Saturday, November 29, 2008

What it looks like... when you achieve your dreams

It is my absolute favorite moment at the swim meet. The swimmer has put years of his life, thousands of hours of pain and fatigue, and every bit of his hopes and dreams into this moment. He has trained with this moment in mind, doing everything he can to make this moment turn out the way he planned. When the swimmer touches the wall and turns to look at the clock, he sees an instant verdict . He has either succeeded or failed, won or lost. This moment alone defines the million other moments of preparation. And when it arrives, this moment is as pure as they come. The emotions burst forth in their true form. This is what it looks like...when you achieve your dreams.


Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Every Practice a Competition

Have you ever tried training all by yourself? Did you feel motivated and find it easy to push yourself? If you are like most swimmers, you find a solitary training environment to be more difficult. Conversely, having a strong team around you can make you better.

Your teammates can be one of the most influential forces in pushing you upward toward swimming excellence. In fact, you should compete with them every day. It will make you improve, it will make your teammate improve, and it will make your whole team improve. On each and every set, pick out a teammate to race. Every lap, try to make your turn faster than the person next to you. Take fewer strokes than your teammate, or try to dominate your practice partner coming off the wall. Find ways to make every practice a competition, and soon you will be swimming to new heights!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

What it looks like... when you use proper head position in breaststroke.

One of the most common technical errors swimmers make in breaststroke involves head position. Inefficient breaststrokers commonly lift and drop their head over and over with each and every stroke. Obviously, your head will rise and fall as your torso rises and falls through the stroke. What needs to stay constant is the angle at which you hold your head.

To keep your head at the correct angle, be sure that your eyes are always looking forward and down. Rebecca Soni, who won the Olympic Gold in the 200 breast in Beijing, demonstrates perfect head position in the photo shown here. Her eyes are focused on the water out in front of her hands, not on the wall at the other end of the pool.

Steady head position means steady body position. Steady body position means less drag and more speed!