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Mind Training Tips for Swimmers
by Craig Townsend

#49 - Training Great, But Terrible In The Meets?

Often I hear about swimmers who 'train the house down' for months, only to swim terribly in the meet they had been gearing up for all that time.

Kevin Weldon, Head Swim Coach of the Dayton Raiders in Dayton, Ohio emailed me about this recently. He also asked about swimmers who had been training brilliantly, but suddenly seemed to become scared when it came to competing against older swimmers, getting negative and down on themselves. These problems can create a 'downward spiral' that can be difficult to get out of, and so I thought I would create an Action Plan for swimmers who may be experiencing this widespread problem.

It's important to know first of all that this common problem has absolutely nothing to do with the 'physical or technique' side of swimming. It's purely the mind's reaction to the pressure of the meet - and also the month's-long 'build up' to the meet, which then impacts upon their technique during the races. So by simply making some mental changes, your results can change too - but of course, it does take some discipline to make these mental changes.

The answer to stopping this situation occurring (or getting out of this situation if you are already in it) lies in your attitude and mental approach - and so here is your 5-Part Action Plan:

  1. Firstly, look at meets and races in their 'true' perspective. For instance, how many millions of people will know about the results of this meet? (Often) none! Will the results be broadcast all over the country or around the world? No. Is this race life or death? No. Will you continue to live after this meet? Yes. OK, so we've just discovered that this meet is not as important as we first thought! In fact, compared to many other things going on in the world right now, it could pretty safely be considered UN-important! So really there's no need to stress out about it at all. There'll be plenty more meets after this one, so you might as well just relax, enjoy yourself and go for it. The more fun you have, the better you'll perform, anyway.

  2. Secondly, look at the races from your competitors' viewpoint - look what THEY have to deal with in their race - YOU! You certainly wouldn't want to be in their shoes, would you?! They might be the 'favoured' swimmers to win, which means ALL the pressure is on them, not you, and they see this young whipper-snapper looming at them (you), trying to de-rail their dreams! So always remember, THEY may be scared of YOU. 
  3. Next, it's important to build yourself up mentally. Reinforce the positives about yourself - going over all of your own positive attributes. Literally ask yourself "what's great about me?" and begin to think of (and write down) all the things you've done in the past which made you feel great about yourself. (If you cannot think of anything, it simply means you are not thinking hard enough - because EVERYONE has positive attributes. And so the answer "nothing" is not only banned from this list, but worthy of a firm kick in the butt).
  4. Last of all, two more important things. It's important to regularly visualize yourself winning the races and swimming fabulous times, imagining a brilliant meet where you have nothing to lose, everything to gain, and that you're the 'dark horse' who comes from nowhere and shows them all who's boss! 
  5. The other thing is to talk positively to yourself, using positive affirmations and upbeat thoughts (no, not aloud - in your mind!) - become your own inner 'cheer squad' who constantly tells yourself how great you are. This can transform your results more than you could ever possibly imagine.

    So to overcome the 'great training/bad meet' blues - here's the action plan. Put the meet in its true perspective, then look at the races from your competitor's viewpoint, build yourself up mentally, and then visualize and affirming to yourself how great the whole experience is going to be.

    So if you find yourself stuck in a negative pattern, change it. You can create your life into anything you WANT it to be. You've got the action plan, now the rest is up to you!

The Mind controls the body, and the mind is unlimited.
The best of success, Craig Townsend

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