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THURSDAY NOVEMBER 13

I need to start with some housekeeping items from last week. First off I missed some of our high school students that are trying out for their high school teams this week. I guess they grow up so fast that it's hard to think of them as starting high school, but I do want to mention that Andrew H. Emma L. And Gillian G. Have also been trying out this week.

Also in our Saturday meet a couple of weeks ago Graham Evers swam his first 400 IM.

SWIM AND ROCK MEET : This is a prelim and finals meet Friday and Saturday which means the top 16 (13 and overs) and the top 8 (11-12) will swim again in the evening. You need to check before leaving in the morning to see if you made finals. If you do not scratch ( coaches approval) and fail to show up you will be scratched from the rest of the meet. To fail to show up is bad sportsmanship and reflects badly on you, your coach, and Makos.

Positive Check IN: THIS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AND NOT THE COACHES. WE TRY OUR BEST BUT ACCIDENTS HAPPEN. In the past we try to check people in but then if you do not show, the rule says that you WILL BE SCRATCHED from your next event. When the meet information arrives I will update over the weekend. Please understand.this procedure. 
MEET ATTIRE: Part of swimming fast is looking like you know what you are doing. I am always amazed how athletes always have an excuse for not wearing team gear, guess what there are no excuses and I don't want to hear it. "TAKE RESPONSIBILITY". Everybody better be wearing MAKO TEAM GEAR.

WEEKLY TOPIC: SWIMMING OUTSIDE THE COMFORT ZONE

From a coaches view I am always amazed and frustrated when I watch a swimmer swim a "good" race" and as we talk about it a few things are pointed out that may help take that good race and turn it into a "GREAT SWIM". The problem is that the swimmer takes the information back to practice and either refuses to correct the issues or doesn't know how too. They hope that great swim will be the result of hard work ( that is a big part) but so are the little things that you need to do. 

Think of that "Great Swim" as a puzzle that you are trying to put together. If you don't have all the pieces than the chances of completing that puzzle go down drastically.

Parts of your puzzle may include some of the following:

CONSISTENCY: this isn't just about showing up. The question becomes what do you do when you are there. The goal should be consistency in the process which involves turns, breakout speeds, breathing, finishing hard into the walls, pacing speeds.

COMMITMENT: are you committed to your swimming or just interested. Being interested mean you only do things necessary when it is convenient. Commitment means no excuses--only results. Are you easily distracted ? Tough decisions are when the truly committed rise above.

FOCUS: as soon as your head goes in focus on what you are doing during that session to get better. On each set focus on what you are doing to get better, from a turn, push off breakout, breathing, or speed. Don't just "lap swim".

STROKE TECHNIQUE : learn to do correctly, improve at it, and than learn to do it at race speeds!

SKILLS: easy to do good things early in practice, but the challenge is to do the skills correctly in the middle of a hard set when you are mentally and physically fatigue. Also during warm ups and warm downs do you allow for lazy habits to happen. If you do it goes back to commitment. You should be striving to Improve your skills 100% of the time if you want to swim that "GREAT RACE"

TRAINING LEVELS: Expect more from yourself ! If you think you've given everything you can, your only fooling yourself. There is always something else that you can do. Trying is not enough, find a way to challenge yourself. Find a way to go beyond your SELF IMPOSED limits.

REST: are you getting enough (at least 8 hours). If not it becomes extremely hard to accomplish all of the above

NUTRITION : a car will not run on empty and will be sluggish with poor quality fuel. Maybe in this day and age a better example is each of your phones, they do not perform without getting fuel. Your bodies are a machine and you need to fuel and rest it (includes hydration) if you want it to operate at a high level.

Bottom line is that in order to finish your puzzle and get closer to that "GREAT RACE" you need to step outside your comfort zone. If you stay in it and refuse to change anything how can you honestly expect anything to change in your races. Yes you may drop a little time but an average swimmer does that. Be better than average, strive to be great and step outside of that comfort zone.  

I leave you with this poem which has been passed down over the years and has changed a little

The Comfort Zone

I used to have a comfort zone, where I knew I couldn't fail
But the routine and familiar walls were really like a jail
I longed so much to do the things I'd never done before
But I stayed inside my comfort zone and swam the same old race

I said it didn't bother me that I wasn't doing much
I said I didn't care for things like self-esteem and such
I claimed to be contented with things inside my zone
But deep inside, I longed for that special race of my own.

I couldn't let my life go by just watching others win
So I held my breath, and stepped outside, to let the change begin
I took that step with inner strength I'd never felt before
I kissed my comfort zone "Goodbye", and closed then locked the door.

If you are in a comfort zone, afraid to venture out
Remember, every swimmer was once consumed with doubt
So don't hold back--just take that step and seek those pastures new
Embrace your races with a smile, the Great Race is there for YOU.


Next race  strategies    See you at the pool

happy birthday Sophia Rice on Sunday

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