Some people are afraid of the dark...some are afraid to go outside....
I'm afraid of the starting blocks!
Yes, sad and pathetic but true - the blocks scare the beejeezus outa me. Why, I don't know. When I swam in high school I had no fear (and no cap and goggles either - we're talkin' WAY back in the day...)
Well...flash forward several years to my now Masters career and my coach talks me in to competing. So we have a start clinic. From then on (and it's gotten worse) I developed a really strange phobia of actually getting on the blocks and jumping off.
Part of it has to do with the fact that my starts are terrible. I have practiced and I cannot seem to get my brain to wrap around the information of what I'm suppose to do, and to get my body to follow.
Lately it just so happens that I've been competing in really long races (i.e., 1650, 1000, etc.) and I start from the wall. But when I compete in the shorter distances I know I cannot get away with that. And, I'd really like to get over the irrational fear of diving into the water...AND I'd really like to have a decent, competitive start.
Suggestions? Thoughts? Therapy of any kind...?
PS: we do have a diving pool where we work out, so I have no excuse!
:(
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Former Member
Thanks for all the awesome suggestions and for helping me to not feel "stupid." I told one guy I swim with that I had this phobia and he looked at me like I had two heads....
Anyway...your encouragement is so helpful and I am actually looking forward to trying your suggestions. The idea of just getting near the blocks, jumping off feet first, starting slowly, taking my time, etc. makes sense and has calmed me down a great deal.
It really is strange...as I mentioned in my first post I was fine as a teenager, and when I started swimming masters and decided to compete I felt confident about the blocks. But when our coach had a start clinic and I got near them, I just froze. The first thing he had us do was just stand on the side of the pool and slowly bend at the waist and go in head first, which seems like an easy thing to do (and it was for most of the group). But somehow the idea of going into the water head first freaked me out. A few months later he had another clinic and this time I actually got on the blocks. We were doing a drill where he had a pole extended in front of the block - again, a great way to concentrate on keeping your hips up and diving properly, but the idea of trying to jump over a pole and into the water was worse! In fact, I made him remove the pool or I wouldn't go off the block!
And...I've had bad experiences in meets where my goggles fall off...etc. Those dang blocks just seem so high...
Whew (wiping sweat from brow...). OK. In with the positive...out with the negative....
New mantra: start slow, feet first, take your time, it's just water.
Again - thanks to you all for your encouraging posts.
I have a meet in March, where I'll be swimming short events and diving confidently from the blocks!
Thanks for all the awesome suggestions and for helping me to not feel "stupid." I told one guy I swim with that I had this phobia and he looked at me like I had two heads....
Anyway...your encouragement is so helpful and I am actually looking forward to trying your suggestions. The idea of just getting near the blocks, jumping off feet first, starting slowly, taking my time, etc. makes sense and has calmed me down a great deal.
It really is strange...as I mentioned in my first post I was fine as a teenager, and when I started swimming masters and decided to compete I felt confident about the blocks. But when our coach had a start clinic and I got near them, I just froze. The first thing he had us do was just stand on the side of the pool and slowly bend at the waist and go in head first, which seems like an easy thing to do (and it was for most of the group). But somehow the idea of going into the water head first freaked me out. A few months later he had another clinic and this time I actually got on the blocks. We were doing a drill where he had a pole extended in front of the block - again, a great way to concentrate on keeping your hips up and diving properly, but the idea of trying to jump over a pole and into the water was worse! In fact, I made him remove the pool or I wouldn't go off the block!
And...I've had bad experiences in meets where my goggles fall off...etc. Those dang blocks just seem so high...
Whew (wiping sweat from brow...). OK. In with the positive...out with the negative....
New mantra: start slow, feet first, take your time, it's just water.
Again - thanks to you all for your encouraging posts.
I have a meet in March, where I'll be swimming short events and diving confidently from the blocks!
