I had a conversation about pre-meet routines with a few of my masters swimmers before the holidays, thought it'd be interesting to see what y'all do.
Here are my routines:
Generic fall in-season meet:
Verify I've got a tech suit that's not too stretched out
Verify my general music, pump-up music, and mellow music playlists are up to date
Generic post-holidays in-season meet:
Switch to my Nationals tech suit from the previous season
Though I keep a full beard in-season, I shave any stubble around the beard
Same as above for the music playlists
In-season focus meet:
Same as above but add in trim my toenails :D
Nationals/other shave and taper meet if I can't go to Nats:
Get a new tech suit
Wacky hair for the two days prior to the meet (I've done mutton chops, burnsides, handlebar, and a mohawk in the past, I like to change it up year to year), then full shave the first day of the meet
Trim my toenails :D
Revamp music playlists
Ensure that I have two new assembled pairs of swedes and at least two more unassembled pairs
No Dr Pepper or other kinds of pop for a week prior to the meet
Get a long massage 3-5 days before my first day of the meet
Anyone else got any idiosyncratic routines before meets?
I find it very calming to have a ritual for big meets and I try to do the same thing every time. Ideally get to the meet 2 days before to familiarize with the setting and get in the meet pool the day before if possible and do my regular meet warm up.
Meet day, eat a big breakfast and plan to arrive 3 hr before my first swim. Probably can't warmup in the meet pool, so warm up in the warmup pool, then go meditate and visualize the race for 30-45 minutes. If time, talk with friends. 40 min before race put on tech suit and begin dryland warm up. 10 minutes before race begin focusing on the cadence of the starter. Are they slow or quick between "take your marks" and the beep. Continue dry land warm up until getting on blocks, but put on gogglres and caps 2 minutes before swim.( put on goggles relatively late to avoid fogging.)
I tend to botch turns in SCY aquatic center venues. The turn markings become confusing after training in different environments. Next time I arrive a day early during the distance swims and get a few practice turns from the block, and even reacquaint with the block spoiler wedge
