February 1 Update

  OK. people I notice something during practice yesterday that WE need to go over.  While we were doing those 100-200-300 I had a stop watch on as many of you as I could and I noticed that several of you were a bit tentative in taking out the first half of the swim which will happen in your races in a meet.  When I talked to a few of you about this I got 2 responses: 1) they weren't feeling good enough, and 2) it hurt and I thought I might die.  My response: so what?

 

We have talked about this situation before, GREAT races HURT.  As a swimmer you have the opportunity to see a lot of races up close and personal.  Next time you watch, look at the expression on the faces of the winners IMMEDIATELY upon their finish ... prior to seeing their time or place.  What you'll notice is a simple expression:  and exhaustion. It's not until AFTER they've realized they've accomplished a new goal, or won a race they've wanted to win for a long time that all the pain disappears.

When you're not feeling up to snuff, especially during this part of the season, you have to treat these sets as a test.  These races are lessons that can be stored in your memory as either ways to SUCCEED, or ways NOT to fail. All the races prior to the most important one of your season should be treated this way, and none should be cruised through because you're afraid it's going to hurt a bit too much. 

We will take our 200's as an example.  Middle distances races are sometimes the toughest in the middle of the season, if you don't "feel it."  It's too long to crank it out the entire way for a good time.  Plus, it's too short to settle into a consistent pace that has a chance of getting you a good time.  THIS IS WHERE A GOOD MIX CAN COME IN.

 

First, you should take it out fast enough to give yourself a CHANCE at having a good time.  This means, if you're not in the groove, you're going to have to force it a bit.  Don't hold back on that first 50 because, if you start off too slow, the voice in the back of your head that's saying 'you're going to   .....

you're going to die" all of the sudden becomes the voice of REASON...and you end of holding back MORE.  As a result, the first 50 is way too slow to yield a great time, and basically, the race is about over.  You've set up a pace that's tough to overcome.

 

Sure, there are times in which a swimmer goes out slow, and comes back fast, but these cases are rare, unless the race was preplanned.  Odd's are when a swimmer swims a race like that they have left a lot in the pool.  These were  what I call a nice swim with no   , and these are NOT the types of races that lead to "THE ULTIMATE" race at the end of the season.

 

Remember our approach especially when you're not feeling it, you should force the pace on the first 50 to get INTO the race.  Then...back off a bit to allow for some recovery and --almost--a deep breath before the rest of the race begins.  In some cases a few may pass you on that 2nd 50, but if this was the plan so be it.  If we go out too slow then we might have to swim the entire race in the "catch up" mode, and there are just too many uncertainties that can happen.  Going out REALLY FASTon the first 50 at least puts us into the race, and allows us to choose what to do next.

 

If you look at splits from most 200's you'll see just about everybody holding back on the 3rd 50 of a 200.  If you know this, where would YOU attack your competition?

 

Let's set the   

1st 50:  This 50 will be close to the first 50 of your 100 (1-2seconds off your best 50).  When I say force the pace, I mean it.  Knowing that you're going to take it out fast, get you over the fear of going out too fast, and puts the fear of going out too slow into you're head.  This will get you INTO the race

2nd 50:  Back off, Relax.  What you'll be nervous about on this 50 is that you're going to go way too slow.. but you HAVE too back off.  Almost everyone will hold a nice pace on this 50 because of the pace we set on that FIRST 50...this should be the slowest 50 of the 4.

3rd 50:  If the other swimmers are holding form, some may have passed us, but are now starting to feel the pain, and because they are worried a bit about the last 50 they back off a bit, but not US!  Because we are building coming out of the easy 2nd 50, we gain on them and this mental edge  is HUGE, and will put us in a position for a personal best and /or a win! This should be the second fastest 50's.

4th 50:  If we have done all things correctly to this point, then we are IN the race, not totally dead, but still hurting a bit.  This 50 is where the difference between the swimmer and the Great swimmer surfaces!  This 50 should be faster or the same as the 3rd 50.   The entire thing hurts.  It's your    that gets you home! Plus you are in a position to WIN!  The point is you need too have a strategy for your race's or you are just swimming and flipping a    to determine the outcome of your race!