Practice + Pancakes: Chase Kalisz Leads us Through UGA Main Group

SwimSwam wants to give you an inside look at what a normal day-in-the-life looks like for any given swimmer, and how that differs from team to team or city to city. We send our head of production, Coleman Hodges, to be a fly on the wall at practice, then relay what he discovered back to you over pancakes. Or at least breakfast.

If you didn’t already catch it, SwimSwam took a trip down to Athens to get in a couple practices with the UGA swim team (and we couldn’t miss getting a Coleman’s Carpool with a couple of Olympians as well). In the last practice, we followed sprint group with Brian Smith. Today, World Champion Chase Kalisz guides through an average day in Jack Bauerle‘s main group.

Main group is seemingly where majority of the swimmers train in on a day-to-day basis, as well as having 2-3 coaches overseeing the group as well. It was pretty incredible watching this practice, considering that down the row, you had Olympians, NCAA champions, National teamers, and international stars all competing against each other.

As Chase and coach Bauerle explain, Monday is “rainbow day”, meaning a threshold practice where your heart rate usually goes between the 140-170 range. The workout started with “white” and only went up to “pink”. However, with a couple of swimmers in the pack starting their taper for NCAA’s, and the rest of guys not wanting to get beaten, it was questionable whether the group actually even started at “white”. As you watch, you can see the team tackle the practice a little more agressively than some may have wanted.

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fsh22
6 years ago

Hey guys! Can someone tell me please what means 50 Non desc Non?
Much appreciation:)

Swimfish87
6 years ago

I think that’s the way the comments in this article have transpired. Everyone really does want to know what’s going on with Missy.

swimcoach
Reply to  Swimfish87
6 years ago

I think everyone wants to know what is going on with Missy because everyone is rooting for her to regain the 2012-2013 form.

Swimming4silver
6 years ago

wait, is this article is about missy or about UGA training with Kalisz? comments tell a different story.

Dudeman
Reply to  Swimming4silver
6 years ago

The comments almost always go off on tangents, I mean we got a Dressel comment on this article too, all we need is a dean farris comment and a MA and USRPT comment to get the swimswam trifecta

Rowdy Rowdy Gains
Reply to  Dudeman
6 years ago

Don’t forget schooling crushing these times in practice and probably having a better practice 400 IM than Dressel or Kalisz

Troy
Reply to  Swimming4silver
6 years ago

Its about UGA and that is WHERE Missy is “training” so it is within the realm of questioning

Retired&nowFat
6 years ago

I want to see Dressel v Kalisz SCY 400 IM

Go Bearcats
Reply to  Retired&nowFat
6 years ago

In theory, that would be a very close race. Someone pool money- winner takes all.

Bigly
Reply to  Retired&nowFat
6 years ago

Where is Bobo to say who cares about a bathtub race?

Hswimmer
6 years ago

Where is Missy??

Pvdh
Reply to  Hswimmer
6 years ago

Probably some sponsor event.

Go Bearcats
Reply to  Hswimmer
6 years ago

I asked the same question on YouTube and someone responded that she only trains there a few days/weeks.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Go Bearcats
6 years ago

yes , thats what one of her UGA teammates said at the last Pro series form last week-end

Swimfish87
Reply to  ERVINFORTHEWIN
6 years ago

So I am just going to to put this out there. Missy was good she really was. But that’s just it, she ‘WAS’ good. She took on way to much time off doing photoshoots and what not. Being a world class swimmer is not what she wants right no, and that is ok. Not to mention that even if she was to come back I don’t think she could cut it.

Hswimmer
Reply to  Swimfish87
6 years ago

Well why would she move half way across the country if she wasn’t interested in training seriously? In interviews and articles she says she wants to take a shot at nationals this summer.&

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Hswimmer
6 years ago

He is assuming what he wants to assume and imagine – it feels far from Missy’s plans and her potential to be back soon .

Swimfish87
Reply to  ERVINFORTHEWIN
6 years ago

Hundred percent right. This is my opinion in my opinion only. But if I went from winning multiple gold medals at in Olympics to nothing. I would be busting my butt to get back to my previous Glory. Also with all the talent coming out of NCAA right now. By all means I hope she proves me wrong I just don’t see her being able to come back and compete at the level she was at.

Taa
Reply to  Hswimmer
6 years ago

Her boyfriend moved back east somewhere maybe Tennessee or a nearby state.

Hangry
Reply to  Taa
6 years ago

NC I think

Hangry
Reply to  Hswimmer
6 years ago

FYI herb from lives closer now

dmswim
Reply to  Swimfish87
6 years ago

While I hope SWIMFISH87 is wrong, I’m getting the same vibe from Missy. I think she’s torn about wanting to go back to swimming at a high level, but her heart isn’t in it. She’s gotten used to the swammer life, traveling without having to worry about training, etc., and giving all that up again would be tough, so she’s trying to do it halfway.
Her decision to swim at Nationals this summer may be motivated by sponsorship obligations as well. She hasn’t competed since Rio (and hasn’t been a big name since 2013), and if she doesn’t get back on the scene soon she’s going to lose some name recognition.
Again, this is all speculation, but it’s… Read more »

Yozhik
Reply to  dmswim
6 years ago

There is a widely spread misconception that Missy Franklin peaked in 2013. It was actually the March 2015, NCAA. Huge improvement in personal bests and landmark times in 100free, 200 IM and of course 200 free. Simply huge

dmswim
Reply to  Yozhik
6 years ago

That’s fair. I mentioned 2013 because that was the last time she made waves (pun intended) on the international scene which is presumably important to sponsors.

NormG
Reply to  Yozhik
6 years ago

Disagree. She hadn’t shaved for a yards meet in likely a few years prior to that NC’s. 2013 was her peak.

Yozhik
Reply to  NormG
6 years ago

It was her only second year in college. She was was tapered for NC in freshman year. So I don’t think that these 46.6, 1:52.1 and still beyond approach 1.39.1 were always in her.

Tammy Touchpad Error
Reply to  Yozhik
6 years ago

2:04.0> 1:39.1.
58.3> 1:52.0/1:48/46.6

No question Missy peaked 2012/2013. 2015 was a mirage.

Yozhik
Reply to  Tammy Touchpad Error
6 years ago

I don’t know the right definition of this 2015 phenomenon. I can’t explain the cause of very steep cliff that followed. The only thing that can be said for sure is that Missy Franklin hasn’t experienced any health issues back in that March of 2015.

Bigly
Reply to  Tammy Touchpad Error
6 years ago

Phelps peaked in 2008 and still had two more Olympics in him. Took time off, even plead his way out of a DUI in the between years.

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Bigly
6 years ago

Phelps peaked in 2007.

Tammy Touchpad Error
Reply to  Steve Nolan
6 years ago

100%

THEO
Reply to  Steve Nolan
6 years ago

Phelps never peaked. Undertold part of his story. Hand injury pre-beijing combined with all those other issues in mid-20s prevented that. Setting that aside, his “peak” seems like 2008 since the performance was faster than 2007 in nearly all events except I think the 2IM, where he was just a hair off

Troy
Reply to  ERVINFORTHEWIN
6 years ago

She needs to.do some hard training if she wants to get back in real swim shape

Aquajosh
Reply to  Hswimmer
6 years ago

I think, and this is just my opinion, that Missy is afraid to come back because she is fearful of never being that fast again and the pressure she would put on herself to try and get there. Too much of her self-worth was tied to swimming fast, and it seems that she’s becoming more of a whole person now and finding who she is without the sport. It’s the same reason Mary T retired believing she had a 2:02 in her and never came back despite the fact that even at 90% she would have still won through 1996.

Yozhik
Reply to  Aquajosh
6 years ago

Missy Franklin is not afraid of anything. She was well aware that she became progressively declining in the backstroke since her golden race in London Olympics. The achievement that is actually how she will be remembered by those who hasn’t had a chance to be affected by her smiling, hugging, kissing in the pool and dancing on the deck. Immediately after NCAA when she turned pro the talks has been started that the attention shouldn’t be paid to the results of WC in Kazan because it is an intermediate preparation year before OG. She knew what was going to happen. But she was immediately and intensively involved in money generating process by creating a special image of her to maintain… Read more »

Bigly
Reply to  Hswimmer
6 years ago

She’s still on her Rio taper.

Chillbill
Reply to  Hswimmer
6 years ago

Missy is literally in Athens training with us.

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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