WHEN THE LIGHTS COME ON

 "Keep your face always toward the sunshine--and shadows will fall behind you."

You ever had one of those days where everything lines up or a swim meet where every race it seems like everything just seems to go off without a hitch.  My little swimmers that’s when the lights go off in your head and you begin to believe that when you work hard, pay attention to the little things during practice the process will come together on race day. 

As you begin to head into the last weeks of your season begin to lock in to the little things during practice that will pay big dividends during championship week.  You know what they are;

• starts

• streamlines
• strong breakouts
• strong kick
• fast turns 
• big finishes 

Coaches say when the lights on it refers to that mental shift from preparation to performance.  It's the moment the meet begins, your name is called, and it's time to trust your training instead of thinking about every detail.

• TRUST THE WORK.  You've already done the hard training.  Race day is about executing, not overanalyzing.
• EMBRACE THE PRESSURE.  The "lights" aren't something to fear--they're an opportunity to show what you've prepared for.
• STAY IN THE PRESENT.  Focus on your race plan and what you need to accomplish: the start, underwater kicks, turns, finish.  Don't worry about times until your fingers touch the wall and the task at hand is complete.
• RACE WITH CONFIDENCE.  The goal is to be aggressive and enjoy the challenge.

When those lights go on, don’t try to become a different swimmer.  Be the swimmer you’ve trained to be.  Trust your preparation, race with confidence, and let your hard york shine.   The lights do not make the swimmer they only reveal the swimmer that’s already there. 

SWIM SET OF THE WEEK

FRIDAY JULY 3. Annual dolphin triathlon 

500 swim (rules no flip turns. Odd lengths breathe head up)

2.0 run

500 kick (replaces the bike)

TRIVIA CORNER

LAST WEEKS QUESTION WAS: how was swimming different 250 years ago?

Most people could not swim and those that did swam out of necessity rather than for leisure or sport.  In the colonies swimming was done as a vital combat skill for scouting or retrieving equipment.  However, Native Americans were know for their aquatic skills.

This weeks question. How did NVSL DIVISIONAL meets differ in the 1970’s from today?