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!
:(
Hi,
I love doing starts :) I remember putting a kickboard out in front of the block, not a pole. The other thing we did was to dive into a hula hoop... but I digress 'cause you're not there yet.
My son, who is four, started "swimming" last year, started diving off the side on his knees. I might suggest the same for you.
Get someone to help you like I helped him.
He would get on one knee and curl his toes over the edge, the other knee he was leaning on (or he'd fall over!). He would get into a streamline above his head, tuck his chin, and I would help him roll into the water by holding his hips. He loved it, and because of his streamline his goggles stayed on. Of course we did this in the deep end 'cause he'd go down pretty far :)
From there, once you're comfy, go to diving off the side or rolling to begin with (just lean over and roll in), then eventually the blocks.
For what it's worth... I learned to swim when I was 10. One day diving into the 3 ft. end I hit my head, braces in mouth, not good. I got out and got cleaned up and then my coach made me do another start. Probably a good thing.
Also, as an adult, I would get dizzy for awhile up on the block, don't know why. To overcome this I would just stand on the block, move around and get comfortable, nowhere near the front of it. Over time I was comfortable again. I still, however, can't tuck my chin because I do get dizzy.
Do try though what I was doing with my son, it really worked for him. Hope this helps. You can do it :)
Hi,
I love doing starts :) I remember putting a kickboard out in front of the block, not a pole. The other thing we did was to dive into a hula hoop... but I digress 'cause you're not there yet.
My son, who is four, started "swimming" last year, started diving off the side on his knees. I might suggest the same for you.
Get someone to help you like I helped him.
He would get on one knee and curl his toes over the edge, the other knee he was leaning on (or he'd fall over!). He would get into a streamline above his head, tuck his chin, and I would help him roll into the water by holding his hips. He loved it, and because of his streamline his goggles stayed on. Of course we did this in the deep end 'cause he'd go down pretty far :)
From there, once you're comfy, go to diving off the side or rolling to begin with (just lean over and roll in), then eventually the blocks.
For what it's worth... I learned to swim when I was 10. One day diving into the 3 ft. end I hit my head, braces in mouth, not good. I got out and got cleaned up and then my coach made me do another start. Probably a good thing.
Also, as an adult, I would get dizzy for awhile up on the block, don't know why. To overcome this I would just stand on the block, move around and get comfortable, nowhere near the front of it. Over time I was comfortable again. I still, however, can't tuck my chin because I do get dizzy.
Do try though what I was doing with my son, it really worked for him. Hope this helps. You can do it :)
