Swimmers, Your Mind is a Computer, So Run the Right Program

Your mind is far more powerful than any computer will ever be - but, just like a computer, it can run several different 'programs' at the same time. This is not always good, however. So says John, a head swim coach, who sent this gem into me during the week. He believes that for the best results, you should only run the specific mental 'program' you need, but you must also close down the other programs - or it will affect your speed and power. Running just one program at its fastest, instead of running 5 programs at medium speed, gives you the best results. John went on to explain further that when you're in a race, you want to run your 'race' program to get your best result.

However, if you're running other programs at the same time, such as your 'good technique' program, your 'right pacing' program and your 'I'm worried about the competitor next to me' program, your brain's ability to run your 'race' program slows down considerably. This is because instead of running your 'race' program quickly, you're running four programs at the same time! Just like any computer, this slows your 'race' program down to a crawl and gives you an average result.

By closing down these other programs, your brain would only run the 'race' program, and your results should improve. For instance, during a race you may begin using your 'race' program, but then you may fall behind and begin giving extra energy to your 'good technique' program to try and work out how to increase speed. Then, a competitor may swim up next to you, and so you begin to give more focus to your 'worried about the competitor next to me' program. By the time you finish the race, you realise you never really got to run your 'race' program properly at all! It was too busy dealing with all these other aspects of the race at the same time.

So how do you learn to just run the 'race' program (especially when it's also essential to possess these other installed programs such as your 'good technique program')? John says the main key is to master the others during your daily training and even warm-up, so that they can learn to function on auto-pilot. This allows you to simply run your 'race' program during swims at meets.

You see, for your race program to run at it's fastest, it requires these other programs to run at absolute perfection as well. This is because your 'race' program is dependent on the current (and past) performance of all the other programs! The better you run the 'good technique' program and the 'right pacing' program' during training, the better results you'll see in the 'race' program. For this reason, he says practising good technique, positive attitudes and good pacing in PRACTICE are crucial to your success in meets. You must consciously run these programs during practice in order to ensure that your 'race' program runs to perfection when you need it. Then, (and these are own thoughts) you simply swim your races on auto-pilot (which is the easiest way to get into 'the zone') and allow your mind and body to take care of the details.

John likens the computer/mind analogy to playing a friend in a computer game. For instance, imagine you're both using 'joysticks' to move your players through the game. Your friend has used this particular joystick everyday for the last 2 months, but you've only used it once or twice. This means that your friend moves his player easily, scoring heaps of points, while you're struggling with the joystick trying to get your player out of some hole that you accidentally fell into! The problem for you is that you are running both the 'race' program and the 'technique' program at the same time, while your friend is probably running just his or her 'race' program. If you tell your friend later "I'd have played better if I'd had as much practice with the joystick as your have!", then it makes sense that you would also race faster if you practice your technique in training.

John also mentions other important programs to practice (but not during races) include the:

• eating healthy program
• getting proper rest program
• keeping up with schoolwork program
• stretched out and loosened up program
• I'm excited about swimming program
• I'm swimming for myself program
• mental training program
• positive attitude program

To wrap it up, always remember your mind can think of many things at the same time, but it's far more powerful (especially in races) to focus on just one at a time.

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

Craig Townsend