Watch Out For Silent Swimming Saboteurs

When you are at a meet, there are all kinds of silent hazards to watch for which can affect your mental attitude (and your races) - and many swimmers don't even know they are there. Recognizing these hazards is the main step towards a successful mindset - as many swimmers don't recognize them and simply allow their mental approach (and their races) to be silently sabotaged - without even knowing it!

I will go into some of these hazards in a moments, but first, the best way to remain focused and positive at a meet is to regularly 'check in' with your thoughts every 10 or 20 minutes, to ensure that your thinking is 'on track' for a successful meet. Basically this allows you to notice what you are thinking each time you check in, and eradicate any negative thoughts immediately before they begin to grow more powerful. This is essential - as once these negative thoughts take effect, they are very difficult to overcome.

It's also very important to keep a watchful eye out for other potential saboteurs which can be are intent on your swimming destruction - let me show you what I mean. Here are just a few very powerful silent saboteurs to your swimming, to watch out for at meets:

• Uncontrollables - these are powerful negative thoughts which focus upon all the things you absolutely cannot control. This can range from hundreds of different factors, such as the amount of swimmers in the warm-up pool, the temperature of the water, the lane you are swimming in, the size and physique of your competitors, etc. These (highly common) thoughts create anxiety which constrict the muscles and reduce the blood flow, thus reducing your performance in the pool. You must watch for these thoughts very closely at meets, and stop them immediately before they take effect.
• Comparisons - mentally comparing yourself to your competitors - their physiques, performances or times. Never do this (unless you know that you will come out on top!), as this usually focuses your mind on your shortcomings rather than your assets - and this type of thinking must immediately be changed by focusing instead upon your strengths. Competitors (or their coaches / friends or parents) who 'plant' negative thoughts in your mind. This can be very common and also very subtle, making it difficult to detect. For instance, someone may ask you what your best time/performance is (often before a race), and then kindly inform you that they (or their swimmer) has done a much better one. Or they may let you know about every single great swim they have ever done in recent times.

If you're not careful, this can unknowingly set off a string of negative thoughts before a race, which could eventually lead to a bad performance - remember, the mind controls the body! (By the way, a great response to these comments is to say "wow, you should do really well in this race then!" This puts the pressure right back on them). Others who use psychological warfare may use this 'reverse' method to put pressure on you, by mentioning things such as "you have had such good results, you should do much better than me today". Of course, this could also be a truthful comment made to you by a friend, but always make sure you can tell between the authentic ones and the fake ones!

These are just some of the saboteurs to look out for. You can only overcome the hurdles you know about - so always be aware of any influences upon your mental attitude whilst you are at meets, especially before races. Do this by 'checking in' regularly, to eavesdrop on what your mind is thinking. Always remember that on many occasions, races are often won before they even start.

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

Craig Townsend