Curious what everyone’s internal conversation is when swimming - particularly open water.
I’ve switched between using some technique emphasis, for example, “relax, hook, move” (to coincide with the three strokes between bilateral breaths - intended to keep my recovery relaxed, make sure I get an EVF and then pull through using rotation - also used “long, smooth, straight” - the latter being for my legs) - and just counting each breath “1-2-3, 2-2,3, 4,2,3” up and down to 100 (Paula Radcliffe uses this when running to distract from pain).
I don’t love the swim so find I want something going on in my head to keep me focused, relaxed and negative thoughts at bay.
I’m pretty interested in behavioural psychology and know that imagery and word associations can subconscious shape behaviours (for example, ask people to do any kind of puzzle/quiz involving words/images associated with old age and they’ll leave the room and walk more slowly!) so am wondering if there are positive skews on this to help keep me relaxed, powerful and close to potential - anyone been down this avenue?
lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 turn
lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 turn
lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 turn
etc…
Open water? Usually it’s just a song that got stuck in my head. Sometimes it’s a good song, but usually not.
Curious what everyone’s internal conversation is when swimming - particularly open water.
I’ve switched between using some technique emphasis, for example, “relax, hook, move” (to coincide with the three strokes between bilateral breaths - intended to keep my recovery relaxed, make sure I get an EVF and then pull through using rotation - also used “long, smooth, straight” - the latter being for my legs) - and just counting each breath “1-2-3, 2-2,3, 4,2,3” up and down to 100 (Paula Radcliffe uses this when running to distract from pain).
I don’t love the swim so find I want something going on in my head to keep me focused, relaxed and negative thoughts at bay.
I’m pretty interested in behavioural psychology and know that imagery and word associations can subconscious shape behaviours (for example, ask people to do any kind of puzzle/quiz involving words/images associated with old age and they’ll leave the room and walk more slowly!) so am wondering if there are positive skews on this to help keep me relaxed, powerful and close to potential - anyone been down this avenue?
lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 turn
lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 turn
lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 turn
etc…
Don’t you get confused whether a lap is 1 or 2 lengths?
lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 turn
lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 turn
lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 turn
etc…
“start trying”
generally useful when already going fast and need to go faster
pool - mostly I just try to lap the people around me, and/or paying attention to where people are in the lane over and catching a draft when I can
I probably think mostly about form - keeping my head down, hips up, rotating to pull with my lats. Thinking about form and/or calculating splits / counting makes up the bulk of my mental conversation.
lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 turn
lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 turn
lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 turn
etc…
lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 lap 1 turn
lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 lap 2 turn
lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 lap 3 turn
etc…
I do this, except 50m’s (50m, 50m, 50m, turn, 100m…etc)
In open water, I count six strokes then sight, then discuss if I actually sighted the next buoy. If I agree that I did, I count to six again, otherwise I sight again.
Also in open water, remind myself not to panic, keep pace under control, etc. But mostly not to panic.
In the pool replay scenes from movies and tv shows in my mind. Usually one scene on a loop vs. the whole movie. Otherwise, whatever song is bouncing around my head which is usually whatever was on the radio when the alarm popped on. If I’m racing or otherwise pushing hard it’s normally a nonsensical repetitive phrase. For a while I’d slip into imploring myself to,â€use the whole fist†which is a perversion of a line from Fletch.
Open water I generally focus on sighting (I’m a little blind) and remaining spatially aware of my surroundings and in particular the other athletes. To much going on to space off.
Last time I swam open water (last summer) I’m pretty sure I was singing “Single Ladies” for about 15 minutes. Which, incidentally, has a great tempo for swimming.
“Let it Go” is way too slow for fast & effective swimming, especially for OW.
