Special Sets: The Training of Adalyn Lee, a Surging Star with Brea Aquatics
Adalyn Lee, a lean 5-8 Brea Aquatics product from Diamond Bar, Calif., is now 13 years old. When she departed the 11-12 age group last April, she left behind quite an 11-12 legacy. Not only was she heralded as the nation’s top 11-12 female (based on her top-five rankings in 14 events), but she also had been selected for the Western Zone Select Camp. Her results helped catapult Brea, a USA Swimming silver medal club, into the top 100 USAS age group teams based on individual national rankings.
A review of her résumé shows she currently holds six places in USA Swimming’s all-time Top 100 national age group rankings (SCY) and four in long-course events:
Adalyn Lee Times
SCY
500 Free – 4:57.90 (26th)
1000 Free – 10:07.49 (7th)
1650 Free – 16:57.89* (7th)
200 Breast – 2:20.13* (24th)
200 IM – 2:04.91 (14th)
400 IM – 4:22.38* (6th)
* Southern California Swimming record
LC
800 Free – 9:25.34 (83rd)
1500 Free – 17:48.59 (35th)
200 Breast – 2:42.06 (47th)
200 IM – 2:25.29 (57th)
Courtesy: Teddy Lee
On the local level, Lee holds a total of 19 individual Brea team records, of which 12 were set this year. (Interestingly, most of the ones she doesn’t have are possessed by NAG phenoms Kayla Han and Justina Kozan). Well-rounded, Lee swims a full slate of events and holds AAAA times in all except the SCY 200 fly (AAA) and the LC 50 free, 100 fly and 200 fly (AA).
After turning 13, Lee closed out her summer at the Speedo Sectionals in Novato, Calif., where she finaled in four events, placing second in the 400-meter IM (4:58.90), third in the 200 breast (2:37.35), fourth in the 200 IM (2:22.16) and sixth in the 200 back (2:22.08). Currently, she is ranked seventh in the 800 free and 10th in the 1500.
In March, Lee closed out her last SCS 14/Under Age Group Championships (as a 12-year-old) by winning five events: the 200 IM (2:05.46) and four others in Orange Committee SCS record time: 50 breast (30.99), 100 IM (58.81), 100 back (58.47), 100 breast (1:06.38). She also placed second in the 200 back (2:04.84).
A COACH’S VIEW
Lee’s coach, Jim Johnson, has been head coach at Brea for 34 years and is no stranger to fast swimming. An accomplished IMer and breaststroker, he was a six-time CSCAA All-American (and once a runner-up to Brian Goodell in the 400 IM) at Cal and a member of the Bears’ 1979 and 1980 national championship teams under Nort Thornton. Johnson was named Southern California coach of the year in 2017 and 2018.
“I’ve been coaching Adalyn for the past year now and am always amazed by her happy, positive attitude no matter the circumstances,” says Johnson. “She always has a smile on her face and embraces every challenge that practice brings.
“Adalyn works extremely hard and rarely misses practice. She is very competitive and doesn’t like to lose, which brings up the rest of the group at practices. It has been a pleasure to be her coach, and I look forward to seeing the progress she will make in the coming years.
“Many of the main sets we do are focused on pacing and IM work,” he says. Following are several examples Brea does on a semi-regular basis:
Set #1
• 30 x100 freestyle
Starting @ 1:00, make as many as possible. When the interval is missed, wait until the next 60 and start @1:05 and make as many as possible, then repeat the process @1:10. (Lee made 2 on 1:00, 3 on 1:05 and the rest on 1:10, averaging 1:03.)
Set #2
• 16 x 50 @ :50 (best stroke other than free, hitting 200 race pace)
If you miss pace, skip one and then get back on pace count. (Lee averaged 30.3 when doing backstroke and 34.5 when doing breaststroke.)
Set #3
• 3 x 100 @1:30 (fly-back by 50, back-breast by 50, breast-free by 50)
Sprint the first 50 of each, then 4 x 50s sprint @ :50. Go four rounds—one round each stroke.
Set #4
• 500 pull with buoy and paddles, breathing 3-5-3-7 by 25s and working DPS
• 500 swim fast—repeat with 400 of each—then 300, 200, 100 and 50 (30 seconds rest between each)
Michael J. Stott is an ASCA Level 5 coach, golf and swimming writer. His critically acclaimed coming-of-age golf novel, “Too Much Loft,” is in its third printing, and is available from store.Bookbaby.com, Amazon, B&N and book distributors worldwide.