No changes in our schedule for the next two weeks except for the Junior Blue groups on Monday and Wednesday. For the next two weeks they will start 15 minutes early due to the fact that Mason stays on a holiday schedule until classes start again.
MAKO WINTER MEET
The warm up times this weekend are as follows:
10 and unders. 7:00Am
11-12 are 11:20AM
13 and overs Saturday 3:00PM and Sunday 2:20 PM
Please be prepared to swim. Know your events before arriving at the pool. Do not forget your warm up and warm down. Do not sit around and wait to be told, it's your responsibility. Wear only Mako caps when swimming, and Mako shirts and sweats in the bleachers. I do not want to see anyone just sitting in suits, take care of your bodies and put yourself in position to succeed. See a coach after your swims!! I do not know if I will be at all the sessions this weekend, so you may need to check in with another coach.
DISTANCE MEET WRAP UP
We had a good showing this past weekend at the distance meet. Swimming the 1000 free on Saturday for the first time were Carl M. (12:33), Alex A. (13:24), Jackson K. (12:53), Richard M.
(13:17), Caroline W. (15:00). T.J.(11:53) Andrew H. (12.:17) Joey (12:08) Gillian (13:16) Brendan
K. (12:58) Natalia J. (13:31) Alexa (12:17). Dropping 67 seconds in her swim Julia Young posted a 12:05:62 and her sister Lauren dropped 36 seconds clocking in at 12:06:28. Our Iron woman of the
weekend was Gabby who swam the 1000 on Saturday posting a 11:48 and than swim a 1650 on Sunday dropping over 50 seconds posting a 19:09and maybe learning a little something about herself in the process.
All in all I really believe that this was a good experience for all of you, and I think it is a good way to start off the new year. I like to look at it as our Polar Bear Plunge, since your parents really won' t let you do one with me in February at Rehoboth beach. For all you first timers I was really impressed how you were able to set a good pace early and hold it throughout the race. For those of you who had the experience o swimming this event before you did a real nice job of setting your pace and than responding at the 500 mark to get though that mental wall. Nice job by all of you and yes you get your skittles on Monday .
TRUST YOUR ABILITIES and BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
Over the years I have always heard swimmers express the following " I can do this, or I feel good about posting a good time" and I always have wondered if they really believe that deep down. It always easy to have that external confidence, but you really have to have that belief in your abilities deep down. You need to believe that you belong on that block and that you have done EVERYTHING in your power to put you in a position to succeed. Lack of a real deep down belief in yourself can and will lead to other problems such as:
- Low energy
- Not looking forward to a meet
- Not looking forward to a race
- Mistakes during a race
- Intimidation from other swimmers
- Jealously of other swimmers
- Worrying about small details which may never arise
So what do you do? We've talked about it before. VISUALIZATION !!! Instead of always visualizing what may go wrong during a meet/race, take the other approach and VISUALIZE A MEET, or that GREAT RACE. A race that has you exploding off the block into that perfect streamline that has you sliding through the water effortlessly, a powerful swimmers that others will need to deal with. Feel your body moving in to those turns and coming out of them more powerful than before. Feel that last surge that you have near the end of the race that commands you to a speed and a feeling that you have never experienced before.
I talked to one of you over the weekend and asked what is the biggest fear you have in this race? Answer was the fear of hurting and dying before the finish. We talked about it and as I expected ( as I do with a lot of you) this swimmer really has never experienced a true hurt during a swim. Now I ask you, HOW CAN YOU FEAR SOMETHING IN SPORTS THAT YOU HAVE NEVER FELT?
Sometimes in these meets you need to take a new approach and try something different. You may never know what you are really capable of until you do. As I explain to this particular swimmer let's experience a little pain today! Result was her best time and I know she put it all out there by the look on her face and her body. I ask if she was hurting and her response was yes BUT it' s a good feeling. Maybe a lesson learned. Once the technique is learned and the training has been put in, and the nutrition and rest done, it' all MENTAL BABY!
Try some VISUALIZATION a few times before a meet, and just BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
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