6 Tips for Becoming the Type of Swimmer Who Gets it Done

As we've begun our 2015 - 2016 season, the NEON coaches have been talking to swimmers about being internally motivated or self-motivated along with discussing the fact that in order to reach goals, we must do those everyday things that others may not be willing to do. Swimmers must focus on on the sometimes 'mundane' tasks of training in order to better themselves and be able to perform well when the competition is at hand. By working on those sometimes small, daily tasks at practices, you inch closer and closer to that goal - we strive for progress, not perfection. Swimswam recently posted the following article by Olivier Poirier-Leroy which highlights these same thoughts! Please take a look and if you have younger swimmers, discuss these tips with them.

Swimmers at the top of the podium all share one remarkably unremarkable trait.

No, it’s not superhuman talent. Or genetics. Or even the gift of that mysterious and elusive “feel for the water.”

It’s something a little more boring, not so mythical, but perhaps just as elusive for some athletes: these top achievers simply execute better than the rest.

You can have all of the talent and physical gifts in the world, but if you can’t summon the will to put them to action they become useless.

Here are 6 tips for becoming the type of swimmer who gets it done:

1. Accept that it will be messy.

How often have you stumbled out of the gate and then thrown away the whole process because “if it doesn’t go exactly how I plan, than it’s not working”? If you set your standards or your expectations at “perfect” than you will never start.

There will be false starts. There will be stumbles. You’ll have great days and workouts, and then you’ll have not so great practices.

Once you can accept that the process is messy and even bruise-inducing at times, than you can more easily power through those not-so-great sessions.

2. Comparison is dangerous.

We all have our idols in the sport. We look up to them and do our best to reverse-engineer their success. “Oh, she swam 12 times per week for three years prior to her gold medal winning performance in London? I’ll do that too.”

We seek to learn how those swimmers put together their success so that we can fashion a blueprint of our own.

But it’s important to remember that the things that they are doing now might not necessarily be the same things they were doing at the beginning of their own journey.

3. Bite-sized steps will do.

The bigger a goal is, the more intimidating it becomes. And while big goals are great to inspire and guide us, the sheer size of them numbs us into inaction.

If you are finding yourself getting hung up into not acting because you simply have no idea how you will ever submit yourself to all of the work your towering goal requires, step back and look down at the very first step you need to make. A step so small, so non-threatening that it almost seems trivial.

4. Big dreams alone don’t bring success.

Planning and dreaming is easy. It’s enjoyable. And it comes with no risk. What does it cost you in terms of effort to daydream about what you’d like to achieve as a swimmer? Not much.

Goals and mega-aspirations are important, but thinking and wishing for them won’t make them so. An average goal acted on will always result in more success than a hundred exceptional dreams.

5. Earn the reps.

We yearn for progress and results, but often we get so caught up in them that we ignore the day-to-day grind. And then when we are reminded of the hard work that is going to be required, we are dismayed, put off, discouraged.

Forget the goals for a moment. They aren’t completely in your control and nor are the circumstances (i.e. other swimmers). Instead, focus your mental and physical energy on the daily reps.

The biggest payoff from banging out the reps consistently is that you are launching yourself into a feedback loop where you are learning what works, what doesn’t, and applying those lessons moving forwards. Sitting around musing on the perfect way to go about moving forward robs you of this.

6. Don’t wait for perfect conditions.

This is a crutch that I have leaned on during many an occasion; the old “I will really start training hard when I can train in a new facility/get that new suit/learn more about sprint technique…etc.”

Obsessing over what you consider to be perfect conditions or the ultimate strategy or environment to achieve your goals is one of your brain’s sneaky ways of avoiding hard work.

Just start. It might not be perfect, look pretty, or even feel all that great, but do the thing that matters and start.

Olivier Poirier-Leroy is a former national level swimmer based out of Victoria, BC. In feeding his passion for swimming, he has developed YourSwimBook, a powerful log book and goal setting guide made specifically for swimmers. Sign up for the YourSwimBook newsletter (free) and get weekly motivational tips by clicking here.

This article covers a concept that the NEON coaching staff often discusses with our swimmers at swim meets: Our behavior and attitude behind the blocks before a race has a large impact on our performance during the race. We remind swimmers to "stay loose" behind the blocks by jumping up and down, "shaking out" or shaking arms and legs for the physical benefit of not letting our muscles tighten up. Also important is the mental aspect behind the blocks - if you are too nervous/anxious behind the blocks, your muscles will also tighten up. Imagine your posture when you are nervous - you hold your arms in close to your body, often crossing them or holding your hands together, squeezing or tightening your muscles. You focus too much on what could go wrong, instead of focusing on what could go right. You've prepared for this moment for weeks or even months, spent countless hours in the pool practicing every aspect of your race, you have to be confident that the work you put in will shine through! Spend the time behind the blocks shaking out and thinking about all the things you will do correctly when you dive into the pool, like the killer streamline and underwater kicks you will have off the start! Keep reading to learn even more about how worrying behind the blocks, especially about what Dr. Goldberg calls the "uncontrollables" can hinder your race and how you can work on your mental game before a race.

AVOID THE BIGGEST MENTAL MISTAKE SWIMMERS MAKE       

BY DR. ALAN GOLDBERG//COMPETITIVEDGE.COM

THE PROBLEM

The secret to swimming fast under BIG meet pressure is simple to understand and yet so much harder to do: You have to learn to stay physically loose and mentally composed behind the blocks before your races. If you allow yourself to get too nervous pre-race, your muscles will get too tight for you to swim to your potential. What's the biggest cause of out-of-control, pre-race nervousness? FOCUSING ON THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T DIRECTLY CONTROL! Swimmers who go into their events thinking about and/or focusing on these “UCs” or UNCONTROLLABLES will always lose their confidence and get derailed by runaway nerves.

AN EXAMPLE 

Sandy qualified for Nationals for the very first time in her life, a dream come true! Initially she was thrilled and so proud to be able to compete in this meet, being one of a select few from her club who was going. However, as the date of the meet crept closer, her excitement slowly began to morph into worry and then outright fear. No matter what she tried, she couldn't stop herself  from thinking about the other “unbelievably fast” swimmers who would be there. As she entertained these thoughts, and shared them with teammates, her self-confidence started to crumble. By the time she got to the meet, she was filled with a sense of dread, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. She couldn't seem to stop focusing on how good some of these athletes were. They were swimmers whom she had been reading about in the swim magazines over the years, and here she was going to race against them? I don't think so! What she really wanted to do was get their autographs and then get out of there!  

She was a nervous wreck behind the blocks. She felt like she didn't belong in this heat or the meet and couldn't stop comparing herself to the racer in the next lane whose seed time was just a little faster than hers. When the starter called the swimmers up on the blocks she felt physically paralyzed and could barely catch a breath! Her race performance reflected exactly this. She swam terribly, adding a good 7 seconds from her qualifying time and recording the slowest time in this event.

WHAT ARE THE UNCONTROLLABLES

The UCs reflect all of the things both before and during the meet that you have no DIRECT control over, and “DIRECT” is the key word here. When you go into a meet or race, and either before or during your event, you are concentrating on things that are directly out of your control, you'll get nervous, lose your confidence and swim poorly. In Sandy's case, the huge UC she was concentrating on was the competition. As a swimmer you have no direct control over your competition and how big, strong or fast they are. No matter what you do, you can't directly control how fast another swimmer goes. You can only control what is going on in between your lane lines.

BEWARE OF THESE UNCONTROLLABLES

• The venue and whether the pool is “fast” or “slow.”
• How your training and/or taper has gone up until this point, (the past).
• Your opponent's size, reputation and speed.
• Your last event and anything else in the PAST.
• How fast you'll swim, whether you'll final, i.e. anything in the FUTURE.
• Other's expectations of you/what they'll think or say about you.
• Who is watching.
• Whether your parents will be disappointed in you.
• Your coach and how he/she acts before and after your events.
• How big this meet or race is.
• How you feel that day, both physically or emotionally.
• How fast your teammates are swimming.
• The time of your races.
• The officiating.
• The kind of warm-up you have.
• Things going on in your life outside of swimming, i.e. academic/personal.
• The unexpected, i.e. the touch pads fail and you have to wait. 

HANDLING THE UNCONTROLLABLES

Understand that the UCs are mental traps and they are lying in wait for you and every other swimmer at the meet. How do you avoid a trap? First, YOU HAVE TO SEE IT! You have to be aware of what your uncontrollables are. That is, what are the things that happen out of your control that tend to get you upset and run away with your composure? Make your own list of these UCs and put it up in your bedroom so that you will be able to clearly see it every day. Awareness is a key first step here! You avoid the UCs by first knowing that what you're paying attention to right now is out of your control.

Second, you have to discipline yourself to quickly return your focus of concentration back to what you are doing right now that you CAN control. 

For example, if you're behind the blocks and suddenly start thinking about how good the swimmer in the next lane is, then quickly bring your focus back to your set pre-race ritual, i.e. look down at the back of the blocks, focus on the feel of your stretch, slow and deepen your breathing, jump up and down, etc.

Remember that the uncontrollables usually happen unexpectedly, and because of this, they will temporarily capture your focus. However, as long as you immediately become aware that  your concentration has drifted off, and then you quickly return it to things that you can control, you will avoid falling into this performance-disrupting trap!

You can also find this article here.

As a sports psychology consultant, Dr. Alan Goldberg works with swimmers at every level. A presenter at the Olympic Training Center, swim coaches clinics and clubs around the country, Dr. G specializes in helping swimmers struggling with performance problems, get unstuck and swim fast when it counts the most. He works over Skype, providing one-on-one consultation with swimmers and other athletes around the world. Dr. G has written over 35 mental toughness training programs and books. In addition, he is a regular contributor to Splash Magazine. 

Our last post talked about bad eating habits swimmers should break, so this post provides 10 foods that swimmers should be eating. For young swimmers (this includes teens), it is important that they not only eat properly so their bodies can perform well, but also so that they are growing and developing in a healthy way. Athletes of all ages may be at a greater risk of being nutrient deficient, so please take a moment and read what Jill Castle suggests your swimmer should be eating! 

This article can also be found here.

10 FOODS SWIMMERS SHOULD BE EATING

       

BY JILL CASTLE, MS, RDN

The mystery behind what to eat is never-ending, partly because miracle foods are constantly surfacing while other foods fall from grace. When it comes to the growing swimmer, what to eat is important for growth and development, and also for athletic performance. Many children and teens in today’s world are missing out on calcium, vitamin D, fiber and potassium. Teens and athletes in general may be at greater risk of nutrient deficiencies if they skip breakfast, snack on nutrient-poor foods and use diets to control their weight.

Given this, here are 10 foods that will keep your nutrient intake high and your risk for deficiency low:

Nuts: All nuts are chock-full of healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium and vitamin E. Use them to top yogurt or cereal, or just grab a handful on the way to practice.

Seeds: Similar to nuts, seeds are full of fiber, healthy fats, magnesium and vitamin E. Eat them like you would nuts.

Ready-to-eat cereals: Cereal is fortified with nutrients such as folic acid, iron and vitamins A and E, making them a good source for these micro-nutrients. Have it for breakfast, snack, or dinner in a pinch, but beware of choosing cereal with too much sugar. Cereals with less than 8 or 9 grams of sugar per serving are best.

100% orange juice: Increasingly, you can find calcium and vitamin D- fortified OJ. Orange juice is naturally a good source of folic acid and vitamin C. Don’t guzzle it though! Orange juice can be a significant source of calories when more than a cup and a half is consumed daily.

Beans: Magical indeed! Full of fiber, protein, iron, zinc and magnesium—find ways to fit beans into your weekly (or daily) diet. Roast them for a crunchy snack, top a salad or burrito, or throw them in with diced tomatoes for a hearty pasta dish.

Low-fat cheese: An easy snack or serve it mixed into casseroles, pasta and in sandwiches. Low-fat cheese is full of calcium, potassium, and protein. 

Low-fat yogurt: “Nutrient-rich” is an understatement! Yogurt is a good source of calcium, vitamin D, potassium and protein. Go for Greek varieties if you are looking for extra protein. It’s great as part of a meal, as a snack, or dessert.

Low-fat milk or soymilk: Dairy milk is a natural source of calcium, potassium, protein and vitamin D. If soymilk is your go-to, make sure it is fortified with calcium and vitamin D. Many athletes use flavored milk (chocolate milk) for a post-workout recovery drink.

Dark-green leafy vegetables: These veggies like kale, spinach and collard greens offer iron and calcium. Pair these veggies up with foods high in vitamin C, or serve with meat to maximize the absorption of iron from the vegetables.

Orange fruits and vegetables: Loaded with vitamins C, E, A, and potassium, these help your immune system stay healthy. 

How many of these foods are you getting on a regular basis?

Jill Castle, MS, RDN is a childhood nutrition expert and co-author of Fearless Feeding: How to Raise Healthy Eaters from High Chair to High School (www.fearlessfeeding.com). She is the creator of Just The Right Byte (www.justtherightbyte.com), and is working on her next book for young athletes, called Eat, Compete & Grow. She lives with her husband and four children in New Canaan, CT. Questions? Contact her atJill@JillCastle.com.

5 Bad Eating Habits Swimmers Must Break

USA Swimming publishes great articles to help coaches, parents, and swimmers be successful in the pool. Being successful in the pool, much like being successful on the field or on the court, often requires some 'work' outside of the pool - mainly in the kitchen! This article covers some common but harmful habits swimmers need to break in order to keep themselves healthy and able to train and perform their best.

5 BAD EATING HABITS SWIMMERS MUST BREAK

BY JILL CASTLE, MS, RDN

A habit is a regular tendency that is hard to give up. When it comes to food and eating, there are good habits and there are bad ones. Good eating habits promote health, overall wellness, and may even optimize swimming performance. Bad habits, on the other hand, may get in the way of athletic performance and future potential. Here are some of the bad eating habits I see among young swimmers: 

Skipping Breakfast
It’s estimated that about 20% of kids  (9-13 years) and 36% of teens (14-18 years) skip breakfast. The reasons vary, but in the case of the swimmer, they include running short on time in the morning, not feeling hungry, or eating too much the night before, which can suppress hunger in the morning. Swimmers need breakfast, not only for revving up their engine (metabolism), but also for paying attention in school, meeting important nutrient requirements, and feeling energized throughout the day. Breakfast kicks everything in motion—the swimmers “engine,” and his brain—so skipping it is a habit that needs to be broken. Don’t be picky about a full course meal! Almost anything for breakfast is better than nothing. Try a smoothie, instant oatmeal, a handful of nuts and cereal, a bar, or even a box of flavored milk.

Light-loading Lunch 
Some swimmers are “watching their weight,” and in doing so may think it’s healthy to opt for a salad or a cup of soup for lunch, or maybe a sandwich and nothing else. This uber-healthy approach, which sounds like a good (and healthy) idea, really doesn’t work, especially if after-school training is on the horizon. Lunch is the meal that loads the swimmer’s body with essential carbs and protein (as well as other nutrients) for training. So a salad or broth-based soup won’t cut it, but a sandwich or wrap on whole grain bread served with a cup of soup and fresh fruit would be ideal.

Overeating Later (after school, practice, and late at night)
When the swimmer skips or light-loads on eating earlier in the day, he is bound to experience significant hunger, eventually. After school or practice, or even after a full dinner, hunger may rear its ugly head, and the swimmer may overeat, and perhaps even binge (eat a large amount of food in a short period of time). Overeating can cause unwanted weight gain, and if done at night, may interfere with the morning appetite, and disturb a healthy rhythm of eating during the day. Back-loading calories at the end of the day robs the swimmer’s body of needed nutrients for training and learning at school when he needs it most—during the day!

Eating the Wrong Food
Candy, sweet muffins, chocolate-coated granola bars, chips, and cookies are the wrong foods for swimmers to be snacking on, or eating routinely. Once in a while, on a non-training day, or in the context of other healthy foods is acceptable, but relying on unhealthy foods to sustain a training program or competition is silly. While these foods can fit in to the swimmer’s diet, their role should be minimal. For example, one or two regular portions of sweets can fit into the swimmer’s diet without crashing it, however, eating a chocolate chip muffin for breakfast, a big cookie and chips at lunch, popping Skittles throughout practice or competition, and finishing the day with ice cream or fried food is a bad idea, and a blossoming bad habit. Eating the right foods, and downsizing the wrong foods, is an area where many young swimmers can do better.

Forgetting Fluids
A headache, feeling tired, and a sense of hunger may be signs of poor drinking habits. True, dehydration is common among young athletes and stems from getting behind in fluid consumption. Prepping for practice takes place all day, from eating nutritious, juicy food to drinking enough water or other beverages. Some swimmers forget to drink, and play catch-up at practice, which is hard to do. Ideally, swimmers should drink fluids all day (preferably water, milk or small amounts of 100% juice), come to practice with water or a sports drink, drink throughout training, and replenish with more fluids during their recovery and the rest of the day.

Don’t let these bad eating habits curbside the swimmer’s hard work in and out of the pool!

Jill Castle, MS, RDN is a childhood nutrition expert and co-author of Fearless Feeding: How to Raise Healthy Eaters from High Chair to High School (www.fearlessfeeding.com). She is the creator of Just The Right Byte (www.justtherightbyte.com), and is working on her next book, entitled Eat Like a Champion: Performance Nutrition for Your Young Athlete. She lives with her husband and four children in New Canaan, CT. 

Read the article on USA swimming here: http://www.usaswimming.org/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=1635&itemid=6475&mid=11541