A small group from the Colorado Stars group heads to the Florida Keys today for a week-long training trip over spring break.
The Stars’ elite women’s quartet of Missy Franklin, Kara Lynn Joyce, Colleen Wixted, and Gisells Ciacni embarked upon a week-long trip to the scenic islands off of the south coast of Florida. The trip coincides with the spring breaks of the younger group (as good as they are, they still have to juggle high school schedules.
They will be training in the famous pools in Key Largo and Islamorda, though they’ll be working exclusively with Stars’ head coach Todd Schmitz.
Kara Lynn Joyce really hit a turning point in her training with the Stars at the recent Federal Way Sectionals meet, where she swam a 25.49 in the 50 free and a 55.22 in the 100. She looked better than she has since coming to Colorado just over a year ago.
” I was really happy with my second 50 on my 100 in finals, and I was pretty happy with my 50. I think by Sunday I was a little tired from racing the 400 twice the day before,” alluding to her swimming the 400 on the day before the 100 free, that she said she swam “just for fun.”
The change has been both a mental one and a physical one for her. “I think the increase on speed work with Todd has definitely been working for me. Also just a little more focus when it comes to racing time.”
But don’t expect her, or her teammates, to break any records at the upcoming Indianapolis Grand Prix. They’re flying straight from Florida to Indiana, and will be coming off of what is anticipated to be some very difficult doubles.
