So Much to Do  So Little Time

Jillian Altenburger on Training for Multiple Championship Meets

from her dreams, Jillian trusted that if she executed her plan perfectly, she could achieve her goal. 

             Within a three-week period, Altenburger was scheduled to swim in three championship meets, two of which were long course, where she would go for the cut.  The first meet was the Northeast Speedo Sectionals held March 6-9 on Long Island, NY.  The next weekend she would compete at her LSC’s championship meet, New Jersey Junior Olympics.  Then, if needed, ten days later, she would fly to Indianapolis to compete in the famed IUPUI Natatorium at the Central Zone Speedo Sectionals. 

             Jillian’s planning did not start in March, nor did it start at the beginning of the season.  It began when she first conceived that an Olympic Trial cut was within reach.  “Two summers ago, when I was a high school sophomore, I had a really good 200 I.M. race at Junior Olympics,” Jillian recounted.  “I dropped about four seconds from my previous time and was then two seconds away from the trial cut.  Ever since then, my goal was to qualify for Olympic Trials.”

             Altenburger trained with that goal on the forefront of her mind everyday.  She knew what she wanted to achieve and she knew that she would need to increase the intensity of her training to accomplish her goal.  She attended eight to nine practices a week and spent up to five hours a day combining swimming and dryland exercises.  She was confident that her training would translate to the desired time.

             At the beginning of the season, Jillian’s plan was to qualify for Trials at the Sectional meet in Long Island.   She began tapering about two weeks before the meet, allowing for a gradual reduction in the yardage and intensity of workouts.  This length of taper is typical for Jillian for a championship meet.  However, the results at sectionals were not what she had hoped for.  Quickly, Jillian rebounded and reformulated her plan to make Trials.  

             The next weekend, Jillian competed at Junior Olympics.  Although she could not qualify for Trials at this

                          Continued