Breakfast Of Champions: How Kirsten Vose Fuels

Photo Courtesy: Andy Ringgold/Aringo Photography

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Commentary by Michael J. Stott

In a coffee shop long ago (Monday morning) and far away (two blocks from the pool) Kirsten Vose fueled for her 100 breast prelim. Her championship breakfast consisted of:

a miniscule fruit cup
a ham, egg and cheese croissant, and
Frosted Flakes

At 6’1” Vose is a strapping, athletic 18-year-old who swims for Dave Salo at USC and is representing Rose Bowl Aquatics this week. In March Vose finished third in the 200 IM at NCAA’s after a season of Trojan race pace, quality versus quantity training.

Young, athletic bodies seem to consume almost anything. Mark Spitz was reputed to digest 6,000 calories a day and seemed to “work” them off despite a practice ethic that often drove teammates up the wall. Vose’s frame seems well-equipped to handle her first meal of the day defying conventional wisdom that one is what one eats.

Monday she swam the 100 breast in 1:09.39, dropping .50 to vault from 45^th on the psych sheet to 20^thafter prelims. Tuesday Vose was scheduled to compete in the 200 free and the 200 IM. She registered a 2:00.48 for 20th in the free, just off her 2:00.07 entry time (32 on the psych sheet). She did not swim her signature 2 IM event offering this explanation.

“After long conversations with my coaches, we decided it would be best for me to scratch the 200 IM. Since this is my first time at Trials we wanted to focus my energy on one event today instead of splitting it up over two races. I am glad to have done that and am excited to put my energy into two events on Thursday now that I have an increased comfort level. I hope this is good practice for me racing at this level. I’m excited to see how this decision will impact my future races now and in the years to come.

In the Aqua Zone, the merchandise arena begging for consumer dollars and on deck, water bottles dot the premises. Athletes and working press have ample access to hydration and, in a pleasant turn of events, USA Swimming continues to provide a moveable feast (lunch and dinner) that puts to shame the fare offered to the media at NCAA Championships meets.

So does it matter what we eat? Sure it does. Increasingly coaches, physicians and sport scientists urge us, if not to count calories, at least balance what we ingest watchful of lifestyle, sleep habits and the like. For athletes these messages are especially important. Proteins, carbs, electrolytes, even an apple a day are important, far more important to success than bars and god forbid, five-hour energy drinks.

Professional athletes have become far more aware of the need to nurture, rather than neglect, their bodies. Hundreds of professional swimmers, Natalie Coughlin being a great example, take great care of their bodies, rightfully so given that they are the revenue source that sustains them.

The Kirsten Voses’ of today are getting that message too. It’s just that the sometimes the young and restless find it hard to resist something that smells and taste so good.

One swimmer in a post-race interview was looking forward to a long recovery swim Tuesday tonight in addition to a fulfilling meal. Her fare of choice she said was “a large plate of spaghetti, followed by a good night’s sleep and a big bowl of Fruit Loops in the morning.”

Apparently there is no accounting for taste among potential Olympians.

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