Strategies to Win
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Keys to Success Olympian and 2010 Pan Pac gold medalist Chloe Sutton’s Keys to Success
1. Be there! Don’t miss practice. You have to make it a priority. For me, going to practice is automatically a set-in-stone appointment in my agenda and everything else works around swimming. In my mind, on that rare occasion that I cannot make it to workout, all I can think about is how every yard that I am missing my competitor is in the pool making progress and getting faster.
2. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. This is another way of saying that you need to work hard. If you want to reach your goals, you’re going to be uncomfortable at times, and you have to be comfortable with that. You have to be willing to pay the price if you want to receive results in return.
3. Be good to your body. Listen to it. When you’re eating, sleeping, and swimming are the times when you should be listening the most. You need to put the right fuel in your body so that it functions properly. You need to get enough rest so that your body can recover from your challenging workouts, and you need to communicate how you’re feeling with your coach so that you push yourself, but not so hard that you get injured.
4. Have short term goals as well as long term goals. Have things that you can accomplish each day in practice and throughout the season so that you always have something to lock your eyes onto. Staying motivated can be hard if you only have one end goal in mind, especially mid-season when your big meet seems so far away. Having a few small goals at each practice can help bridge the gap and make getting to your end-of-season goal a lot easier.
5. Keep it positive. Stay away from negativity. I am a big believer in positive thinking. If your mind is in the right place then your body will follow. Directing your thoughts so that you are thinking about the benefits that you are getting out of a particular practice or set can help make everything so much easier. Prepare for races and step on the blocks knowing for a fact that you are going to swim your very best. Put your heart into each race and go for it.
Race Strategy for the 500 Free
Coach Mark Crouch of Riptide Rush Swim Team in West Des Moines, Iowa offers an effective race strategy you might find helpful for the 500 Free:
Ø Control your legs early in the race, focusing on kicking in and out of the walls, but backing off the legs in between to conserve energy. Good turns are crucial and an effective way to get ahead of the competition.
Ø Use this strategy until about the 300 or 325 mark, and then start to build your kick until the 375. Now you can get your kick going until the finish.
Ø Get out and keep up with the other swimmers during the first 100, but stay in control. You can get the lead back during the last 100.
Ø During the second 100 start your pace, but remain in control of your speed.
Ø After third 100, begin to negative split and start taking control of the race. Your first and last 100 should be the fastest.
Ø Because of its length, it is important that you stay focused on your strategy and pay attention to your body the entire time.
Posted 4/7/11
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