A lot of you have asked about practices during the holidays and here are my expectations. The Junior Blue group will not have practice from December 22 to January 3. Both the Senior Prep and Junior Gold Groups will have practice during the holidays and I expect you to attend the workouts. DO NOT LET THE WORK YOU’VE PUT IN take a step backwards.
MARLIN CHAMPIONSHIP MEET WRAP UP
This past weekend we were treated to some GREAT swimming from a lot of Mako swimmers, a lot from the Prep, Gold and Blue groups. This meet turned out to be a great experience for our swimmers in and out of the pool. Although the trip to Lancaster was missed, I believe in the end this was a better environment for our swimmers. The first major advantage was that you were able to sleep in your own beds and have some normal meals. for our older swimmers who made finals, they were able to get quality rest between sessions at home. This meet also gave our 10 and unders a chance to see what it is like to swim prelims and finals, valuable experience as we move towards JO’s and the NASA meets in March. And while not being quite as fast none the less there were some very fast swimming, and we had a lot of our swimmers back for finals at night. The biggest advantage for myself was not having that long bus ride home on a cold evening.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM MY VIEW
One of the first was that at a meet like this (CHAMPIONSHIP) it can become a grind and you better bring your best. Your best includes good meals and at the proper times, proper warm ups and warm downs throughout the meet also at the proper times, proper hydration throughout the meet. Proper rest throughout the meet and away from the meet is also critical, and last but very important is staying in the moment and being positive throughout the meet regardless of the environment. This also includes that moment when the result is a little less than what you may have expected. It is so easy to listen to that little man in your head when he blurts out a variety of negative vibes, YOU need to find ways to defeat him because he is just a big “FUN SUCKER” who would love to defeat you agt every turn. That is why I am so sarcastic with some of you, to take your mind off of him and just maybe help you relax a little.
Warm Up/ Warm Down: For the most part all of you performed very well in this areas this past weekend. The areas that still need our attention is right before and right after our swims. After you swim You neet to warm down immediately. I still see a lot of talking and standing around which allows your muscles to tighten up quickly. This also includes your last swim of the day, do not make the mistake of packing up and leaving the pool. For our groups a good 300 to 400 is needed at the end of the day. If you do not do it you feel it that much more the next day and it will take much longer to stretch out. Your second warmup should be done to allow no more than 20 minute before your event, (A few 50 to loosen up and some fast 25’s for your heart rate will be enough and than stay warm). As for going to your lane for long events about 3 heats and for 50’s go early as they go very fast. You have to help me help you this is a joint adventure.
Disqualifications: We had 4 of them, 1 false start (flinch), 1 in fly a (breast kick into turn), 1 in breaststroke (multiple fly kicks on pull out) and 1 in the IM (alternating hand touch on turn). The lesson is focus on the little things during practice so at a meet all we have to donis race. Do it wrong in practice just once and that may be the one that follows you into a meet. Another very important item is that at a Championship meet they will have more officials and their responsibility may only be one or two swimmers so in most cases any little thing will be caught. Don’t leave it up to an official do it right all the time!!
Reading a Meet Sheet: Do you really understand a meet sheet? A championship meet is always circle seed which means, the number one seed is in the last heat, second seed is in the next to last heat, and the third seed is in the third to last heat. In a trails and finals meet it is important to pay attention to the times being posted in the last four heats because the top 16 will normally come from those heats. Another thing to understand is that the heats are locked at night which means that if you find yourself in the fast heat the lowest you can place is eight, and on the other hand if you find yourself in the consolation heatg the highest you can place is ninth regardless of your time. Bottom line is that you always want to try in get in. the championship heat in a scored event.
In reading a meet sheet remember that lanes 4 and 5 are your top seeds, lanes 3 and 6 are your next seeds, lanes 2 and 7 your next seeds, and lanes 1 and 8 your last seeds. As I watch races when I see lanes 4 or 5 get to the walls last my immediate thought is they are letting the field swim away from them and we may be in trouble. It pretty well happens this way in your 50 and 100’s, but in longer events it’s not always the case. Sometimes swimmers may go out too hard and just not have enough to finish the race, and will come back to the field. The point of this is to understand the meet’ rely on the way you and your coach have discussed how to swim the race and TRUST your training.
UPCOMING MEETS: Don’t forget to circle the first weekend in January to swim the 1650 free. This is a very quick meet and if you're not swimming the MAKO Meet, you should be here to take the place of practice. As for the MAKO Meet we should be putting away our best events unless you are trying to get cuts in something. Don’t forget NASA cuts at JOs will NOT count for NASA. Plan accordingly!
WEEKS TOPIC: “IS TODAY GOING TO BE HARD"
Sometimes I am amazed that the first thing out of swimmers mouths when I see them for the first time is not Hello, but Is it going to be hard today? You should always expect practice to be hard or else what is the point of going. If the workout is not hard and without purpose it is easy to just go through the motions and become discouraged. “Expecting it to be hard keeps you motivated. It prepares you for adversity. And it keeps you working at things even. When it’s hard.”
Expecting it to be easy sets you up for disappointment. Over the years it’s the swimmers who are wishful thinkers that end up the most disappointed. They have always expected things to be easy and go their way. They feel they deserve things too be easy. They feel because they have suffered through some hard work that everything that follows should be downhill. This is not a realistic approach to take. Nothing hard is ever easy!
Swimming a best time is Hard! Winning the heat and beating the competition is hard! Demolishing a two hour practice is hard! Expecting it to be hard keeps you motivated. Easy is a myth, and it’s pointless because an easy win is a hollow victory. When was the last time you got really excited to swim in a slower heat or a regular meet. Did this environment motivate you for that great swim? On the other hand when you swim against swimmers who are faster or in a championship meet, does that push you to a new intensity and level of achievement. You bet your chlorinated bottom it does. The hard part makes it rewarding.
Easy doesn’t prepare you. However when you expect it to be hard you are better prepared mentally and physically for competition. When you are prepared mentally you will be ready for any thing that comes up during a meet.
Don’t fall for the illusion of easy. Go in with the mindset that it will be tough, and that it will challenge you.
See you at the pool. Mike
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