RACE PREP - Are you really getting yourself ready?

ome of my favorite questions I am asked the day of a meet include:

- "How am I supposed to swim *insert race*?"

- "I really want to go this time, how do I do that?"

- "What can I do to make myself faster today?"

And my most favorite (and worn response) often ends up being... "Well, what have you been doing at practice?"

Our habits are what make our races the most successful. Now, I am sure that you've been told this before, but it really is true. In asking what a swimmer has been doing at practice, I am trying to figure out what will be what comes out in the race. Our bodies, in times of stress (like during a race) revert back to what it is accustomed to. So, if breathing on the first stroke off each wall is what happens during every practice, this likely will be what comes out in a race. 

We have some control over what our mind will wander to during a race, but when we overwhelm ourselves with lots of ideas on how to be fast at once, we often fall short. 

So, how do we fix this? There are a couple of options I will encourage you to explore, then offer up some action items at the end. 

1. Think about race strategy prior to the day of the race!

    - This seems simple enough, but coming up with a plan for your race - what you'll focus on, where    you'll change your speed, where you often get tired in a race - will help you to focus on these areas in practice to create a habit. 

    - Discuss your plan with ONE coach. The goal is not to shop around for advice, but to come up with a plan (lead by your thoughts, refined by your coach) to execute. 

    - If you're unsure of how to put these strategies into practice, ASK! Coaches are always eager to have swimmers that are thinking through their race strategy and encourage their thoughtfulness. 

2. Find ways of practicing these details during practice. 

    - We often have ample opportunity in the days / weeks / months leading up to a meet, that often gets pushed to the side because we think, "oh, I'll be able to practice that later". But then later comes, and then what do we do?

    - Taking the time to work on details, like push offs, breakouts, turns, breathing patterns, etc. during warm-ups, sprints, cool-down every day helps to make this a habit. These habits will then show up in your races, without you having to spend time thinking about them. 

    - What you practice, is what will show up in your race. This is important, so important I felt the need to repeat that. 

ACTION ITEMS

For swimmers - 

- As you have a meet coming up, I encourage you to consider a couple of things:

    1. Figure out what events you'll be swimming at the meet.

    2. Consider strategies that have worked for you in the past for each event, and which haven't. WRITE THEM DOWN!

    3. If you're hesitant about your strategies, or would like to discuss with a coach, ASK! Don't wait until the day of/day before a meet. 

    4. Pick 2-3 details to improve on, and make them a habit during practice. If you're not sure what details to focus on, ask your coach. 

For parents - 

- Encourage your swimmer to be thoughtful about their swimming, helping them pick their events and organize. Let them pick their events, but encourage events outside of their comfort zone (if able to). 

- Ask about their race strategies, and encourage them to talk to their coaches. It's hard to let swimmers do it themselves, but often a great life lesson! 

Keep a lookout for the next discussion about race preparation - how to set yourself up for success the day of a swim meet! 

- Coach Sam