Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Swimming and Diving Journal - Luke Trafton
8/18/2009 8:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Aug. 18, 2009
With junior year over and senior year on the horizon, most people would take advantage of their last "free" summer and simply relax. I chose to take advantage of my last summer in a different way.
At the Patriot League Championships in February, I was fortunate enough to qualify for the World Championship Trials (WCT) held in Indianapolis. Because of this, it was crucial that I train very heavily in the spring, and carry that training over to the summer months. Once finals ended, I returned home for a week where I trained by myself while enjoying fresh Maine seafood. This luxury, however, was not to last. I returned to campus May 17 to continue my training for the WCTs, which were held July 7-11.
The first month of training when I returned did not go very well. I was in and out of the emergency room for blood tests because I felt consistently weak and tired. Three weeks and many pills later, I started training more like my old self and we moved on.
I had competed at the Indy pool once before, two years ago at the USA National Championships. I swam the same event that I qualified for this year, the 1,500 freestyle, and let's just say it could have gone better. The only way to go was up.
Once the time came to depart for Indiana, I was far less nervous than I had expected. This is my third summer where I have been able to compete against the best swimmers in America, and in turn, the World. Over my time here at Bucknell, I have become accustomed to racing at the top level, and it is something that has grown on me. I realized this when I would walk by swimmers such as Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte and think nothing of it, when two summers ago I would have done a double take with my jaw dropped.
When the time came to finally get wet, I put my new Speedo LZR on, only to have the zipper break and split along the entire seam. Luckily, the assistant coach of The University of California at Berkeley, and a friend of Coach Dan's, saw this happen and offered to lend me a new suit for the race. I rushed to put it on and finally got to the ready room where I was stared down by seven other talented swimmers. They walked us out to the blocks, and before I knew it, I was diving in the water, about one mile from completion.
Once the race was over, I was not satisfied with my time. I was a full one minute faster than two years ago, but also slightly off my best. After talking the results over with Coach Dan, we agreed that it was a good swim for the challenges I faced this summer. All in all, it was one more fantastic experience I could notch into my belt as I prepare for one last college season representing Bucknell.
This summer's training has been very difficult, but once again, has been worth every second. This is the second summer I decided to stay here at Bucknell to train, and it has worked out phenomenally to say the least. Swimming is a year-round sport, and until you accept that, you will never reach your full potential. GO BISON!
