I get really nervous during meets. My stomach ends up turning to mush. Thus I can't eat any food while I am there. Which means I get really hungry but just drink stuff to keep me hydrated. The issue is trying not to do damage to my body while keeping my stomach happy. I can't seem to do both. What do I do? How can I resolve this? :confused:
I think competing more frequently might help the nerves, but I am not sure that is an option. If it is an option, pick small meets and swim lots of events for fun. You want to frequently get up and race, but it will help you relax if you don't have any expectations for the outcomes of the race.
If you can't eat during meets, than it is best to keep your meets limited to local meets that only run about half a day.
Of course I read a post on here recently that a guy only eats dinner and that is his only meal a day. I am not sure that strategy will work for everyone, but it does show that not eat during a meet is unlikely to kill you.
I wish I could relax, but being type A makes that very hard. I am also at meets for usually 8 hours or so. I am also only eating right after I am done w/ my events & trying to eat a good balance meal for dinner. I feel like no matter what I try to eat, the food just goes right through me. I guess finding a really good beverage (not gatorade crap or anything w/ dairy) is what my best bet is.
You may just need to experiment with the types of food that you eat.
There are many drinks that you might find you can handle better and with the right drink you might get enough calories to sustain you. You can also try drinks that have varying amounts of fat/protein/carbohydrates. Perhaps you can handle a drink with a more balanced mix of nutrients.
