Christian Groth

Past Entries

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Entry 3

Entry 4

Entry 5

Entry 6

Entry 7

Entry 8

Entry 9

Entry 10

Entry 11

March 1, 2004

Anticipation is in the air this week because there is a group of us who do not know our fate. For some, the season is over, concluding with a fantastic Emory Invite two weekends ago. For others, their goal is nationals and they are geared up and ready for St. Louis.

However, there is a group of us that is "on the bubble" meaning that our times are may or may not get us an invitation for the Big Show. For those of us in this position we must carry on as if we expect to swim in St. Louis.

The worst part about being in the "bubble" group is that our season could come to a screeching halt come Thursday when the invitations are sent out. That would mean two weeks of hard training go towards nothing.

But I know that all of us have up in so much time in the last six months that an extra two weeks for a chance to make it to NCAAs is more than worth it. Thus it is obvious why those of us on the bubble wait in anticipation.

Taper started (again) today. For the non-UAA taper swimmers it is the highlight of the season because it brings newfound strength and energy. For the UAA taper swimmers it is a familiar feeling experienced not even a month ago.

No matter which group we fall into, it is an exciting time because the team has been whittled down to 20 guys. After the week, we will have a maximum of 18 people still practicing. This reduction in numbers brings the team together very closely because everyone finds themselves training with people they have never swum with before. Everyone is getting excited for what is going to prove to be an amazing nationals (if the UAA meet was any indication of our preparedness).

Until then we have stressed a few things: sleep, nutrition, and health. They all are intertwined and each affects the other drastically. Getting sick during taper is the worst thing possible, so for the next two weeks we will all be doing our best to stay healthy by washing our hands incessantly, not sharing water bottles, and eating our fruits and vegetables.

Christian Groth is a junior from Bloomfield Hills, Mich. He would love to answer e-mail questions from Emory recruits and fans.