Feeling a little stuck with swimming? Here's some wisdom from one of his GOAT swimming coaches of all time, Eddie Reese.
Swimmers who strive for excellence in the water are bound to encounter unexpected plateaus and poor swims.
Those moments when things just don't work out, click, or get better despite your hard work.
Maybe it happens in the middle of a training cycle, after a great workout, or right after a big game.
So what can swimmers do to overcome these inevitable struggles and continue on the path to chlorine excellence?
Eddie Rees is a powerful reminder of what perspective to use when improvement feels harder than water.
After all, Coach Reese has more experience than most when it comes to developing elite swimmers.
See also: Eddie Rees' favorite sets to keep swimmers in shape
Reese won an NCAA-record 15 national titles at the University of Texas and finished in the top three at the NCAA Championships an astonishing 36 times.
He has also had a lot of success on the international stage, with his swimmers winning nearly 70 Olympic medals over the years.
And he has great wisdom about stretching during the season when things aren't going well or you're working hard and not getting the results you expected.
According to Mr. Reese:
“If you don’t swim poorly at certain times of the year, you’re not trying to get better.”
Reese's advice is a reminder that progress and success in the water is not linear.
Just working hard every day, doing the right thing, and paying attention to the details means everything goes smoothly and perfectly.
You may find that it is more difficult than you expected.
There will be dips, dips, and plateaus throughout the season.
As an elite swimmer, your goal is to persevere, analyze where you can improve, and believe in your work and process.
How to recover when things don't improve
Here are some tips on how to overcome those moments when you don't swim as well as you expected or as well as you'd like.
Let's keep a mental distance.
When you leave the pool, make sure you mentally step away from the pool as well. Obsessing over your poor performance in training (or in a match) won't help you recharge your proverbial batteries.
Distance yourself mentally by socializing with friends, watching movies, and doing other sensible things in your life.
Just because you get out of the pool doesn't mean you have less things to do or anything like that.
Rather, being able to reset and disconnect from the intensity and rigor of high performance swimming on the dry side of the pool is a competitive advantage.
please do not worry. The pool will still be open tomorrow.
Focus on different means of improvement.
Swimmers (understandably) look to the clock when measuring themselves for improvement.
fair enough!
However, there are many other ways to improve, but they won't be reflected immediately.
such as improving nutritional habits. Better hydration habits. Stretch more. Swim one stroke less each lap. Pull the lane rope at odd lengths instead of 100% of the time.
There are many ways to get better in the water, and focusing on something else (stroke rate, nutrition, sleep habits) can help you gain momentum and improve the entire process.
Over time, this will lead to further improvements.
back to basics.
The moment I get frustrated in the pool and get up to my ears, the moment I feel like a swimming cap that can't catch the water, can't reach my pace, and my strokes disappear under the pool bleachers for months. I'll go back. Basically.
Slow down and focus on catching a little more water with each pull of your arm.
Swim the pool using the best technique possible, regardless of the time.
Get back to the basics of swimming and increase your distance with streamlines.
Often we get caught up in the effort and time of pushing and shoving underwater.
But when you hit a wall or things aren't going well, getting back on track and getting back to basics is a great way to reset and get back on track with swimming.
If I was swimming after all goodit's only a matter of time before you start swimming fast.
summary
It's easy to get frustrated when you can't swim to your standards or when your improvement stalls.
But having some perspective, working on improving other areas, and revisiting what makes for a smooth, fast swim can help you get back on track.
As Reese points out, it's important to remember that things won't go perfectly throughout the season.bad at swimming intention happen.
But it's up to you to overcome these performance dips with perspective and a healthy process.
Let's have fun swimming!
About Olivier Poirier Leroy
Olivier Poirier Leroy is a former national level swimmer, author, swim coach, and certified personal trainer.he is the author of your swim booka 10-month diary for competitive swimmers.
He is also the author of the recently published Mental Training Workbook for Competitive Swimmers. Conquer the Pool: The Swimmer's Ultimate Guide to a High-Performance Mindset.
Combining sports psychology research, worksheets, anecdotes, and examples from past and present Olympians, it provides everything swimmers need to conquer the mental side of the sport.
Are you ready to take your pool mindset to the next level?
Click here for more information conquer the pool.
