How a PanPac Champion Bounced Back From a Concussion to Win Nationals

0:00I'll tell you what, when you look at her swim cloud, it is up until the right on her progression and she just came off a banger of a season. She's going 29s all season in the 50 breast, now breaking into 105s and surprising, at least me, winning nationals and pan packs in the 100 breast. Yeah, and for somebody who made a transition from a different sport and hockey into swimming, you would think that closing isn't necessarily the strength. So she's got speed to get out and she proved the summer in long course that she's really got great speed coming home and closing out the race too. And I think that's a really dangerous thing for Team USA who was becoming maybe more reliant on the potential for Kate Douglas or folks like Emma Weber and the 100 breaststroke. And well, that could still be the case to have somebody like Mackenzie who's able to show up in a big moment, win big races and have her side set on continuing to get faster and faster, features bright for her and for Team USA. So enjoy this episode with Mackenzie Seroke.

1:05Welcome to Social Kick. I'm Brian Lunkus. We got a partial crew. We got Dr. John Mullen, Luke Paddock, 10. He's doing his own things. He's not there editing. He's slinging money. But that's all right. We've got the pan pack champ Mackenzie Seroke, you know what's going on Mackenzie? How are you? I'm great. How are you? Uh, Kate can't complain. You know, we have less events going on in our lives than you do this morning. That's for sure. But we'll get into some of that in a bit. But first we need to thank our partner, Ellsmore Swim. Guys, stop showing up to the pool without new swimming equipment. I know a lot of you who don't refresh your equipment. See, the thing about somebody like Mackenzie and Beanna in college swimming is you get all this fresh gear. But after you're out of college, you don't, you don't get a new suit every season. You don't get a new fresh parakell's every season. Listen, if your kid needs a text suit, look no further, EllsmoreSwim.com code social kick for 20% off. You also need to think our partner, tall slim. Look, I'm over six feet. If you're over six feet and you are always worried about putting your stuff in the dryer and having it shrink up on you, stop with the mid drift anymore.

2:07Go to tall slim and get yourself some proper fitting clothes. I got on this t-shirt and I'm telling you for the first time. It's like I put on a t-shirt. It's the right length on me. I can throw it in the dryer and I don't have to worry about it. Tall slim tees.com code social kick for 20% off. Okay, let's get into some of these audience questions, Mackenzie. First of all, most recently, Ben Friedman 12 wants to know, did you foresee big drops in the 50 and 100 breasts this season? I did, yeah, definitely after NCAAs and in January, after my, so I had a concussion this past fall and it took a pretty big toll on me. But after that, I really struggled for a second and I kind of figured out what was going on with my swimming and my racing. I was just so depleted and I started to talk to different nutritionists and stuff. So, once I started eating, how I was eating and stuff and doing that, I saw how much it benefited me in a short amount of time during the end of the NCAA season.

3:09So I was actually really pumped using all those little outside things to take into this summer's long course season. So I knew just those small things and how much better I felt with my nutrition side, leading into a short amount of time. I knew given the summer and really having that energy at practice and fueling correctly, correct times and all that, really helped practice wise. So I knew as the days added up, I could just tell how great I was feeling and just using that. I knew every day that I was going to come in and drop time. I knew after you're up, I knew I wanted to hit a 105 off my 100s. So doing that at Nationals was great and then hitting another drop at PanPak so it's a goal of mine and just to keep getting better. But I definitely had big goals for the summer at time drop wise too.

4:10Yeah, we will get into both those races and the whole summer. So first we got to talk about this concussion. I mean, you're not playing hockey anymore. I mean, it kind of reminds me when I was a PT at the USC campus and like every kid at the campus, it's like, well, you know, I had a few beers and I jumped off a curb and broke my ankle or I was doing this and something happened. So do you have a good concussion story or is it, you know, go ahead and hit on the bottom of the pool, one of those swimming concussions. It was actually dryland. No, dryland. I like killers. So we're doing dryland on the side of the pool and so some of the guys were doing a kneeling one. That ball. That ball to the head. Ah, I was on the ground doing a V like a V sit up and I was passing like someone was passing me a ball. So I was with my partner to the side of the pool. The guys were doing it. Well, the guys were doing a single like it was a launch and then you twist and throw, right?

5:10Well, well, miscommunication on the throw and the catch there, right past them, right to the back of my neck. I took that. Oh, what was I doing at the same time throwing? So then I got hit here. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, like back to back it. It can have been timed any better. It was brutal. Like, it was. It was great. So. I mean, the irony that out of anybody who could take a hit like that, it seems like you ought to be the best equipped to be able to take that. Well, and yeah, and so we're telling you, you know that low like poolside cameras. Yeah. Well, so we always have usually those around it. And I made it just in the corner side of the video that it's, yeah, it's a, it's a historical, but yeah, let's call off this guy who, who hit you? Was it Nikolai? Who hit you with the medicine ball? Ding, ding, ding. Yeah, I knew those turn of that, fucks don't know how to throw ball.

6:17Come on now. You got it right. Ding, ding, ding. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it was Lamar and Nikolai. Oh, my God. Nikolai threw it and it like went past, right past Lamar. And yeah, it is, but yeah, like you said, like, yeah, I get a hit before, but like that, I, yeah, the med ball, the weight to it. Yeah, I just like right to the thing thing. Yeah, I knew when I got hit by this one, the one and to the back of my neck, I was like, it kind of whiplashed me for it in my eyes, close. And I don't, I thought I got hit by a second one, but I was so confused because I was like, like, I knew I got hit, obviously. So I was like, like, stay chill, don't get up. You know, like in my head, I'm like, you know, take it slow. Like in hockey, you see people get hurt all the time. So in my head, I'm already like, don't rush thing, don't get set up. So I was like, just kind of kept my eyes closed, breathed into it. And I was like, oh, shoot, like that, that's not good.

7:18And so then from there, I was like laying there and someone kept, I was like, did I just get hit? I was trying to like, in my head, think did it bounce? And I was like, no. And then once I went to the trainers and I was like, did I get hit twice? And they were like, yeah. And I was like, oh, yeah, we got, and then I was like, yeah, definitely do. But I felt both, but I was, I forgot like how for a second death by mid balls. Wait, so how long are you out of the water for that? Ground up swimming is a summer league for ground ups. How many swim has got into swimming because of some of the, and it's because they got into the fun part about swimming. Eating a hot dog, pounded some fun dip and getting on the block and racing. So why not continue that as an adult? Why let kids have all the fun? Why can't adults have a summer league and remember how much fun swimming can be? I just don't really matter. You get to do silly races. You can eat fun snacks and be a beer. I found a whooping some butt when I race that and getting up and going and beating some people, particularly beaten Luke. Um, a good amount of time.

8:20I is not a good one. I so it happened the last week of October. And then I was cleared like a month later. Ish. A little over four weeks. All right. So I don't know how long I was out of the pool for up the top of my head, but I just know that we were, it was a Wednesday and we were supposed to have a meet the next day. And I was out of the pool. Yeah. And the coaches were like, damn it. Oh, wait. And then so then we had the day I got cleared was the last day of, you know, how they were doing that dual meat tournament thing? It was clear. So I, all I did was the 100 breast. The next day, my first day. Hey, and I won. I'll dig it. Oh, I wonder how the last 10 meetings of that were. Not fun. It wasn't a great time, but, hey, you know, get your hand on the wall.

9:23I'll take it. Yeah. All right. So John, if you're in a concussion, nope, have you? Well, I didn't get diagnosed with a concussion, but I crashed my bike a few years ago and broke my hip. So it was like a pretty hard hit. And I broke and I cracked my bike helmet. And in the process, you'd imagine if you crack your helmet, you hit your head pretty hard. And I remember when I was recovering, I would just be like sitting on the ground, like watching Tour de France on TV and like, no, it's a Tokyo Olympics, actually. And I, and I, like, the room would start spinning and I'd get all wobbly and then I'd have to lay down. And that just kept happening over and over again. Did you have any like crazy concussion recovery stories? Well, I just knew I wasn't doing great. And then I went to class and that was not good. So I just like, rotted, I just sat in my room, I was closed like sunglasses and everything. So, but yeah, I lost my big thing was like, I definitely don't, like, I think I was,

10:23I know I was under eating the more like I look back, you know, you don't realize like how much, I guess your body needs and I guess I just really lost appetite. But I, in my head on the eating, you know, I'm still eating, but I lost, I mean, I wasn't really lifting. I kind of lift for a month. And then those, I think I wasn't able to swim for like two weeks at least. But I know when I started swimming, it was like, oh, you can do 15 minutes with a snorkel and or kit, you know, like very limited and time to get back into it. But yeah, so when I got back, I just felt so weak. So I like those, all of the December, I just felt horrible. I was down in way like 10 pounds and yeah, that took. And I started like, game back by, I just still didn't feel right, you know. So with your nutrition, do you have like a caloric number you're trying to hit or a protein number or what, what's kind of worked for, for you to get back there? So what I've been doing basically in really just try to hit big meals and like really up the

11:31carbs like big time, like no snacks, which I'm not a snacker anyways, but I think I was eating. I was eating normal plate, but I think I just really needed to prioritize carbs way more than I thought. In a way like that, like I think I would, I would do at least half my plate of carbs, but like, you know, instead of one cup, one and a half cups of pasta, I need three years on, you know, in a roll or something. I really need to kick it up even more and just really try to like, I think sometimes I'm light fearful, but I'm not like, and I just need to keep just show and now. And also another thing is like protein before bed has helped. Oh, yeah. Just a couple pieces of chicken, you know, you know, anything kind of, yeah. Okay, chicken wings and that. What's up? Right. I think not worrying about much but carbs like literally like and now I get it, you know, like after that happen,

12:38just I can see how much energy I have going into things and even these past like weeks when I was at camp and nationals and all that like all I did is prioritize carbs first and then, you know, my protein and stuff. You know, it's actually pretty interesting to hear you say this because I feel like I've had a lot of conversations around the whole carb loading and swimming and the pasta dinner that we'd have before a big meat being sort of like a thing of the past, you know, that like because, as I've gotten into endurance sport, I believe that carb loading really happens for the carbohydrates to have a benefit. You need to continue the carb intake throughout the aerobic exercise. And without those, like it totally bonked, but with swimming races, especially somebody swimming 50 hundreds, I really felt like that was probably a myth and the carbs that I was loading with a spaghetti dinner the night before, oh, swimming weren't actually really benefiting me at all.

13:42But the fascinating thing is like if you're training at a high level and you're needing to sustain your energy and be able to come back and recover and bring your best effort to practice the next day, you know, maybe that like more recent assumption of mine or take is flawed. So, yeah, no, and I always thought I was, you know, but I think that even like I said, like, I always knew how much like carbs carb, but like now I realize like I honestly need like, like double for what I'm having and just keep, just keep eating until I'm like, you know, whatever, but I think I thought that too at first is like, well, I know people would always say, you know, more carbs, you know, didn't like before me to, you know, I thought that too. Like, but in like college and I know I was eating kind of always that bigger plate, but like now I really eat a big plate. Like, you know, I just, it's like my normal plate that I was eating plus like two more carbs, cups of carbs in some way. I feel like that's kind of, yeah.

14:48Well, I think the pendulum, especially with nutrition always swing so much, be when we swam it was like, you know, a whole plate of pasta and probably like five grams of protein. Then when McKenzie's in school, it's like, oh, protein protein protein, you don't need much carbs. Well, that's what I have of this. Another way where it's like, okay, it needs to be in the middle, especially for like, like you said, being, you mentioned in kinsy, just like, how much are training in your carbs? Great up. Well, another thing I always thought to is like, oh, you know, slam with like carbs in a protein. Yeah, protein gets so like everyone's all protein protein protein, but it's like, especially after training, like everyone's like, oh, you gotta get the protein in the muscles. But for me, I need sugar and carbs. So like I trouble milk right away, you know, like I need sugar to replenish, you know, so I think that's a big thing for me too. It's like the second I get done with any kind of workout. I'd love slamming like a good chocolate milk. Like, like we have, I don't fear life. Okay, where, you know, corp, then boring. Give me like a good dairy

15:54farm. That's around that, you know, makes that like good like 60 grams of sugar, 60, you know, like high sugar, high carb. And it's just like, I like, you know, I'm talking about like a good chocolate milk. And it's always those like local farmers that like, they be doing the cows, right? Do you have a chocolate milk sponsor? No. Why not? I don't know, but you know, you know, who my favorite chocolate milk is? What's that? It's called gurnsies. It's like, yeah, a unreal. You'll never, a more of my word, get out to Michigan and I'm telling you, I will on me a glass of gurnsy chocolate milk. Nothing will happen. Listen, I'm telling you what, you ought to be able to hit up gurnsy and get yourself a biweekly supply of chocolate milk. At least get that stuff for free, hitting your doorstep. But the one thing is, I know you can't drive to go get it, you don't have a car. Yeah. That's what, but I wish I wish they had it in kind of sea, but they have it everywhere

17:03in Michigan. It's like very popular, right? And the actual one of the stores is like 15 minutes from my house. So yeah, all right, let's get back to these audience questions. So a, this one is from Marizo underscore PRVT wants to know, how do you manage it when your stroke feels off and you feel like you're deep in the water? So if you're low, and how do you, how do you kind of navigate around that when you still have to raise? I think just finding little drills and stuff that can help me feel the way, like certain things I want to feel in a race. I think if I'm feeling deep in the water, I need to find some, that's usually because my hips are sinking. So finding things that can help me keep my hips up, which a lot of time for me is like, stressing my, or pressing my chest forward to kind of help with that balance and stuff. So I think just whatever is feeling off at times, find, you know, it like, especially I'm a big journalist. So if like I like today, today, I

18:08write down like, oh, today was a hard day because I didn't feel like my, I was catching any water on, you know, my suite. And then if like the next day we did a drill and practice, and I was like, I found it, like there it is. I write that down. So now I know like, if my hips are falling, what drill did I do in the past that helped me, you know, reset to get back to that, that feel I want? You know, whether it's pulling or set, you know, like if I feel like my connections off, I think the using pull to use, you know, that connection to set up that hit and forwards, you know. So I think just being able to find those little drills and cues that, you know, can help reset going into, you know, me practice. When you're journaling, do you have prompts that you do every day, or you just like free form, rip out of the... I like to, whatever our practice was, you know, like print it or handwrite it on, and then kind of make notes on, you know, what times, what,

19:11what how that set felt, or like what I liked, or what I can, like, or I worked on this during it, you know, really slow connection. This is, you know, those kind of things, but even journaling, like, oh, next week, if we do this, or next time we do this, I want to be able to do this. And I think it's really nice to look back on practices. If we kind of do around the same thing, I write like, you know, this was my time, and this was my stroke count, or this was, and see, like, oh, look, I went this many strokes and that, you know, like just being able to look back on that kind of stuff, I'm like, okay, yeah, so this week, I went one last stroke and it was faster, you know, that's something to look at compared to last week. I did one more stroke and it was a little slower, you know, like, just being able to look back on that kind of stuff and practice, always kind of helps me moving forward and being able to take each practice as a learning experience in a day, like, and just remembering that there is no, like, I think if you look at certain things

20:12that's failure, like, you're choosing to let that get in the way of your success when you, when you feel like something's wrong, that's an opportunity to learn and grow, because, like, everything I do is going to teach me something, whether it's good or not good, you know. Is that a learn practice? Where did the journaling start? Yeah, I would say I did it throughout, like, high school a little bit, and then yeah, like, really now in college, really step it up too, and it looks a lot different, you know, in my, during high school, it wasn't as much like practice journaling. Like, I've always just kind of journaled, you know, my days and stuff, but I used to journal swimming with my goals, like, so going into my dream or my sophomore year, I really wanted to win states, and so every day, I write in at least, I'd have to write at least 20 times in my journal,

21:19and I have this journal still, I'm going to be a state champ, and I'd write it over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and so by the time states, I think I wrote it over 2000 times, and I just appeared at that, and I wanted it to be a statement, you know, and so then I journal that way, and that's what kind of drove that mental, like, confidence and that belief in myself. So the second I got beyond the blocks, I knew this is something I'm going to achieve, and, you know, that plus, you know, my visualization and high school, those are kind of the two connectors I had, and then going into college, I kind of just built on that, and still journal in the same things, my goals, and then journaling now practice, and then having that visualization, all kind of, you know, is that connecting factor for, you know, my swimming. I'm having flashbacks to that movie free solo with a climber, Alex Honald, because the two climbers they're sitting there talking and Tommy Caldwell's asking them like, hey, do you ever write in the

22:21climbing journal? Like, I love my girlfriend, and Alex Honald's like, not in the climbing journal, like this stays all about the business. So I was about to fascinating to talk to about the journaling habits. Yeah, yeah. Well, I keep them like the one for my swimming lately, I keep separate. Like, if it has my practices, that's separate, and I do want every night, that's like a little five minute daily journal, those are prompted, and yeah, I really like looking back on that kind of stuff too. Yeah, nice. All right, we'll continue on with one more audience question. This one's maybe just kind of a random one here. This is from the real big A30K wants to know what's a common misunderstanding with breast troopers. I think sometimes people think that we don't work as hard. You know what I mean? I think people think that our practices are easier. I think sometimes our work just looks

23:25like different, especially as a sprinter, less yardage or something, they're like, oh, look at my distance practice, and that was so much harder than your 3K practice. Which I think hard can always look different. Just because our practice looks different doesn't mean I didn't put the same amount of effort as someone else did. For me, sometimes my, for me, the gym's big. So I think there's different ways that people's training looks different. And I think sometimes everyone just assumes that it's like easy, but like, you know, I think like, you know, the way I push myself is still hard. I think the discipline I have outside of the pool is still hard. I think like, you know, it's not, if it was like everyone says, if it's easy, everyone would do, you know, and I think that I respect

24:26everyone's like training. I think everyone puts their effort in in every different style. And I just think everyone's practices look different, but I think sometimes sprint in general. Like, I know it gets looked on as like, oh, you're just messing around with this. But like, like sprint is so technical, you know, and you have to have, and it can be exhausting as a sprinter to beat down on technical things, you know, sometimes throughout the years, people lose those kind of skills, you know, and it's about, you know, relearning. And it's, it's about as that. So I think as much as like, sometimes it does get bashed on as like, what sprinters do, I think it takes, you know, that mindset of like having that, that kind of attention to detail for a long amount of time and always be willing to like grow because it's like, okay, you know, someone who sets a, you know, 53, 50, this, like, you know, there's such a short amount of time that you have to pick apart

25:29every little piece of that like race where there's, you know, and as times get faster, that like margin of air just minimizes, you know, and you, once you get good, it's like, now you just, all you do is pick apart what you race, right? And like as every race is, but I think the shorter the race gets, you know, the more technical it really does have to get. And that's why I think like, you know, practices look different because you're working on that kind of skill and that practice rather than during this piece of something at times, you know. Boom, dropping facts about breast stroke is right there. Thanks McKenzie. And let's get audience questions. Next time, make sure you submit them at social kick swim on Instagram. And once again, thanks, Lsmore swim.com and Talslintes.com social kick promo code for 20% off. Check them out. But let's get into the summer because you had a rock in summer as we were talking about dropping 29's left and right in the 50 breast all the way back in Mara Nostrum to

26:30what I would say was the biggest shock of me watching you this summer was in person at nationals in that hundred breast. Talk me through that race and your reaction with Beaton Kate Douglas and Winner Nationals in the hundred breast. It would mean so much to us if you would take the time to like, subscribe, share this podcast with any one of your swim friends or somebody that you think would love to hear it. It's the best way to support social kick and it really helps us be able to get access to more athletes and more guests to keep making content. Yeah, that day I was just, honestly after Mara Nostrum, I was just so pumped to race the hundred fresh. You know, they're like, not three meets it or two meets in or say, you know, so I knew the hundred or something I really wanted to drop time in and go 105 and it was this day after the 50s. So I remember just like, you know, that morning I just really wanted to set up my stroke for the night and like,

27:32feel nice rhythm going into the day. Yeah, so that morning took it kind of just, you know, light felt, all I wanted to feel was that light rhythmic stroke going into the morning and kind of build my way on the back 50. And that felt like one of the easiest hundred breasts I've ever done in my life. Like, it just felt so relaxed, so chill and I knew, okay, like, I'm set up for tonight and so I knew I wanted to go 105. That's my, you know, that was a goal. And I never set like, oh, I want to go 105 point this or I wanted like, I just know 105 was my goal. Like, because I never want to set like a limit in my head, I just want to like, focus on the race and now it come, it will come with it. So all that day, you know, kind of visualized my visualized my race and what I wanted to feel, how I wanted it to feel and then just kind of talked it through with my coaches and stuff. And I just had so much confidence in myself that day knowing that like, I could put a good race together. And so, you know, just stepping behind the block, I had that,

28:37that plan in my mind the whole time and that night I tried something like different than I've ever tried. So I was really excited to like, try it out and see if it worked. And so, yeah, I remember like taking it out how I wanted to and I was coming back and I just remember I was like, I feel like I'm missing something. And you know, like, what am I, what am I missing? I was like, oh, my, my kick, build my kick, build my kick. And like, you know, so that's like that last 25 in my head, like, just started to kind of click of how, you know, I wanted to set up my race into that, you know, final wall and what to think about, you know, as far as myself and so, yeah, I just just put my head down on that last stroke, you know, kept all that power and energy going forward. And uh, scoreboard, I hate when scoreboard is completely on the other side of the pool. And I just like can't see it. And then you gotta read that and you know what it noise me and so, you got, you got the lane numbers, but then they put the numbers next to it. So I was like,

29:40I forget, you know, when you're looking at that R and then you're trying to read it quick because you want to like, and then you got line up and I was like, holy crap, you know, and then, uh, it was just, it was just so awesome because I think that kind of energy is like so amazing. To have two people like rate, like for Kate and I to race each other like that is so special because I think it just, iron sharpens iron, you know, whatever it says, like that kind of racing is so good for both of us and like just that kind of energy too, like taking that into pan packs, you know, and I knew that that would be, you know, some good energy for team, you know, say when we step beyond the blocks for the hundred at pan packs. So that's what really fired me up that day was just like just knowing that, you know, Kate and I were gonna have some good energy in this event going into the next knee. Yeah. After Lily King retired and the hunter breast, it was, oh man,

30:40US women where you have this void and the women's hunter breast and then Kate Douglas stepped up and it was like, oh, yes, we got Kate, I mean, she's so versatile, she's gonna be the one taking it there and obviously Kate still excelled in many things, but breaststroke has been one of them. And then you're coming up and in that race, I'm glad you kind of broke it down because it was like, all right, Mackenzie, she's gonna take it out fast. Kate's gonna maybe run her down at the end, but it was great to hear how you like finish that kick, got your hand on the wall. And I know you hate, hate not seeing the scoreboard, but your reactions of just like the pause after the touch. Yeah. Then we get to look ourselves, then we look back at you and then you finally see you win, and then you've brought down an awesome celebration because you have the best female celebrations in the game right now. I have to admit. Appreciate it. I think this sport needs fun. You got like, you everyone says, oh, swim like the viewership. We're in there. Okay, then make it fun for the people here. They come, like, you know, like, what's the best part about going to like a football game? When you get the touchdown, everyone goes for that sort of like, in a hockey game, when everyone,

31:44they sell it to the crowd or they jump in the boards or, you know, like, that's the fun that swim needs, I think, like coming in this sport. Everyone's so like, like, uh, tense all the time, it feels like. So tense. I think, I think to a point, yes, but like, have confidence and trust in yourself. And then when your race is over, like, celebrate, celebrate small wins, even if you need a win, I want to see people like, like Gabriel Jet, like, Sally, like, have that smile, have that moment, you know, like, you earn, you earn to be where you are and you earn to have those moments and those that, that feeling that you get after a race, you know, because it only lasts a small and time. So soak it up and enjoy it, you know, and again, like, make the experience for the fan fun, you know, like, those are like, you go to sporting events, you remember, oh, that I remember that game when in school, I remember that day that this is, you remember, because of emotions and like, all that, like, you want, like, swim needs that. And I want to try to bring as much joy and positivity and fun to like the deck anytime I race no matter where I am.

32:49Yeah. And one thing I hate, and I think it's because we do put so much on, on times, right? It's not even the wins. It's times, times, times, times. It's when someone wins and you don't even know they won because they don't even like put their fists in the air, they smile at all. They're just like, maybe because they didn't go best time, right? And I get like, all right, yeah, you didn't go best time. We put so much focus on it, but you won national as you won PanPax. We can't get like a fist bump to be like, yeah, I won. It's like, because sometimes I'm recording, I'm not even looking at the scoreboard and I'm recording. I'm like, I don't know who won. No one is making any reaction at all. They're just a moderate smile. So yeah, I'm all for it. And I think like, you know what I want and I kind of, I wish I did not. But like, and that's why it's on when I get to race with, you know, teammates or something, but, uh, and now like, move forward. But I like, when Kate and I go point two like that, I want to sell it together like, get we stand up together and hype up it. Like, those are both such great slant, you know what I mean?

33:52I think even that, I think sometimes you feel so like, it feels tense even when the race is over, you know, when someone out touches someone or someone that's like, everyone just have fun, you know, and that's when we got during the 50 brass like, um, yeah, you know, in sculler, I think that's right. Yeah, I was silly. And when she, when she won, I told, and she went point six seven, I was like, get the crowd going. You got, you got all the little kids up here. I know that's stupid, but it's like, it's funny. It's funny to kids like whatever, you know, like whatever is funny to people, whatever can bring joy through it. Yeah, and yeah, back to the women's 50 breast. I mean, scyler got under 30 for, I believe the first time. And she was going nuts. You were encouraging her. So yeah, maybe didn't get the wins, but, you know, still haven't grace wins. So yeah, I love to see it in that 50 breast. I think your Maranostrum time would have technically won, were you a little frustrated? You didn't get that win there or what were your thoughts? Yeah, I definitely was. But I think also like, doing the 100 first

35:03was a lot different, not different. I mean, like, you know, Maranostrum, that was my first like, you know, I was so fresh for that, you know, and the 100, you know, I was a day after. But so I think for a 50 sometimes, it's like so technical in that, but like I said, like, you know, um, but I was, I was really, you know, point 06 off my best time, like, you know, and still a medal for the US. I mean, I think it's still something to celebrate, but again, like, I know there's so much that I can learn from that reason. So I don't take it as a, like, a loss in my head, because I think that there's, there's so much like learning that I won out of that race and things that I can still look forward to to like learning, because I, I think every time I race, I just get after two, like, I just get so excited to look back and go like, oh, you know, like that turn or that pull out, because it just makes me so much more excited and know that that, if I, once I get that thing down, that's that point, oh, one, that's that, that, you know, that's all that little time that's

36:08going to drop eventually once, you know, and then that gets me excited to practice, because I know there's things that, that I'm going to work on in practice that is going to, you know, correlate to the meat. So now that you've gone 105 and creeping down toward the 104s, has that reframed your mind yet, or is that like for next long course season to worry about, oh, sorry, I'm not bored. Okay, I have a whiteboard in my budget, 29.34, because that's American record for the 50, and then well, 40, but, you know, I gotta go turn. Right. So, and then 104, like, these are all just gold road to LA, like, I just want to see it, you know, like, just things that, you know, every day, it's a reminder of why you do the things you do, you know, and so I think, I honestly don't focus on times that much, because I think, A, I don't like setting like a limit, you know, I think some

37:12people are like, oh, I want to go 30.7, but I'm like, I have an idea, but I never want, like, if I want to set, I want to just go 105, nine, and I'm like, oh, that's a 105. Like, am I setting that limit to not hit a 105, you know, three or something, you know what I mean? So, I think just like, having that kind of idea of this is, these are like my goals, because I think the biggest thing is just seeing them so that it's a reminder that every day when I'm doing those my daily habits, that that's why I'm doing it, you know, it's not because I need to go that time, but it's a reminder that like, these are goals that I'm working towards, and I want to be 1% better every day, so these days that days add up when I come, you know, to the end of the season. We'll speak in of end of the season, you're on to a next one, and just looking through the calendar, and it is a busy fall. I mean, you're participating in College Swim League, you've got the, you know,

38:13potential for short course worlds being get into if you're going to pursue that, but you guys have, you're hosting a CSL meet match for on October 9th, which is going to be totally sick. We're very excited to see what it's all going to be like, but what are your thoughts coming into a busy fall and something new and exciting to participate in in Swim League? I think it'll be awesome, like just like they said, like I was saying earlier, I think like, there's so much fun to be had in Swim League still, and so I'm really excited that, you know, our team is a part of the CSL so that we can, you know, bring that fun and joy, and I think, you know, the club teams here are great, so like, you know, having just an inspiring and having fun, you know, with other swimmers, you know, who can attend to me, and even, you know, parents, every parent's look forward to come and see and their kids compete and swim, and, you know, it's fun for the parents too. So I think just the, I think it's so awesome that, you know,

39:13we get to be able to host that kind of meet in that kind of energy and that kind of environment. Yeah, hell yeah, and I know that they're going to do it a whole lot better. I remember the last time NCA's were at Tennessee, and I was, frankly, a little bit disappointed because we were walking around town and you couldn't even really tell that the world's best swimmers were right there on campus, you know, and like, I went to grad school at Tennessee, I've got some ties there, one of the best ones in my career was at Tennessee. And so yeah, I think that it's going to change for that, and we're excited to build the stoke around that, that, that, that me the whole season, I think it's going to be a lot of fun. Short course worlds, doing it, pursuing it. Personally, I mean, I still got to talk to them out, but I think for the most part, with just looking at this season and how busy it is, you know, I think truthfully, it's more of a no because, you know, looking at the season, it's like, she want to taper down

40:15for that, and then it's like what, you got a month to train before heading into, you know, your conference meet, like, you know, I don't know if that's personally something that like I would want to do, because I think, you know, you only have so many years at college swimming that's, you know, you know, once you're done with that, you have all these opportunities to really pour your heart into the world and own that. So I think like, for me, it makes most sense to really focus on this college season and, you know, pour my heart into it. And when I'm able to, you know, really focus on that and do, you know, keep, just keep training throughout the year. I'll have that kind of set up leading into like trials for long course, you know. Yeah, totally makes sense. So with CSL, college Sunlake coming up, what about it? Are you excited about? What are you curious on how it's going to go? I mean, you get, or Tennessee has been kind of ahead in doing these novel jewel meets and different formats. So I'm curious what you've kind

41:19heard on the rumor mill and what you're expecting. Let's see. Yeah, I honestly don't know what to expect. Like format wise or like anything. So I think, like no matter what I think I like when, you know, they keep the meat rolling kind of quick and, you know, that kind of stuff. But last year we did that dual meet challenge. I think it was called the Ida concussion, but I swam on the last day. I think it was like I cleared for it. But I see hockey, you do tournaments, right? You play five, six games in three days, you know? And I think that's a lot different than doing two meets in a day compared to like two hockey games. You know what I mean? And so I personally didn't really care for the dual meet kind of challenge. That kind of like stack up meet schedule. But again, I wasn't in it, but I think this looks like kind of a better format

42:22given it's kind of like a one day kind of thing. And I think when you have that one day, it kind of hips it up a little more for great swims than trying to crank out a bunch of swims, you know, in a day. So one thing with the CSLs that they have skins where you have like repeated races off the block, you think you'd be good at like a breaststroke skins like 50 breast repeats on two minutes or three minutes. Is that the knockout? Like I know people have done that before. I would love to do, you know, like the knockout, is that what it is? Yeah, I think so. Yeah, not sure exactly how they're doing it. But the high skill, it was yeah, I went from like eight to six to four to two or something like that. Yeah, like I like the Marin Astrum, like I love that if we could put it just keep doing it instead of waiting a hour, you know? Yeah, I've always thought that like that's so fun and that's cool to keep like doing a little knockout. So I think that's fun to watch. Because I think it can be taken so many different ways, you know, that they could bring a little strategy. And you know, do I? Because some people might rip it all out on the

43:24first one where someone might like just barely lay off the gas. And like I think there's so much like fun and strategy with that. Yeah, well, how are the Tennessee women going to do it CSL and then eventually NCAAs? I think I think we're all super excited for the season that just like that again, there's so much time to compete. And I think that's something we all just loved doing is just getting out there having fun races, encouraging each other, learning from dual meets of how we want to swim things, you know, leading into conferences and NCAAs. And I think this freshman class, I'm just so excited to, you know, even just hang out with these girls and and then be able to hit the deck with them is going to be unreal because they they have such a such a good heart in this sport, you know, they're determined to, you know, give it they're all when they step on the deck and jump in that pool. And I think that's something so special is that they

44:26truly have that heart and love for the sport and the people around them. I was just watching this comedy special on Netflix talking about how funny it is that in a macho sport like football, that at some point during the week, these dudes have to come up to each other in the locker room and go, would you want to do an in-zone celebration with me? Yeah. So I wondered how that comes about with swimming. Are you guys planning on something? I love the idea of doing a celebration. Well, yeah. So, so well, I think it was SEC's because I was like, we want to break the SEC record in the relay, you know, and all this and and I said, all right, well, you got to think about it. Okay, who's going to be the last one in the water? Who's going to be so I said, oh, you know what we should do is like, it's Camille, you serve the you throw the baseball up to me and I'll like, you know, hit a little grand slant like, I think this is where this is where the sport gets fun. Like start, I think I think it's hard though because

45:28we're in the if you're like in the water, it's so much harder to do like, sell easy, you know what I mean? Yeah, I think we're able to see it too. Yeah, you got three of you on land. This is where it's on. That's what for a relay, but by yourself. Yeah, yeah. I think there's a point of see, this is what I don't like about swimming. In hockey, there's it doesn't get looked at as like cockiness and this and that like no matter who scores or what, like everyone's throwing out a crazy selly and then the game keeps going. And I think that's the same thing in the in hockey instead of a game or a goal, it's someone just wins that event. You selly and then you the the meek to use on, you know, but I think like it gets look, I think that's a fear like that I've noticed in swimming since I've got here is like, oh, you get looked at this way or like it looks bad because you're like, why would you celebrate like that after, you know, it was close or like, like I see that like from the from my freshman year,

46:30I would tell people, dude, aren't you going crazy? You just broke the school record and they're like, yeah, just like and it's like, I feel like everyone wants to, but it's like, I feel like it looks like there's like this stigma around it in swimming, but like that's how I've kind of viewed it, because like, you know what I mean? And like team sports, you know, like they want go crazy, jump with your team and celebrate and then it's here, like you said, it's like, oh, unless it's a good top big time, drop, like then you're allowed to celebrate, you know, right, act like you've been there sort of thing of the mentality and yeah, that's how it's yeah, and golf can be the same way and then people get their feathers ruffled over celebrations there too, there's something about certain sports that they just don't want to see it, but like, what if it's like Norway and the world cup, you know, where they're doing the row all in unison after every after an individual win in CSL? I want to see the whole team go behind the blocks and do something together. See, I thought it was awesome when honey, you know, like just SEC's like everyone, like we start like our team, we're always, uh, no matter,

47:36you know, what someone does at finals at SEC's, we always our whole women's team will go behind the block and celebrate with them. And then it was like other teams started doing that, you know, and then we get to NCWAs and we always go jump behind, you know, the block and always celebrate that person. We don't care what time that we're just proud and we want to celebrate that moment and, you know, the accomplishment that it takes to get to where you're at and and then all of these other teams started doing it too. And I think that's how easy that like joy in the sport gets spread in that love. And I think like the more people feel like they're kind of allowed to celebrate themselves in their moment, like it just makes them more fun for everyone. It's contagious, you know, that happiness and joy is contagious so easily. Hell yeah. All right, McKenzie, we're going to let you go, but we're going to end with a few, just a few rapid fires here. Since we've already hit all the main ones with you last year, if you haven't heard our first episode, McKenzie, go back, check it

48:36out from last year, September of 2025. I don't remember what episode number. We'll put it in the comments. All right, McKenzie, what show, what are you listening to watching or reading right now? Atomic habits is the book I'm reading. And then watching, there's America's God telling on, I used to watch that when I was a kid and then it's on something now and I'm like, you know what, this is kind of funny. So I'll watch that every once in a while, but I honestly don't watch TV that much. I'll kind of just like throw so through something on kind of more as a background kind of thing while I'm winded down for bad doing my journals and everything. You can't do it all. You got a lot going on. And I listen to everything. Hell yeah. When the season is over, what's like one thing that you eat that you don't normally let yourself eat? I let myself eat anything. So there's nothing like to create. I guess like

49:42during the week of a meat or like close up Mexican food, you know, that just just slaps like birriatacos. Come on. All right, there's the celebratory meal. Okay, we talked about chocolate milk sponsors earlier, but dream big, pan-packed champ. Who's a dream sponsor? Think big. Like in anything? Yeah, anything. It's guys the limit. Go get it. I'd say like a star. I'd say a car company. Like I think it's so cool when like people get to like, you know, get sponsored by like car dealerships and you're like, you know, whipping around. I think that's so cool because like it truly is like there's your you're you're on their adventure, you know what I mean? Like it takes a drive every day to get to all the things that you're doing that like I think it's so cool when people have, you know, like Toyota, like when they do our like nationals and stuff, you know, I think that's awesome because I think, you know, you're traveling every day to get to

50:47practice traveling every day like that's an everyday thing that people use. Yep, speaking of, we alluded to this earlier, when are you getting your car back? They got towed this morning. I did. I just got it right before this thing fully. On real. The parrots will live in on a college campus. Hey, at least they apologize. That's you. The ownership. Like that. We didn't mean to take your car as they put all the chains and, you know, it's good though. We got the car back. Well, that's the first. You got it back. Glad you got it back. Days on it on the right trajectory. Now, similar to your swimming career, when you look at swim cloud, you're up into the right. So we're excited to keep you can continue on that direction. Yep. Thanks for being back again with us because he's so good to chat with you and yeah, we'll like to look forward to chat with you again sometime in the future. Thanks so much. That's it. There's an episode of Social Kick. We will see you all next time. See you.