The Road to Nationals-Christine Magnuson
The Road to Nationals-Christine Magnuson
After graduating from the University of Tennessee this past year, American record holder and Olympic silver medalist
Christine Magnuson packed up her suit and goggles and moved across the country to Arizona. Now training with other post-grads at Tucson Ford Dealers Aquatics, Magnuson is excited to see how the move and new training regimen will impact her performance at the
2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships this August.
I caught up with Magnuson during her preparations for this weekend’s
Grand Prix in Austin, Texas to discuss her training, goals for the summer and really long road trips.
National teamer: Christine Magnuson
Distance from the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships: 480 miles
Distance from the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships: 480 miles
What meets do you have coming up?
Christine: I’m actually going to rest a little bit for the Grand Prix in Austin. After that, I think I will swim at the Santa Clara Grand Prix and possibly the grand prix in L.A. Those I will definitely be attending.
Christine: I’m actually going to rest a little bit for the Grand Prix in Austin. After that, I think I will swim at the Santa Clara Grand Prix and possibly the grand prix in L.A. Those I will definitely be attending.
Having grown up in Illinois, what’s it like swimming in Arizona, especially in the winter?
Christine: The weather is great! I talk to my parents every week and they are like “well, we’ve got a couple more inches of snow and we’re driving through the slush.” And I say “oh, it’s 75 and sunny here.” It’s quite a bit of a difference. But, we’ll see whose laughing in the summer. I haven’t been through an Arizona summer yet. Arizona only has outdoor pools, which is a change for me, because I’ve never trained outdoors before this.
Christine: The weather is great! I talk to my parents every week and they are like “well, we’ve got a couple more inches of snow and we’re driving through the slush.” And I say “oh, it’s 75 and sunny here.” It’s quite a bit of a difference. But, we’ll see whose laughing in the summer. I haven’t been through an Arizona summer yet. Arizona only has outdoor pools, which is a change for me, because I’ve never trained outdoors before this.
What types of training are you focusing on right now?
Christine: My training has changed a lot in the past year. I’m working with Rick DeMont [associate head coach at the University of Arizona and former World Record holder in the 1500-meter and 400-meter freestyles] and I do workouts a couple of times a week with Frank Busch [University of Arizona head coach] as well. It’s a lot more sprint training – quality, all-out effort, paces – whereas in previous years, I’ve trained a lot more mid-distance.
Christine: My training has changed a lot in the past year. I’m working with Rick DeMont [associate head coach at the University of Arizona and former World Record holder in the 1500-meter and 400-meter freestyles] and I do workouts a couple of times a week with Frank Busch [University of Arizona head coach] as well. It’s a lot more sprint training – quality, all-out effort, paces – whereas in previous years, I’ve trained a lot more mid-distance.
How has the switch to more sprint training impacted your races?
Christine: I think it’s been great. I feel really strong and I swam really well at Duel in the Pool. I was happy with it. I’m looking forward to the long course season and seeing how [the sprint training] translates into long course. My freestyle has come along a lot in the past year. It’s an exciting time for me to kind of see what happens.
Christine: I think it’s been great. I feel really strong and I swam really well at Duel in the Pool. I was happy with it. I’m looking forward to the long course season and seeing how [the sprint training] translates into long course. My freestyle has come along a lot in the past year. It’s an exciting time for me to kind of see what happens.
Will your training change much as you progress through the long course season?
Christine: (Laughs). You’ll have to ask my coaches that! Sometimes it changes from day to day, but I might do a little bit more aerobic training since you can’t rely on your walls as much. I actually like that aspect, especially as a butterflier. We’ll be doing a lot more long course practices, but I still think we’ll be pushing the pace a lot more and I will still be sprinting.
Christine: (Laughs). You’ll have to ask my coaches that! Sometimes it changes from day to day, but I might do a little bit more aerobic training since you can’t rely on your walls as much. I actually like that aspect, especially as a butterflier. We’ll be doing a lot more long course practices, but I still think we’ll be pushing the pace a lot more and I will still be sprinting.
What is your favorite road trip memory?
Christine: My family took a lot of road trips, but to be honest, the most recent road trip was driving the 27 hours to Arizona, so I think that has blocked them out.
Christine: My family took a lot of road trips, but to be honest, the most recent road trip was driving the 27 hours to Arizona, so I think that has blocked them out.
Did you stop anywhere fun along the way?
Christine: My good friend drove with me and we stopped in Dallas for a day and went shopping.
Christine: My good friend drove with me and we stopped in Dallas for a day and went shopping.
Did you play any road trip games or music to occupy yourself on the 27-hour drive?
Christine: We were playing the license plate game and we were decently successful. We had some surprises, but we didn’t get all of them. We also just played any kind of music that wasn’t going to drive us nuts.
Christine: We were playing the license plate game and we were decently successful. We had some surprises, but we didn’t get all of them. We also just played any kind of music that wasn’t going to drive us nuts.
If you could take another road trip with someone, who would it be and where would you go?
Christine: I would probably take it with my sister, Jackie. We would go someplace warm. She is living in Madison, Wisconsin right now so I know she would enjoy someplace warm and I don’t like the cold. I don’t know where exactly where we would go, but I feel like we would try to go someplace outside of the United States and do an international road trip.
Christine: I would probably take it with my sister, Jackie. We would go someplace warm. She is living in Madison, Wisconsin right now so I know she would enjoy someplace warm and I don’t like the cold. I don’t know where exactly where we would go, but I feel like we would try to go someplace outside of the United States and do an international road trip.
Now as a post-graduate swimmer, how do you stay energized to compete each season?
Christine: Well, I think I have one of the coolest jobs in the world and it’s always exciting to race new people and old rivals. I think that is really motivating – if I want to be the best every season, not just one and then fade in to the background. For this past year I made a big change coming out to Arizona and that kind of revitalized me too. I have a new training group, new training style and it will be very exciting to see what will happen with that. Sometimes it is changing big things and sometimes it is saying I want to be one of the best and going for it every day.
Christine: Well, I think I have one of the coolest jobs in the world and it’s always exciting to race new people and old rivals. I think that is really motivating – if I want to be the best every season, not just one and then fade in to the background. For this past year I made a big change coming out to Arizona and that kind of revitalized me too. I have a new training group, new training style and it will be very exciting to see what will happen with that. Sometimes it is changing big things and sometimes it is saying I want to be one of the best and going for it every day.
Do you have any particular goals for Nationals in Irvine?
Christine: I want to be the top butterflier there and then be one of the top freestylers as well. My freestyle has really come along and I am pretty excited about it. I know the U.S. really needs to step up in the freestyle events. Right now, on the world stage, the women are a little weak. It is going to take some new people coming up and some old ones to step up. I would love to be one of them.
Christine: I want to be the top butterflier there and then be one of the top freestylers as well. My freestyle has really come along and I am pretty excited about it. I know the U.S. really needs to step up in the freestyle events. Right now, on the world stage, the women are a little weak. It is going to take some new people coming up and some old ones to step up. I would love to be one of them.
In terms of stepping up in the freestyle events, will you be aiming for the 100-meter or 50-meter freestyle?
Christine: I focus mostly on the 100. I swim the 50 because I think it is a great preparation for my 100. There are some really good raw sprinters that can bust out a 50, and I’m not sure if I’ve developed that speed quite yet. It is great training, and who can complain about a 50 free? (Laughs)
Christine: I focus mostly on the 100. I swim the 50 because I think it is a great preparation for my 100. There are some really good raw sprinters that can bust out a 50, and I’m not sure if I’ve developed that speed quite yet. It is great training, and who can complain about a 50 free? (Laughs)
In what other ways will you prepare yourself for Nationals this summer?
Christine: I am in the weight room twice a week right now. Sometimes I also do fun stuff when I am not preparing for a big meet, like going rock climbing to mix it up a little bit.
Christine: I am in the weight room twice a week right now. Sometimes I also do fun stuff when I am not preparing for a big meet, like going rock climbing to mix it up a little bit.
