Dec. 18, 2001

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. - The alarm goes off. It is seven o'clock in the morning and all he can think of are the two hellish practices that are on the schedule today.

It's cold, dreary and old man winter is beginning to work himself into shape.

But then UIC men's swimming and diving captain Paul Torres wakes up.

He looks out the window to see sparkling blue waters and miles of sand. People outside are wearing shorts and tank tops.

He then has the consoling realization that he is in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Old man winter was just a figment of the dream, and Torres, along with the rest of the men's squad and the women's swimming and diving team, are diligently working on their fitness levels, while getting away from the city to focus entirely on their training in a stimulating atmosphere.

"We're away from school and the city and we can focus entirely on working out," said Torres from the Sunshine State. "We are building an endurance base right now so when we taper down the road, we'll be ready to go."

According to UIC head coach Paul Moniak, the two practices per day regiment is much easier to handle where the climate is kind.

"The swimmers are putting in anywhere from 12,000-15,000 yards per day right now and the divers are working hard, but the fantastic weather has made it much easier to cope with," Moniak said, citing 80-degree temperatures and sunny skies as the norm.

"The kids are real, real tired right now, but they're not giving up," said Moniak.

It also helps the frame of mind where the facility you are training at is second to none.

The Flames are utilizing the bottomless resources at the International Swimming Hall of Fame, site of the 2002 U.S. Summer National Championships.

"This place is great," said Torres. "It is real big and has three pools so it is nice to workout here."

Torres sums up the motivation behind the John Christie Memorial Christmas Training Trip best.

"Right now, all of us are like banks. We are putting in all of this hard work, practicing twice-a-day, and then when we need to use it, we can withdrawal it all and put it to use," explained Torres.

Moniak chimed in on the subject as well.

"We are very focused on what we are trying to accomplish right now and we will feel the benefits of this hard work at the Horizon League Championships."

On the ledger for the remainder of the week is snorkeling as a group, among other activities, and then on Thursday the competition heats up, as the Flames will compete in a relay meet with Division III schools Lockhaven and Kutztown out of Pennsylvania.

"This will be a great springboard full of momentum for the remainder of our season," Moniak said of the trip.