The Road to Nationals-Felicia Lee
The Road to Nationals-Felicia Lee
With weeks of dreary and wet winter weather plaguing the east coast, national teamer Felicia Lee has California on the mind. Not only is she looking ahead to swimming for Stanford in Palo Alto next fall, but also the
2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships this August in Irvine.
Four years ago, Lee moved from her home in Wayne, N.J. to Baltimore, Md. to swim with the legendary North Baltimore Aquatic Club (NBAC), home of swimming stars
Michael Phelps and
Katie Hoff. During her time with NBAC, Lee has excelled. By the age of 14, Lee was already a two-time National champion, winning the 100-meter butterfly at the 2006 and 2007 Spring National Championships.
Now 17, Lee recently joined Bob Bowman’s elite training group at NBAC, having previously swam for former NBAC senior coach Paul Yetter. With the Maryland Championships on the horizon, Lee spoke with Swimnetwork about her training, her preparations for the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships and Twilight-heartthrob Robert Pattinson.
National teamer: Felicia Lee
Distance to the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships: 2,655 miles
Distance to the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships: 2,655 miles
So, I have to ask, do you have a favorite butterfly set?
Felicia: A favorite butterfly set or the hardest butterfly set? (Laughs) I can tell you the hardest one. One Christmas we did 10 rounds of 300 free/IM followed by a 200 butterfly (pause) for time. So it was 5,000 over all. I think I almost died. (Laughs)
Felicia: A favorite butterfly set or the hardest butterfly set? (Laughs) I can tell you the hardest one. One Christmas we did 10 rounds of 300 free/IM followed by a 200 butterfly (pause) for time. So it was 5,000 over all. I think I almost died. (Laughs)
How about a favorite road trip memory?
Felicia: When I went to Japan in 2007 for the Japan international meet, my mom and I actually stayed back in the country for a couple of days and drove around to explore a little bit. Then we flew to her home country of Malaysia and visited a whole bunch of family. We actually did drive through Malaysia for about three hours. It wasn’t that bad – not like a road trip across America. (Laughs) It was definitely nice to experience where my mom grew up and the culture.
Felicia: When I went to Japan in 2007 for the Japan international meet, my mom and I actually stayed back in the country for a couple of days and drove around to explore a little bit. Then we flew to her home country of Malaysia and visited a whole bunch of family. We actually did drive through Malaysia for about three hours. It wasn’t that bad – not like a road trip across America. (Laughs) It was definitely nice to experience where my mom grew up and the culture.
What have you enjoyed about swimming with Bob Bowman’s elite training group this past season?
Felicia: You know, I think there were a lot of changes. Kennan [Robinson] from the University of Michigan has come to work with us on dryland. It’s a hard group, but over all, it has been really enjoyable. Bob has brought a wealth of knowledge and it’s definitely been a good transition into a new training style. I just have fun with it and enjoy the group I train with. We have fun every day working hard.
Felicia: You know, I think there were a lot of changes. Kennan [Robinson] from the University of Michigan has come to work with us on dryland. It’s a hard group, but over all, it has been really enjoyable. Bob has brought a wealth of knowledge and it’s definitely been a good transition into a new training style. I just have fun with it and enjoy the group I train with. We have fun every day working hard.
With the Maryland LSC Championships starting on March 4, what types of training are you focusing on right now?
Felicia: The Maryland meet will be our main short course meet. So, closer to the meet we’ll start resting a little bit, working on little skills, and just making sure that we’re ready to swim fast.
Felicia: The Maryland meet will be our main short course meet. So, closer to the meet we’ll start resting a little bit, working on little skills, and just making sure that we’re ready to swim fast.
After that meet, how will you prepare for the long course season?
Felicia: We train long course and short course throughout the year. We swam all long course when we went to Colorado for our training trip this winter, though right now we are mainly short course. After the Maryland short course meet, we might start doing a little more long course in the morning.
Felicia: We train long course and short course throughout the year. We swam all long course when we went to Colorado for our training trip this winter, though right now we are mainly short course. After the Maryland short course meet, we might start doing a little more long course in the morning.
What type of training will you focus on during the summer?
Felicia: We actually have another training trip coming up in May. That will be our last major training trip before we start resting and getting ready for Nationals in the summer. Other than that, for me personally, just working on more endurance. My longest race is the 200 fly. We’ll also be working on skills and continuing to find little things to improve, and try to find little to fix, in order to gear up for Nationals.
Felicia: We actually have another training trip coming up in May. That will be our last major training trip before we start resting and getting ready for Nationals in the summer. Other than that, for me personally, just working on more endurance. My longest race is the 200 fly. We’ll also be working on skills and continuing to find little things to improve, and try to find little to fix, in order to gear up for Nationals.
In what other ways will you prepare for Nationals?
Felicia: Kennan does really well with helping us outside of the water. He’s basically our dryland captain. (Laughs) We do weights Monday-Wednesday-Friday and Pilates work Tuesday-Thursday. We also do a circuit one day a week, which is a total killer.
What are you looking forward to most about swimming for Stanford next fall?
Felicia: I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for me to get out of Baltimore and get the college experience. You’ve got the dual meets in there, which is really exciting for me. And, of course California! They have a beautiful facility there and I am just really looking forward to a nice change. I’ve loved everything about Baltimore, and it will be sad when I leave, but I am definitely excited to swim for Lea [Maurer] next year.
Felicia: Kennan does really well with helping us outside of the water. He’s basically our dryland captain. (Laughs) We do weights Monday-Wednesday-Friday and Pilates work Tuesday-Thursday. We also do a circuit one day a week, which is a total killer.
What are you looking forward to most about swimming for Stanford next fall?
Felicia: I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for me to get out of Baltimore and get the college experience. You’ve got the dual meets in there, which is really exciting for me. And, of course California! They have a beautiful facility there and I am just really looking forward to a nice change. I’ve loved everything about Baltimore, and it will be sad when I leave, but I am definitely excited to swim for Lea [Maurer] next year.
On a hypothetical note, if you could take a road trip with someone famous, who would it be and where would you go?
Felicia: It would probably be Robert Pattinson, not just because he’s in Twilight, but I like that too. And I would probably go to, well, California. I would actually drive from Baltimore to California with him. That would be pretty fun I think, even though it would be a really long trip.
Felicia: It would probably be Robert Pattinson, not just because he’s in Twilight, but I like that too. And I would probably go to, well, California. I would actually drive from Baltimore to California with him. That would be pretty fun I think, even though it would be a really long trip.
Would you stop anywhere along the way to California?
Felicia: I would I would probably want to visit all of the landmarks, even though that would take even longer. The Grand Canyon would be awesome to see, and Mount Rushmore. It would also be pretty cool to experience different specialties of each major city, like the Chicago deep-dish pizza.
Felicia: I would I would probably want to visit all of the landmarks, even though that would take even longer. The Grand Canyon would be awesome to see, and Mount Rushmore. It would also be pretty cool to experience different specialties of each major city, like the Chicago deep-dish pizza.
If you had to make a play list of songs for the trip with Robert Pattinson, what would it consist of?
Felicia: I basically like anything. For a road trip, probably a lot of pop and hip hop. Maybe a little of Lil Wayne and some pop songs. You know, we’ll call it Top 40 hits.
Felicia: I basically like anything. For a road trip, probably a lot of pop and hip hop. Maybe a little of Lil Wayne and some pop songs. You know, we’ll call it Top 40 hits.
Well, speaking of traveling from Baltimore to California, when you move to Palo Alto will you drive or fly?
Felicia: Oh, I am going to fly. Everything will be shipped there. I don’t think I could handle it – it’s too long!
Felicia: Oh, I am going to fly. Everything will be shipped there. I don’t think I could handle it – it’s too long!
