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!
:(
fishgrrl,
just a quick tip about your goggles... if you're worried about them falling off on your starts, try putting them on under your cap... when your goggles are under your cap, there's not usually enough slack in the straps for them to fall off. i've been doing this since i switched age group teams (which was a long long time ago) nearly all of my college teammates (at both colleges!) also did this, and i've seen many top level swimmers do the same thing. and i know most of my masters teammates that compete also do it... i even will put my goggles under my cap if we practice starts.
good luck with everything!
fishgrrl,
just a quick tip about your goggles... if you're worried about them falling off on your starts, try putting them on under your cap... when your goggles are under your cap, there's not usually enough slack in the straps for them to fall off. i've been doing this since i switched age group teams (which was a long long time ago) nearly all of my college teammates (at both colleges!) also did this, and i've seen many top level swimmers do the same thing. and i know most of my masters teammates that compete also do it... i even will put my goggles under my cap if we practice starts.
good luck with everything!
