When Conditioning Fails....

Back in the water after 2 weeks or even a month off, in swimmer time equals PAIN.  Your body feels unnatural.  One of my swimmers said it's like they are a blob in the water.  Even a week off in swimmer time = slower times and reconditioning. 

When conditioning fails.  No not the kind you put in your hair.  When physical conditioning- preparation, practice, commitment to the sport, fails.... whether you were sick, broke a bone, suffered a loss in the family, off season, different sport, or lack of commitment... THAT is when technique will get you through.

When conditioning fails- rely on your technique.

What does that mean in hindsight????

Work on your technique first.  Make sure you are doing it right.  From Polliwogs on up- I've always said technique over speed.  I don't care if you can do it fast, I care if you can do it right. 

With technique will come.....  SPEED.

So- back to the basic Mondays are designed to break it down and to retrain those bad habits and form good ones.  We break down one part of a stroke and focus on it.  Sometimes it's your tight streamline and underwater dolphin because we've gotten lazy off the walls.  Sometimes it's the catch and reach in freestyle because we aren't maximize our potential.  Sometimes it's breaststroke kick because we aren't whipping and squeezing.  We are focusing on technique because with it will come speed.  Even Michael Phelps has something to work on when it comes to his technique.  That's the thing about technique it's constantly evolving or changing and so are you.  SURE there are things that are always constant.  Tight streamlines... that is NEVER going to change.  But all this talk about butterfly kick after a breaststroke start just supports that statement.  Your body is constantly changing and with change comes an awkward stroke that will need adjusting.

Any parents reading this remember what it's like to try to start working out after days, months, (cough...) years (cough, cough).  Your body is out of shape but your mind isn't. 

Another note before closing.  We have some NATURAL swimmers on our team.  This means it comes easier to them, their body takes over and naturally has a good-great technique.  However, without hard work, it will only get them so far.  In the younger age levels they will be fine... but when they start aging up or getting older, without hard work, they will not excel and will fall behind the pack.

Support your swimmers in the next couple of weeks.  Explain to your athlete the importance of hard work and technique- NOT speed.   Hard work will pay off, but with results comes some aches and pains and more importantly time in the water doing it right.