Issue link: https://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1068002
29 I n late November, a countdown began on the white board of Kelsey Drake's house. It counted down the days until the end of finals week. e days dwindled until it was winter break at the University of Iowa, which meant the Hawkeyes' swimming and diving team was off to the Sunshine State for its annual training trip. Iowa departed for the sunshine, beaches, and outdoor training in Sarasota, Florida, on Dec. 15. e Hawkeyes returned home Dec. 22. "It started coming up in conversations aer anksgiving," said Drake, a sophomore from Marion, Iowa. "It's such a fun thing for our team. It's something we look forward to." e Hawkeyes le behind the stresses of finals week for a seven-day period to focus on training and team unity. "One of the biggest benefits is getting out of your routine and comfort zone," said senior Kenneth Mende. "I love swimming outside because it always gives me that extra boost." "We are able to focus on training and getting better (on this training trip)," said Drake. "It is easy at home to get distracted with other things that are going on. (In Florida) there aren't many distractions, so we can focus, get down to it, and swim fast." When the Hawkeyes weren't training in the pool, they were going through dryland workouts or weight training with strength coach Ashley Renteria. When there was a time for recovery, there was a good chance the team was together on Lido Key Beach. "e nice weather forces you to go to the beach and do something outside of what you always do," said Mende. "We played a lot of football games and some people brought soccer balls. It's nice to be active with the team on a level outside the pool." "Even when we were not in the pool, we were still working together as a team and building our bond with each other," said Drake. "We had fun playing on the beach and building team unity." Mende says the in-water workouts were a grind, but the scenery helped everyone push through. "It was a nice opportunity to challenge ourselves, enjoy the scenery, while pushing ourselves to the limits," said Mende. "e sun gave us the last little push. It's easier to do when it's nice outside." e training trip was the unofficial start to the final leg of the Hawkeyes' schedule. Iowa will return to the pool for duals against Illinois (women) and Notre Dame (men) during the second week of January before the championships season starts nearly a month later. "is time of the year is critical in swimming," said Drake. "I know a lot of people, when we go home, this is the peak of our training. It helps to be able to build up our aerobic capacity in Florida and carry that throughout winter break. "When we get back, it becomes fine-tuning, going fast in the water, and getting ready for Big Tens and NCAAs." JANUARY SCHEDULE Jan. 11 at Illinois (W) Jan. 12 Notre Dame (M) Jan. 19 Northwestern (M/W) Jan. 19 Wisconsin (M/W) Jan. 25-26 at Shamrock Invitational (M/W)