"Visualization"
Not long ago a boy in my group at TAQ gave his talk about it, and how he thinks it works. I just told a story of how I became a swimmer and whats happened since.
The boy talked about how it didn't matter what song, or what race, if he listened and closed his eyes to picture the race, it would go well.
This comes from one of the fastest year-round swimmers in the state.
He played a song. I don't remember what song. I've heard it on the radio at practice, but I don't listen to the radio anywhere else. He made us close our eyes, and then a bunch of us decided to lay down. The speakers were not cheap, and they were the opposite of quiet. So I did what he said and envisioned a race.
True, I already do this at every meet, but it really captured an essence in that moment.
Coming up in, oh 40 hours is the state meet. Why don't we see if I can get a race into words. Which race should I do? I'm swimming the 200 free, 500 free, and two relays. I'm expected to get second in both behind the same junior in both races who is a year-round coach's daughter, who is going to break the state records by a lot. Ok, I'm going to do the 500. I swim this race only once, on thursday (finals).
20 laps, I am going to be in lane 5, next to the junior. Swimmers in the finals (top 8) go to a ready room before the race. The top seat picks a song that everyone walks up to the blocks with. They announce the names, and schools cheer for their swimmers. Someone will be counting for me, sticking a number into the pool so I don't have to worry about mixing up numbers. So lets begin.
I'm in the ready room. I was sitting but who can do that anymore, the race is next. I've written my name on the chair, and now I stand in my black tiger aquatics parka ( michael phelps wears one for reference, its extremely warm and just amazing) I'm wearing my tech suit (suit that goes to the knees, costs $250-550, and takes 30 mins to an hour to get on), and I'm stretching, jumping up and down and swinging my arms around. The music starts. Lane 1 walks out and we follow in a line. I shrug off my parka and throw it on a bleacher. I put my goggles on and stare at the setting water. "In lane 8 ----" *cheering* "lane 1---" and so on. "In lane 5, Bailey --- from -----"... "and your top seed for the girls 500 yard freestyle, Victoria ---- from -----"
*long whistle*
We get onto the blocks, some people get into a starting position, but I don't, it messes with blood flow you need when you dive. "take your marks"
*hideous sound I can't even come up with something to say here*
And we're in the water. As expected, Victoria is sprinting. But I can't race her, I'd die off. Swim my own race, which is still sprinting, just not quite so fast. No number on the first lap, not that it matters until the last lap though. I count by 50 yards. 10x 50s. Ten is easier to think about then 20. The beeping of a pacer rings in my ear, oh god I hope its fast enough. As the number gets higher and higher, I do something almost no one else can. I get increasingly faster. Only way to tell your not dying is to give enough effort to be as good or better than you started. I get closer and closer to the end and I just swim as fast as I can, I won't actually die, and if I have anything left after the race and I'm not happy with my time, well thats a lot of negative thinking for the relays. At this point it doesn't matter where anyone in the race is, only me, and on my last 50, my brain knows its almost over and decides to start feeling exhausted, but I ignore it and drive myself into the wall, and gasp for air and lay on the wall until I decide to look at the score board to find -
Was this an actual race or just a visualization of what you think the race will be like?
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