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?
It's difficult to remember to do things that I don't really practice. I have to remind myself to go to a 6 beat kick for the last 25 of a race because for some reason I don't practice it. In April in a 100 back I completely forgot to do it.
You are all spot on, and Ande hit the nail on the head.
I work in clinics with age-groupers who are guilty of most of the things you all are noting. I create drills to try to countermand these habits and have the kids watch each other to help overcome these tendencies.
In the end the curse word is "habit". You have to undo the bad ones and find ways to encourage good ones.
I look forward all the time, looking for people, looking for the wall, and this carries over to my racing. My head is actually only in a neutral head position about 5% of the time.
I think my turns used to be slow when racing because I did so many lazy turns in practice.
I've had many close calls with almost running into people when I swim. I'm not exactly sure if my head is in the correct position, but I don't really look for someone in front of me that often. Many times, the coach will whistle for warm-up to stop, I won't hear it and continue, and the person in front of me will abruptly come to a halt.
I'd like some ideas on how you simulate non-circle swimming at workouts. Heck, even when we go off blocks, we're usually 2 to a lane and circle 10 sec apart. When I've done meets, I tend to do the same.
Finishes are a pet peeve of mine, and I get rather annoyed if people block the wall (most especially for turns). I like to finish every set at workout with a proper finish.
LOL, I actually yell at people "finish to the wall please," in a half joking, half serious manner when they do that.
i'm one of those people too. i move out of the way when i lead and encourage my lane mates to swim all the way in. i do a lot of i.m. during free sets and go last. they move over for me to finish, but i back way off in fly and *** so i don't clobber them (and thus, me!). that's how i 'finished' my races - slow!
With my former team we would practice things like you talked about Allen. We did break outs to the middle of the pool (stop), then in to the walk and half way back (stop) and then in to the wall for the finish. All to get out of those habits. But I can see where you are coming from. My bad habit is looking up after a free flip turn to see if anyone in my lane is coming at me. I try hard not to do it but with a lane full of people, it's an easy habit to do and then to break in a meet.
what a timely thread. i swam 4 races on saturday and stopped swimming about a meter from the finish in all of them. that is exactly what i do in workouts - to avoid people at the wall. i stop a bit earlier in fly and *** than free - just like workouts!
LOL, I actually yell at people "finish to the wall please," in a half joking, half serious manner when they do that.
