take things one week at a time. December was a struggle. After Duel in the Pool, a few of us got stuck in London because of the snowstorms in D.C. That trip ended up being three days longer than it should have been. It was a big rush to get home before Christmas.
Amanda: I travel a lot less than a lot of people and it is because of the training. I think it is so important that it stays consistent. Even one or two days of missed practice can really have an impact on your progress for that week, and I like to take things one week at a time. December was a struggle. After Duel in the Pool, a few of us got stuck in London because of the snowstorms in D.C. That trip ended up being three days longer than it should have been. It was a big rush to get home before Christmas.
Since we’re on the topic of traveling, do you have a favorite road trip memory?
Amanda: Several years ago spring Nationals were in Seattle. It worked out that the next week was spring break for my school, so my family came out, rented a car, and drove all over the Pacific Northwest. We saw all the national parks, Mount Rainier, Mount Saint Helens, and I think we got down to northern California too. I was in high school at the time and I remember kind of dreading the big family road trip. I didn’t really want to be in the car for a whole week looking at national parks, but I was shocked. It’s so amazing all the things our country has to offer. I know it sounds a little cheesy, but it really gave me a lot of pride in our country. Just seeing Mount St. Helens, for instance, was shocking and really cool that we have all of those things right here at our fingertips.
Amanda: Several years ago spring Nationals were in Seattle. It worked out that the next week was spring break for my school, so my family came out, rented a car, and drove all over the Pacific Northwest. We saw all the national parks, Mount Rainier, Mount Saint Helens, and I think we got down to northern California too. I was in high school at the time and I remember kind of dreading the big family road trip. I didn’t really want to be in the car for a whole week looking at national parks, but I was shocked. It’s so amazing all the things our country has to offer. I know it sounds a little cheesy, but it really gave me a lot of pride in our country. Just seeing Mount St. Helens, for instance, was shocking and really cool that we have all of those things right here at our fingertips.
Did you plan any road trip games, or have a particular mix CD that you played during that trip?
Amanda: Oh, I’m sure we played the license plate game a few times. I have a younger brother and we actually had a really good time. We made it through the trip without any major wars. I think that trip is actually one of my favorite family moments.
Amanda: Oh, I’m sure we played the license plate game a few times. I have a younger brother and we actually had a really good time. We made it through the trip without any major wars. I think that trip is actually one of my favorite family moments.
How do you stay energized to compete each season?
Amanda: Again, I train with a high school group and I know a lot of people have asked me how I do that – training with that many swimmers and people who don’t necessarily have the same schedule that I do – and I actually love it. I think that they bring so much energy and life to the sport. I have a great time every day in practice, just battling it out, having it be crowded, hitting people over the lane line. I love it. I think it makes the practice go by so much faster. Just taking it day-by-day and enjoying each practice is how I stay energized. I kind of get overwhelmed if I think about things too far in the future. Obviously, I have goals for the summer, but as far as training goals, I try to take it one day at a time.
Amanda: Again, I train with a high school group and I know a lot of people have asked me how I do that – training with that many swimmers and people who don’t necessarily have the same schedule that I do – and I actually love it. I think that they bring so much energy and life to the sport. I have a great time every day in practice, just battling it out, having it be crowded, hitting people over the lane line. I love it. I think it makes the practice go by so much faster. Just taking it day-by-day and enjoying each practice is how I stay energized. I kind of get overwhelmed if I think about things too far in the future. Obviously, I have goals for the summer, but as far as training goals, I try to take it one day at a time.
If you could take a road trip with someone famous, who would you choose and where would you go?
Amanda: Maybe someone like Owen Wilson or Vince Vaughn. I think if you were with either of those people, you’d be laughing the whole time and it really wouldn’t matter where you were. Think about how much more fun it would be just like standing in line at an airport!
Amanda: Maybe someone like Owen Wilson or Vince Vaughn. I think if you were with either of those people, you’d be laughing the whole time and it really wouldn’t matter where you were. Think about how much more fun it would be just like standing in line at an airport!
