Hey guys,
My lifetime best in 100m backstroke is 1:00.09 (SCM), I swam this time with 21.
Since I start swimming in masters competition, in my early 30s, my 100m backstroke times were around 1:03. I could droped my time this year to 1:01. (I am 37 now).
And last weekend I swam my personal "masters" best time: 1:01,16.
This race was not optimal, two turns were bad and my finish was bad too.
I was in good shape and was try to swim around 60sek.
Going sub 1minute in 100m backstroke was and is still a dream for me.
And thats the point. How can you just stop dreaming and see things realistic and try to set goals that are reasonable?
Is dropping one more second a realistic goal?
I dont know.
I am not trying hard, as I could to reach this (sub 1 minute), but I have a feeling, if I could do this, I will fail short once again...
If I try somethings, that is near to my dreams, I fear that I get automaticly in my old wrong mindset, where I failed so many times in my young ages.
Can you just reach a goal, without thinking of it?
Maybe there is some mentally approch to this issue?
This is a great questions and I really look forward to hearing the discussion. I think a great many of us can relate all too well with this post. I know I struggle with this exact issue. I have used visualization techniques in the past that have helped. I really try to focus on each race and swim the best I can swim at that point in time. I like to visualize and feel the race before I even get to the blocks, when I can do this it helps but the mental monsters in check.
Try to stay focused on your goal without obsessing over it, and perhaps break down your goal into small victories. You said you swam a personal masters best, and you felt you didn't nail your turns or finish. Maybe in you next race try to nail those turns and get to a 1.01.00.
Good luck!
Perhaps concentrate on another event for a while. Maybe not even swim the 100 back. Then add it back, but try to consider it a secondary event. The problem, of course, is truly convincing yourself that it's a secondary event when you swim it again.
I agree, it's an interessting question. When I was young, let's say begin of twenty, I always was convinced that mentally I am very strong. Seeing back, I am 47 years old now, I recognize that I had some mental weaknesses and still have some. However, start by asking you one question:
Only relying on your feeling, without analyzing times and turns, do you feel that you could reach 1:00.00 minute ?
Then think about why do you feel so and write it down to get clear in your mind.
Would be interesting to see which approach you will finally choose. I have a simular work to do.
Thomas
Thanks for your answers.
Its very interesting question your ask thomas.
I feel that a time under the 1:00 mark is somethings very special for me and still a dream. I cant imagine it right now. Somethings is holding me back...you know what I mean?
As a masters swimmer I became more mentally tough but I have still some potential and work to do in this area. Right now I try to see things more realistic and looking for things I can improve. But not try to force to reach some goals for every price.
Perhaps concentrate on another event for a while. Maybe not even swim the 100 back. Then add it back, but try to consider it a secondary event. The problem, of course, is truly convincing yourself that it's a secondary event when you swim it again.
Sounds good. There is always a danger to make an obsesion of a target.
If you have made specific mistakes in the past making a short list of key things to focus on during the race like paying attention to your turn and not looking at the competition etc. might help reduce mental lapses.
The other thing is when you are really close to a goal you can get complacent and think I just need to get a tiny bit better and I can make it. What if you set a maybe unrealistic secondary goal time of around 0:58 that made you completely re-evaluate your technique and training? While the faster goal might never be achievable it might force you to make changes that will make going under 60 much easier even with a few mistakes in the race.
