The men and women's swim team trip to St. Croix and Puerto Rico served as a change of pace from harsh Hanover winters many team members went sunbathing, scuba diving, snorkeling and sightseeing. The team got the chance to live with each other and cook potluck dinners as a group.
Although the rigorous schedule of the training trip sometimes doesn't seem immediate in its effects, women's team co-captain Maddie Steiner '11 said that the trip will help the team more in the season's grind.
There is one immediate payoff for the athletes "their tan," head coach James Wilson joked.
The swim teams took the longest trip, spending two weeks training and practicing. Team members took advantage of the beaches and Olympic-sized pools available in St. Croix and Puerto Rico to work on their long-course endurance and bond with teammates.
While athletes tried to balance their swimming schedules with fun activities, most of their time was spent training, according to Wilson.
"We had fun bonding the first 10 days of the trip," Steiner said. "But the very end is always a struggle just because the trip is 14 days long."
The men's and women's team had similar routines, waking up between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. each day for training. They worked for two and a half hours in the pool, and alternated between dry-land workouts and weight training every other day. The teams participated in another training session in the afternoon.
The team also attracted attention from natives living on the island and was featured in the Virgin Islands Daily News during their stay.
The annual winter training trip is one of the pivotal moments leading to the main stretch of the season, according to men's team co-captain Billy Haley '11.
Women's team co-captain Virginia Selden '11 noted despite all the drills and hard work, the trip was still enjoyable.
"I think we all had some tough times," she said. "But looking back we had a pretty good time."
The members of the men's and women's squash teams similarly re-located to a sunny destination, traveling to Boca Raton, Fla. for a little more than a week in mid-December.
This marks the second year that the men's and women's teams have traveled together on a training trip. Unlike previous years, this season's trip featured a more grueling training program, according to women's captain Hannah Conant '11.
The trip also reflected a shift in the attitude of the team, according to men's co-captain Ted Schroeder '11.
"This whole year has been more intense and less relaxed," he said.
Although the teams were able to hold practice and drills outdoors in the temperate Florida weather, the work was hard practice was held twice a day with only a two-hour break in between, players said.
Much of the concentration of the fitness regimens was on building strength and endurance. Workouts were also done in the pool, a challenge for some team members.
The more intensive practice, however, will prove to be a benefit to the players, according to head coach Hansi Wiens.
"If you practice twice a day everyday, they get a different perspective on training and they realize how hard they can actually push themselves," he said, adding that the muscle memory gained from a short downtime between practices is especially beneficial.
Being in Boca Raton also allowed the players to enjoy their time spent outside of the gym. Aside from playing beach volleyball and tanning, the teams made a visit to an outdoor safari park in the Everglades. Players also put on skits to entertain one another, Conant said.
The coaches and captains said they noticed that team members especially freshmen players gained confidence and seem more at ease after the trip's activities.
Men's co-captain Michael Lewis '11 said one of the highlights of the trip was playing quarterback and being named the most valuable player of an intrasquad beach football game. Indicative of the intense nature of the trip, players also participated in a mixed doubles tournament with sprints in between each match.
Wiens said the players enjoyed spending time with each other and improving their skills in an intensive setting.
"They weren't happy in the beginning," he said. "But in the end they realized it was a training trip and not just a fun trip."
Once the teams dispersed for home, they carried on the mantra of working hard in practice. The men's team has since logged over 120 individual workouts, according to Lewis.
Although the Big Green ski team did not travel far as from Hanover while training in New England and Canada, the teams also incorporated an additional level of intensity into its workouts.
After exams, the men's alpine team participated in several races in Quebec before training and racing at the Sugarloaf ski area in Maine. The women's team trained locally before also traveling to Quebec for two races.
Although rain and seasonally warm weather disrupted the team's plans, they were still able to practice and, despite mixed results for the team in four races at Sugarloaf, Trevor Leafe '12 won a slalom race at the ski area that included many of the region's top skiers.
The women's team returned to campus for more training and then travelled to Sunday River, Maine to participate in four races.
"The training was great and it's good to get some race starts in before Carnival season so that we can get up to speed as a team," women's alpine co-captain Courtney Hammond '11 said.
The Nordic ski team also trained in Canada over break and is in Maine competing at the Nordic U.S. National Championships.
