5 Great Things We Loved About Summer Training

Summer Recess

Enough said. School has been out for the summer, but that also means double-practices. The good news? No homework, no studying and no tests. We get the summer to focus solely on practice, meets and of course, tanning. As a swimmer, taking naps is almost mandatory, even if it's for a few minutes. Between doubles, we now get to hibernate for more than 30 minutes. The added stress of school is gone, freeing up your time for summer adventures to the beach or spending the warm nights outside.

Long Course Warrior

*Insert the groans and eye rolling here* Many would agree that the long course season is reserved for those who enjoy suffering. I respectfully disagree. Long course is the time to shine for people that hate flipturns, excel at under waters and love to ponder the meaning of life while doing a 50 kick on your back. You have more time to make your move in practice or as an outside smoker in any race. Last but not least, it's a breath of fresh air when you're swimming short course day-in-and-day-out.

Swim Meets And Sunshine

Just like this year, the summer season seems to fly by each year—which means the toughest parts of training are condensed, letting us enter the wonderful world of tapering that much sooner. And with the hot summer days, comes one of the best things about summer meets…snow cones. Cooling off between events seems to be much less of a chore than bundling up by your personal space heater when you're at a meet in December. During the summer, you're already by a pool, so jumping in to cool off is no task at all. It beats out the cold and rainy swim meet season any day.

Hang up your parka

Nothing breaks a swimmer's heart more than the freezing, early morning practices. A parka and boots become our best friends during the winter. We picked a sport that shows no mercy about how early we practice or if kickboards on deck are stuck together with ice. Thankfully, summer graces us with her presence. The early mornings get warmer and earmuffs aren't required to trek from the locker room to the water. Now, shorts and your sandals are all you need to wear home from practice.

Two Piece Tan

Finally, I saved the most important aspect of summer training for last. A swimmer's tan lines are about as common as taxis in New York City, and very noticeable when the summer season rolls around (especially at the beach). We've spent months longing to wear our new training gear. Sure, maybe your stomach hasn't seen the light of day all year 'round, but in the summer it's different. It's game on. Instead of a one piece tan, we get to embrace the two piece tan with open arms. All we can hope is that the tan we worked so hard on during the summer season stays with us into winter.

Ah, summer training, enjoy it while you can. There’s only a few weeks left!