I have heard variations on the practice like you race idea since I was an age grouper and had always thought I was good at it but I just had a couple of realizations about how I created problems for myself.Lately I had noticed I was having a stall sometimes at the breakout of my BR pullout.I couldn't figure out what was the problem until I realized that one of my favorite sprint sets is 25s with a turn at the end.I would,of course,stop after the pullout and my body was learning to stop there.I'll now do 2 more strokes after each pullout.
At the meet yesterday I was shocked to realize that at the finish of my 100 BR I had my head up instead of down in complete streamline.In workout today I noticed I had gotten in the habit of lifting my head to look a the clock as I finished.
So how about you,any insights you have noticed about practice and meets?
Move up a lane. The faster swimmers have usually trained with more organized teams when they were younger, and have better lane etiquette.
Tell people you are worried about hurting someone with a flip turn the lap after they stop at the middle of the wall. Tell them you will always flip turn in the middle of the lane if possible, and if they need to stop, if they stop near the left lane rope, you will know it is safe to pass.
If someone is stopped in front of me at the finish, I will find a way to get to the wall. Usually this is an education problem, and the person causing the problem is not used to people coming in after them, and they just need to know that when you are on the wall, the goal is to take up the smallest amount of wall space possible during a set.
I harp on this with all my age groupers I coach - nothing annoys me more than the last swimmer in the lane easing up as there is no wall space. It's bad form to not finish well and also poor form to block another swimmers wall.
--mj
Move up a lane. The faster swimmers have usually trained with more organized teams when they were younger, and have better lane etiquette.
Tell people you are worried about hurting someone with a flip turn the lap after they stop at the middle of the wall. Tell them you will always flip turn in the middle of the lane if possible, and if they need to stop, if they stop near the left lane rope, you will know it is safe to pass.
If someone is stopped in front of me at the finish, I will find a way to get to the wall. Usually this is an education problem, and the person causing the problem is not used to people coming in after them, and they just need to know that when you are on the wall, the goal is to take up the smallest amount of wall space possible during a set.
I harp on this with all my age groupers I coach - nothing annoys me more than the last swimmer in the lane easing up as there is no wall space. It's bad form to not finish well and also poor form to block another swimmers wall.
--mj
