The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, February 9, 1999-11

it's taper time in Ann Arbor
Urbanchek's squad 'bouncing off walls' at Canham Natatorium

By Jason Emeott
Daily Sports Writer
"I've got weight on my shoulders, and
things on my mind ..."
The Beastie Boys easily could have
Ben thinking about the life of a
Michigan swimmer when they wrote
those lines - double sessions of swim
practice starting at 7 a.m. each morning,
thousands of workout yards each day,
dry skin and ratty hair from the chlorine
and a full load of classes at the
University.
Near the end of the season, swimmers
find themselves tired - very tired -
physically and mentally.
That is, until taper time. Tapering
es a swimmer a chance to rest his
body and clear his mind.
"It is the process of getting the body
peaked," said Michigan coach Jon
Urbanchek. "The mental process is just
as important."
With 16 days left until the Big Ten
Championships, it is taper time at
Canham Natatorium. When coaches
taper their swimmers, they gradually cut
k the workout load until swimmers'
ies are rested for competition. The
result is two-fold. Swimmers recover,
both physically and mentally, from a sea-
son of abuse in and out of the pool -

and they swim fast. Traditionally, times
drop dramatically at big meets when
swimmers taper.
"Physically you feel stronger because
you're cutting back 30 to 40 percent on
your workload. Mentally, you feel better
because you're not constantly tired,"
Urbanchek said.
Some swimmers even have a tenden-
cy to "bounce off the walls" near the end
of their taper. Their bodies are rested,
their minds are at ease, and they are
ready to swim.
"We hope they'll be able to channel
their bounciness into their swimming.
The guys get pretty excited at taper time
because they have been pretty much sub-
dued since September," Urbanchek said.
For the past 13 years, Urbanchek has
been highly successful with his taper sci-
ence. Michigan has won 11 of the past
13 Big Ten titles and finished second
twice. Urbanchek credits the success to
the state of mind his swimmers take into
the title meet each year.
First, each Michigan swimmer has
tremendous pride in the program he
swims for. At a championship meet, it
helps to know that those who have come
before you have won numerous Big Ten
titles and in some instances, national

titles. Michigan swimmers stroll into big
meets with an added mental edge
because of the pride they have for their
program. Next, Urbanchek's team partic-
ipates in several positive visualization
exercises and goal setting seminars dur-
ing taper time.
By the time the meet rolls around,
Michigan swimmers believe they can
accomplish the task at hand. Most
importantly, Urbanchek preaches for his
swimmers to believe in the program year
round. He encourages them to put their
faith in the program, and the results will
follow.
"At this level, physical preparation is
the same throughout the country.
Everyone does the same work.
Competitiveness is the key," Urbanchek
said.
Right now, 16 days before the Big Ten
Championship meet, Urbanchek said his
team is right where it needs to be.
"Physically, we're right on target.
Mentally, it took us a while to recover
from the initial shock of losing our
injured swimmers, but we can't worry
about those who can't help us,"
Urbanchek said. "It's time to worry
about those who can help us and start
setting some specific goals."

Tom Maichow
and the rest of
his Michigan
teammates (not
pictured) are
starting to taper
their workouts in
preparation' foi
the Big Ten
Championship
meet.
FILE PHOTO

DAILY SPORTS.
WE OPEN OUR
EYES UNDER
WATER.

U

LifeTha

'M' runners stage battle of sexes

By Arun Gopal
the Daily
At Michigan, track and field is
serious business.
The men's and women's track and
field teams have each been regarded
as top programs in the nation for sev-
eral years. Individual and conference
and high finishes at NCAA champi-
onships have become the standard for
the Wolverines.
Defending a solid reputation
l uires hard work and motivation.
These qualities are not in short supply
for the Wolverines. Without a good
work ethic, Michigan's track and field
teams wouldn't have been nearly as
successful as they have been.
Motivation is also plentiful. Teams
across the country need only look at
the NCAA championship trophy,
awarded at the indoor and outdoor
finals to find their main incentive.
ut, the Wolverines are at an
avantage. They have an added
source of motivation that many other
schools do not possess. Michigan has
a friendly 'battle of the sexes' taking
place, a test to see who is better -
the men or the women.
*'I don't think there's any doubt
about it," Michigan men's track and
field coach Jack Harvey said. "The
f men's success is important to the
ys, especially at the dual meets.
"I think a little friendly rivalry is
gobd. The caliber of competition
might not be the same at a given
meet, but at any level of competition
the teams will be pulling for each
other."

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LOUIS BROWN/Daily
The men's and women's track teams - including Tiffany Hodge - have a friendly
rivalry. But winning championships comes first, of course.

"The kids interact, on and off the
track," Michigan women's distance
coach Mike McGuire said. "There is
some effect of one team on the other.
It's sometimes subtle and indirect, but
it is there."
McGuire did emphasize that the
main motivation for the women is not
to beat the men.
"As coaches, we get paid to prepare
our team to compete against the other
schools in the conference," McGuire

said. "It still comes down to going
against people of your own sex.
"However, at meets like the out-
door finals, the kids do get caught up
in the excitement sometimes. It cre-
ates a good atmosphere," he said.
As the season progresses, the men
and women of Michigan track and
field will continue their friendly
rivalry. They will push each other at
every meet, with a common goal in
mind - winning a championship.

TREMSiNT
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