A Day in the Life: Alaskan Olympic Champion Lydia Jacoby

I had the privilege of flying to Seward, Alaska to film with Olympic champion Lydia Jacoby. During my time there, I documented a typical training day for Lydia. This included a morning swim (this morning was a recovery/technique session led by Seward Tsunami Swim Club’s Co-head coach Meghan O’Leary) followed by a weight workout (today was leg day).

After the gym, we went on a snow-shoe run around Resurrection Bay (not really the norm, but it was an Alaskan novelty). From there, Lydia often goes to Resurrect Art Coffee House, a quiet haven for the high school senior where she can get a hot drink, see friends, and get work done whether it’s for school or her professional life. After the coffee house, it’s usually lunch and some downtime or more school work, and then back to the pool for practice #2. Today’s pm workout was aerobic work led by Seward’s other Co-head coach, Solomon D’Amico.

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Lauren
1 year ago

I’m doing a project on her, and this didn’t have exactly what I was looking for but still had good info.

#MFan
2 years ago

Nice job Coleman. I would love it if you would take a couple wireless lavs on these. it would a be tremendous benefit.

SharkSpeed
2 years ago

I really feel her coach as a great understanding of sprinting phisyiology.
Unfortunately, I count with the fingers of one hand the number of swimming coaches worldwide who have this kind of knowledge.

Last edited 2 years ago by SharkSpeed
Kyle
Reply to  SharkSpeed
2 years ago

Solomon is a world class coach. His lack of swimming experience led him to treating and training her as an athlete and not a swimmer.

PsychoDad
2 years ago

Took our 14 yo to Alaska last June and we spent 3 days iin Seward. The place is unbelievable beautiful. Resurrection bay, fishing halibut and salmon, whale watching, fjords, glaciers… halibut fish and chips. If Alaska is not on your bucket list, better redo it. Texas is lucky to get Lydia to come here and she will have thbest time of her life in return. Out family cannot wait to watch her swim inn person. Lydia and Anna will rock NCAA breaststroke NCAA next year.

Steve Nolan
2 years ago

“I prefer less reps with more weight.”

The heart of a powerlifter, you love to see it.

(Though I saw a safety squat bar in that gym, it might be more useful than a straight bar back squat for swimmers.)

Olympian
Reply to  Steve Nolan
2 years ago

Simply a sprinter.

Your note on safety bars is only right if you consider athletes with limited range of motion

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Olympian
2 years ago

Eh, I don’t think most overhead athletes really need to be back squatting regardless of mobility.

swimmerswammer
Reply to  Steve Nolan
2 years ago

What’s an overhead athlete and why don’t they need to squat?

Steve Nolan
Reply to  swimmerswammer
2 years ago

Anything where you’ve got your arm up overhead repeatedly – think pitching a baseball or serving in tennis – swimmers are the same way. Puts a lot of stress on your shoulders.

And I did not say those athletes shouldn’t squat at all, just that they maybe don’t need to back squat – front squats, goblet squats, the previously mentioned safety bar squats, etc etc – all great moves that offer the same benefit but with less potential downside.

There was a video of some UVA women bench pressing on one of these videos, a bit ago, too – which like, sure everyone loves to bench, but is that gonna be the best move for swimmers? Eeeeeeeh, debatable. (And I’m… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Steve Nolan
Olympian
Reply to  Steve Nolan
2 years ago

Very wrong once again

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Olympian
2 years ago

oh ok let’s read your paper on how back squatting is so much more important than other squat variations for swimmers???

(y’all acting like I’m *against* lifting, while I’ve got $20k worth of powerlifting stuff in my basement, lol. i very much like lifting!)

Tomek
2 years ago

I feel cold just looking at the picture

Xman
2 years ago

Would love to see more footage from this trip. Head what the flight was like, more of Coleman Outside in the elements and sight seeing.The snowshoe run with cleats kind of threw me off, Is it a thing in places like Minnesota, North Dakota?

Best part of the swimming was seeing the manual pace clock much easier to use for intervals. So many places are using the digital ones I find myself having to imagine the manual clock to figure out send off times.

Side note: Who sang the only one thinking the Alaska swim short course meters like the Canadians?

Last edited 2 years ago by Xman
Steve Nolan
Reply to  Xman
2 years ago

Oh man, I had the geometry of the analog clocks / intervals down so good, the digital clocks just aren’t nearly as fun in that sense.

And seconded about more footage, I’d have watched the entire trip.

Gunga Galunga
Reply to  Steve Nolan
2 years ago

I’m old enough to have grown up with analog pace clocks (I can also drive a stick shift, write cursive, and change a 35mm roll of film).

That said, one of the big advantages of digital clocks is that they’re much easier to SYNCHRONIZE which is nice when you have them at both ends on a 50 meter pool (for most digital clocks, it’s a built-in feature).

Meow
Reply to  Xman
2 years ago

I’m so with you on digital pace clocks. I definitely learned intervals visually.

SCCOACH
Reply to  Xman
2 years ago

Problem with manual is they break too easily and are too expensive if they are just going to break. Thing gets knocked over once and it’s good game. The digitals last way longer

Last edited 2 years ago by SCCOACH
Awsi Dooger
Reply to  Xman
2 years ago

I agree the video was rightfully much longer, given the time and expense to get there. Why exclude anything? I’d be documenting every driveway. Also I’d prefer to hear the coaches speaking instead of music.

The anecdote regarding the friends moving to Seward from Valdez in the early ’90s struck me as non-coincidental, given that the Exxon Valdez catastrophic oil spill happened in 1989.

McG
2 years ago

She’s a very impressive kid. Seems mature beyond her years yet it looks like she is having fun and happy too.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  McG
2 years ago

Just so bizarre to see what looks like just a group of normal-looking teens swimming pretty basic workouts in what looks like a modest community pool, but one of those teens has the tattoo of the Olympic rings on her side. Literally, the only thing that gives her away (other than swimming breast and keeping up with the guys swimming free). What a story.

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
2 years ago

Truly wild. Like I just kept thinking about what you think of when you picture where most elite athletes train – massive college facilities with 10 billion lanes and a 50,000sqft weight room. But then you got a teenage gold medalist lifting in a gym that looks like it has more daily Zumba classes than it has 45 lb plates, and a pool that’s sometimes too hot for anything but swim lessons.

I love it so much.

cynthia curran
Reply to  Steve Nolan
2 years ago

I swam in a 20 yard pool and a 25 meter pool on novice teams in California. In those days people could afford their own swim business since commercial was a lot cheaper in the 1960’s. The 25 meter pool is because the owner and coach was from Scotland.

About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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