'Crazy' training sets yield 100K results for Irondale distance swimmer

Irondale senior Jacob Wielinski is a fan of swimming in general and fellow elite distance swimmers in particular.

Wielinski took second in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4 minutes, 35.65 seconds at the Class 2A meet last season. He was one of six non-seniors in the top eight. Competition for the vacated crown will be fierce but he isn't above giving credit where it's deserved.

"Earlier this year, [Minnetonka's] Sam Schilling went 4:33 and I was excited for him," Wielinski said. "I sent him a message on Twitter saying I couldn't wait for state and he said the same."

A torrid summer workout regimen kept Wielinski in the hunt for more glory. He began this week with the state's second-fastest 500 time of the season. And his 200 individual medley times are dropping into all-state range.

Wielinski spoke with Star Tribune reporter David La Vaque about becoming a distance swimmer by chance, "crazy" training sets and meeting great expectations head on.

Q Have you always thought of yourself as a strong distance swimmer?

A I didn't think of myself as anything, really. I wasn't the best at one thing. I was just pretty darn good at a bunch of things. Right after sophomore year when I finished 13th in the 500 at state, my club coach Dave Bentz at Great Wolf said, "It looks like you're one of the top sophomores. I think I can get you to be a really good distance swimmer." And that summer before junior year, I swam the mile at junior nationals in Indianapolis and just missed top eight. So I said, "Well, I know I'm a distance swimmer now." That's when I started doing some crazy training sets I couldn't even believe.

A I do something called the 100,000 week. It's 100,000 yards or meters in one week. Ten practices, 100,000 yards, about 10,000 yards per practice. The past two summers I've done that the first week to make sure I can get in the high levels of yardage. It gets you to do a better pace for the 500.

Q How is the season going relative to high expectations for success?

A It's going well. I've been pretty consistently going 4:38, 4:39 in the 500. I could see that really dropping once sections and state come around. I think I could go sub-4:30. I've done some pacing in practice and it doesn't seem too out of reach. But it's kind of funny. A bunch of people have said, "You got second last year, who is the guy ahead of you?" When I tell them it was a senior who graduated they say, "Oh, so that means you're going to win this year?" I always say, "Well, it's not that easy." [Laughs] There's a chance, but I have to put in the work.

Q Six of the top eight swimmers in the 500 could be back in the state meet. Does that keep you hungry in practice?

A Oh, definitely. Whenever I'm sort of down in practice, I tell myself, "I've got [Anoka's Matt] Hedman, Schilling, [St. Michael-Albertville's Max] Lezer — all those guys." I'm sure they want it just as much as I do, so I've got to put in the work to try and outdo them. But I love it; I love the pain. When you finish an amazing practice, you feel a real sense of accomplishment.

A I know him pretty well. I saw him sign with Denison University last week, so that was pretty awesome. He's a good guy; it's a friendly rivalry. Looking at the 500 results this year, it seems like me, Hedman and Schilling could be like the threesome two years ago that all broke the state record. I don't know if we're going to be that fast, but it's going to be fun.