This brings us to the subject of trying too hard in races, instead of just focusing on the race itself. I am not talking about going into races without trying, quite the opposite - we can get more from our mind and body if we just allow ourselves to do what it is we've been trained for, instead of over-trying. It is important to have an intention or goal when you race, such as achieving a certain time, but these thoughts must only occur before (and never during) the race.
Often when we obsess or focus too much on what we want, it actually drives our goal further away from us. The key is to relax, allow your body to do what it has been trained to do, and trust that this will be enough to succeed.
This also applies to a swimmer who may be being overly pressured by an outside influence, (such as a coach or parent) about achieving a particular time or goal. This creates extra tension in the mind and body of the swimmer, making the goal far more difficult to achieve. The key is to make the goal enjoyable so that the swimmer desires to achieve it without feeling too much pressure about time deadlines.
Susie O'Neill's coach Scott Volkers said this week that her attempt to break Mary T Meagher's 200m butterfly record would be fought as much in the mind as in the pool.
After twice coming close in the Pan Pacs in Sydney last August, Volkers said her best chance of breaking the record lies in keeping her mind off breaking the record, and not getting involved in the public and media hype about it.
He went on to say "if she thinks about the world record while she races, she won't break it. It's as simple as that. She needs to think about it while she trains but she can't afford to think of anything when she races except for racing. She has to be relaxed and rhythmical and attack the races" he said.
Volkers helped O'Neill overcome the media hype of possibly becoming most successful athlete in Commonwealth Games history in Kuala Lumpur by teaching her a simple visualisation technique - telling her to swim as if her lane was draped with black curtains along both sides of her lane. This allowed her to swim as if no-one was watching, and allowed her to swim her own race, not worrying about the other lanes.
This is a fabulous method to use when the 'spotlight' is on you and you are feeling the pressure of being the favourite. As mentioned in a previous tip, most swimmers are either 'underdogs' or 'frontrunners', meaning they prefer to either go out hard and lead the race all the way (a frontrunner), or otherwise come from behind to win (an underdog).
For those who have trouble being frontrunners, this technique could work very well, as it reduces some of the pressure associated with being in front. Try this whenever you are feeling the pressure of being in the spotlight - if it works for Susie O'Neill, it's definitely worth a try!
