Tricks of the Trade

Think of competition as just another work-out... This will help you stay relaxed; You can only race as well as you've prepared.

Set up the Coffee machine to automatically brew 10-15 minutes before you want to wake up................... works for workday and swimday.:coffee:

Get this and learn how to roll. www.youtube.com/watch

Competition Warm-up: If possible, warm up in the lane you will race in. In a LCM pool look for ‘landmarks’ on the bottom of the pool about ¾ way down the length (when you are wondering when the hell is the end coming and might be tempted to look up). For a 50m it is important that you don’t even think about the end until you see your mark (e.g. the drain at the deep end). Looking for the end too soon just slows you down and checking for the lane’s ‘T’ on the bottom can be difficult in a deep pool, especially when bulkheads are involved. For 100m it is also good to know where you are in the length and how much more suffering is left to go. (a psychological benefit – maybe) When bulkheads are involved in a 50m pool set up for SCM as two 25m pools, it is especially important to checkout the bottom and ends – there may not even be a lane-line ‘T’ in front of the bulkhead and the end wall where the bulkhead is normally parked for LCM may be tricky to judge. In the warm-up, always practice race speed turns on the bulkhead from 10m out, and race speed finishes to the end wall (whether bulkhead or not). Don’t feel you have to always swim complete lengths in the warm-up – hang around at a turn and do as many as needed from 10m to feel comfortable. There is a lot to competition meet warm-ups – unless I missed it, I’m hoping that Ande will expound on this topic in his ‘faster-faster’ thread. Hint hint. Ian.

It seems like if you want to absolutely guarantee not swimming in an outside lane you should enter yourself with a ridiculously fast time, not a sandbagged time. . That would also guarantee one a PB .......... drafting off the two faster swimmers on either side of one. Another plus is, if you're really, but really, sloooooooooooooow, you'll be swimming---way behind---in calm water (except for that one point in time, half-way down the pool where you're going in one direction and everyone else is already 25m from their finish). ;)

Think of competition as just another work-out... This will help you stay relaxed; You can only race as well as you've prepared. I don't think it is possible to get the juices going if you think it is just another workout. I would think swim fast, race fast and go like hades.

My Tip is to remember what race you are swimming...In high school, i was swimming in my first 4x100 relay. I got so excited that i dove in when the swimmer before me was at the 50 yard mark. :doh: Jumped in right over his flip turn and got us disqualified! I never made that mistake again.

Think of competition as just another work-out... This will help you stay relaxed; You can only race as well as you've prepared. I do the opposite of this. I think race, speed, win. Being relaxed wouldn't work for me. Better to be uber-charged and drink caffeine.

Viisualize.I go through the race in my mind from start to finish about 30 min before I swim.I do my warm up swim about 2 hr before the race then about 30 min before the race I begin a dryland warm up.As well as keeping my Fastskin dry I find,for me it's a better warm up.Especially at an outdoor meet with some wind it is easy for me to get cold on the block standing in a wet swimsuit with wet hair.Warming up and then getting cold seems counterproductive.

I do the opposite of this. I think race, speed, win. Being relaxed wouldn't work for me. Better to be uber-charged and drink caffeine. You win? cool.. Do you have USMS records? Don't get me wrong, the actual race, moments before the whistle, certainly being hyped is useful... Just not weeks before...