Handling Failures and Disappointments

By Dr. Alan Goldberg//Competitivedge.com

One of the more important mental skills that you will need in your mental toughness toolbox if you want to go far as possible in this sport is a most unlikely one.

The secret to your ultimate success in the pool lies in how you manage your failures and disappointments.

Setbacks and failures will always be an expected part of your journey as a competitive swimmer. You can't go from “bad” to “great” without a lot of them.

THE VERY BEST SWIMMERS IN THE WORLD “FAIL BETTER” THAN EVERYONE ELSE. WHAT DOES THIS REALLY MEAN?

 Each time you experience a bitter disappointment, fall far short of your goals in that all important taper meet or you lose again to your arch rival, whether you know it or not, you're at a critical mental crossroads in your swimming. Which road you choose after a failure will determine how much you improve as a swimmer and whether you reach your BIG dreams!

You can do what far too many swimmers do and get angry at yourself, use the failure as evidence of your shortcomings and then emotionally beat yourself up. Or, you can get curious about the meet and your races, carefully exploring what went wrong and therefore what you need to do differently next time.

THE WRONG ROAD – GETTING LOST IN YOUR ANGER & FEELINGS OF INADEQUACY

You know the drill. After the meet you hear your “inner coach” tell you, “You suck! Your season was a total waste! You'll never get that cut! You don't have it anymore! You should just quit!” Unfortunately when you take this emotional road after failing, you'll completely miss the valuable information that always accompanies failure. In each and every failure we have, we are presented with an opportunity to learn what we did that didn't work, and therefore, exactly what we need to do differently next time in order to have a successful result. In this way, you will always find the seeds of future victories within your defeats and disappointments. However when you take this getting down on yourself road, getting furious with yourself for failing, then you'll be left directionless and discouraged, with little confidence and no motivation to keep on keeping on.

THE RIGHT ROAD – GET CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT WENT WRONG

When you take the other road, when you temporarily set the anger and other strong emotions that accompany failure aside and get curious about what went wrong, then you put yourself into a completely different headset. Your confidence will remain high and your motivation to improve and get better will actually increase. Your curiosity as to what didn't work and what you could've done differently will send you in a constructive direction. This headset will insure that you quickly bounce back from your failures, continuously improve and stay on track towards your swimming goals.

NO ONE LIKES FAILING

I've never met a serious athlete who didn't hate losing with a passion. However, the very best have figured out that what will hurt you in your swimming career is not the losses, disappointments or setbacks. These are to be expected and are quite necessary to reaching an elite level in anything that you do, in or out of the pool. The real problem here, and what will hurt you and seriously derail your swimming career is how you respond to these failures.

GETTING UPSET WITH YOURSELF AFTER FAILING IS A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME

It has absolutely no constructive value. It won't motivate or inspire you to greater heights. It won't make you feel better about yourself, and it will do absolutely nothing to help you correct any mistakes you might have made that were responsible for your poor swims. Instead, learn to approach your disappointments and failures with curiosity. Get in the habit of asking yourself, “What did I do pre-race or during race that didn't work?” and “What do I need to do differently next time?” If you're not sure what you did wrong, then go ask your coach and he/she can help you learn exactly what you did wrong so you can constructively use your setbacks as building blocks to your ultimate success.

REMEMBER: FAILURE IS FEEDBACK AND FEEDBACK IS THE BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS!

The Magic of an Opportunity

The Magic of an Opportunity

BY Mike Gustafson//Correspondent

Imagine Doc Brown from Back to the Future came up to you and said, "Today you're going to set a world record. The only thing you have to do is race."

You'd swim that day, right? You'd be the first person in the pool, warming-up, excited and ready to swim?

World records aren't broken every day. The opportunity is rare. You'd take advantage of it.

Unfortunately, time travel and Doc Brown do not (yet) exist. Swimmers don't know what the future holds. Sometimes, we don't feel like swimming.

Instead of swimming that looming, ominous 1500m this afternoon, we'd rather go to the beach. Or go shopping. Or take a nap. There will be another day, another race, right?

But you never know. Sometimes the difference between breaking a world record or not is simply showing up to swim.

Take Kate Ziegler.  At the Indianapolis Grand Prix, Ziegler told me that on the day she broke Janet Evans' hallowed 1500m world record, she didn't want to swim that evening. She wanted to go to the beach. She wasn’t really feeling it. Fortunately, her coach convinced her to swim that afternoon. The rest, as they say, is history.

But what if she had gone to the beach? What if she never swam that day? For whatever reason, the nuts and bolts were zooming in perfect harmony that day. Would they realign? Could she repeat that same performance the next day? Next week?

What if she didn't swim that day?

I was once told from the creator of "Friends" that the hardest thing to do in the entertainment industry isn't getting your foot in the door; it's being prepared when you're already in.

People always get their foot in the door, but they rarely take advantage of it.

It’s that old “elevator pitch” theory. You should always be prepared when you live in Hollywood, because you never know who could be stuck in an elevator with. Some of my friends went from assistants to executive producers in 24 hours because they were stuck in an elevator with someone like Rosie O’Donnell, pitched her an idea they had rehearsed, and made the most of their opportunity. No joke.

Swimming is similar. Any given lane at any given time is an opportunity. "Give me a lane, anywhere, anytime," one famous swimmer used to say, "and I'll aim for perfection."

Sometimes, swimming is viewed in a linear path. You’d think, “Times will get faster. Races will get easier. I’ll eventually get here, do this, swim that, and by this year I’ll be where I want to be.” Swimmers sometimes circle on the calendar, "This is when I'll swim my fastest. This is the plan."

But swimming is rarely predictable. It’s not this linear, easily-planned calendar of time progression. It's more a chaotic fun house. It’s opposite than what you’d expect. You swim fast when you expect to swim slow. You swim slow when you expect to swim fast. One day, you could be planning a trip to the beach, while your body secretly knows, “I could be breaking a world record right now, this very second.”

You never know when the swim of your life will happen.

You can’t plot out the future. And unless Doc Brown swings by your house and points out the highs and lows of your future swimming career, it’s best to say to yourself, “Give me a lane, anywhere, anytime – and it could be magic.”  

Plaqued by Muscle Cramps?

Plagued by Muscle Cramps?

       

10/15/2013

By Jill Castle, MS, RDN

Josh was a devoted swimmer and never missed a practice, morning or night. But he was having problems with muscle cramps. His calf muscle would tighten up during laps, and it was painful. Sometimes it was his feet or a hamstring, or a side stitch in his abdomen.

Like Josh, up to 95% of the general population are affected by exercise-associated muscle cramps (EAMC). When muscles are in the shortened, contracted state, cramps are more likely to occur. Muscle cramping in humans occur more frequently after exercise or competition.

Traditionally, most people think muscle cramps are caused by sweating too much, causing dehydration and loss of important electrolytes like sodium and potassium. Defining “sweating too much” in the swimmer can be tricky, as many swimmers don’t feel sweat in the water. The common advice to prevent cramps has been to load up on potassium-rich foods such as banana or potato, or guzzle large amounts of sports drinks.

But research has been slim in proving dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities are the root cause of muscle cramps. This is partly due to the difficulties in re-enacting similar exercise conditions causing muscle cramping in the lab setting, and because they tend to be spontaneous and unpredictable. Researcher Kevin C. Miller has found that cramps in mildly dehydrated athletes who were minimally fatigued “were not likely caused by dehydration.”

Neuromuscular fatigue (muscle exhaustion), which stems from overuse and inadequate rest, is another theory for muscle cramps. Muscle exhaustion is on a continuum, so each athlete has his own point at which muscle exhaustion occurs. Researchers believe the muscle exhaustion theory is the reason some athletes cramp up and others don’t. When a muscle is extremely tired, mechanisms within the muscle start to misfire. Small nerves that should keep the muscle from over-contracting malfunction, causing the muscle to bunch up rather than relax.

What are the best solutions for preventing muscle cramps?

Adequate Fluids
Make sure you get enough fluids throughout the day; before practice, during and after it’s over. For more about hydration, read this: Fluid for Thought

Foods rich in potassium and sodium
If you don’t eat a diet full of fruits, vegetables and dairy products (or non-dairy substitutes), you may need to revamp your diet. Foods with high potassium content are banana, potato, tomato, white beans, sweet potato, chocolate milk and OJ.
Nearly all foods have sodium, but good sources are anything salty like pretzels or crackers (but watch the chips!). Just beware that immediate relief is unlikely to occur—it takes time to digest food!

Pickle juice
Kevin C. Miller has studied the effects of pickle juice on athletes. He suspects the vinegar in pickle juice, not sodium, activates the nerve receptors in muscle tissue and disrupts the reflex commotion in the muscles. More research is needed to prove this an effective course of action, but those who have had success with it, swear by it.

Training adjustments
Out-of-shape swimmers who dive into intense exercise may struggle with muscle cramps. Build up your mileage slowly, adding strength training focused on muscles that have cramped in the past.

Stretching
Stretching is the most common advice and most effective for relieving muscle cramping, but this might not be effective for heat-related cramping. Develop a stretching routine as part of your workout to minimize cramps.

Sources:
Miller KC et al. Exercise-associated muscle cramps. Causes, treatment and prevention. Sports Health. 2010; 2(4): 279-283.

http://www.momsteam.com/muscle-cramps/exercise-associated-muscle-cramps-debunking-five-myths

Top Resources for Sports Nutrition

  

10/22/2013

Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, RDN, CSSD

The two most frequently asked questions I get from swimmers (and parents of swimmers) are, “Can you provide a detailed food plan for me (or my swimmer)?” and “Where can I learn more about nutrition for swimmers?”

The first question, providing a food plan, is best referred to a local sports dietitian nutritionist who is licensed in the state where the swimmer lives. A registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) who has sports nutrition expertise (credentialed as a certified sports dietitian or CSSD) can provide an individualized nutrition plan to meet growth and development demands of young swimmers while supporting training and competition.

The RDN can also ensure that energy needs are met with the best ratio of carbohydrate, protein and fat with adequate vitamins and minerals tailored to the age, gender and activity of a swimmer.

While many personal trainers try to provide nutrition advice, it is often outside the scope of their practice and training. In my 25+ years of experience as a sports dietitian, it is my opinion that personal trainers just don’t have the depth of knowledge in nutrition to provide nutrition consulting to athletes.

To find a qualified sports nutritionist, connect to the website of Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN) and search in the “Find a SCAN RD” window. The website for SCAN is http://www.scandpg.org/.

The second question on finding resources is easy. However, don’t just “Google” sports nutrition, because you may get a lot of links to websites trying to sell you supplements you don’t need. Try these resources instead. For books, check out these recommendations:

Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 5th edition, published by Human Kinetics (2014 copyright).

Suzanne Girard Eberle’s Endurance Sports Nutrition, 3rd edition, published by Human Kinetics (2014 copyright).

Jill Castle’s Fearless Feeding, published by Jossey-Bass, (2013 copyright), and author of sports nutrition articles on this website.

For online resources, check out the United States Olympic Committee’s sports nutrition resources at http://www.teamusa.org/About-the-USOC/Athlete-Development/Sport-Performance/Nutrition.  You will find many resources here including videos, recipes, and athlete eating guidelines. I especially like the athlete’s plates – a quick visual on what to eat on easy, moderate or hard days of training.

SCAN has free sports nutrition fact sheets on a wide range of topics at http://www.scandpg.org/sports-nutrition/sports-nutrition-fact-sheets/ and mom and dad may also want to look at the handouts on the cardiovascular and wellness sites of SCAN.

The Australian Institute of Sport has been a leader in sports nutrition for Australian athletes. You don’t have to go down under to take advantage of their expertise; just go to http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition to see the many free resources to help you with a healthy eating plan and to learn more about good nutrition.

Chris Rosenbloom is the sports nutrition consultant for Georgia State University Athletics and is the editor of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Sports Nutrition Manual, 5th edition, 2012. She welcomes questions from swimmers, parents and coaches. Email her at chrisrosenbloom@gmail.com. 

Five ways to Make the Most of a Bad Practice

5 Ways to Make the Most of a Bad Practice

3 Hannah Saiz | October 17th, 2013 |

Let's face it: having a bad meet is no fun, but the daily grind of practices is what can really bring us down. What's the best way to deal when the going gets rough?  

Some days, practice makes you feel like you could break world records with both eyes closed and your feet tied behind your back. Just give me a wall to push off, coach, and I can do anything!  Those days are pure awesome, that leave you feeling accomplished when you climb out of the water, ready to break a Guinness World Record in one handed pushups.

And then there are the days when if you can finish to the wall without being lapped four times in a 200 free, you consider yourself lucky. We’ve all been there, and every athlete has taken a look at practice when they weren’t feeling their best and said, Nope. That’s not happening today, coach.

But what can you do when you’re not feeling your best in the water? Putting in two hours of dogged back and forth grind focusing on how badly you feel isn’t going to be an effective use of resources – you’re wasting your time, and your energy. So, aside from crawling out of the pool and begging for a day off, what can you do?

1) Relax

For some people, this sounds like a given. For others, you’re already too busy pounding away on your body, trying to make it go faster for the word relax to make any sense. Relax? you’ll ask. But I’m barely making the send off!

Thing is, there’s some truth to the notion that the harder you try, the harder it is to go fast. Sometimes – often times – 95% is faster than all out. That’s not saying that relaxation is a cure for all evils of off days. Occasionally you will just have a day where you’re not up to breaking world records in practice. Being able to relax and enjoy the process anyway is key to getting yourself through workout, maintaining a positive mindset so you don’t disrupt teammates.

2) Find a friend

Maybe there was a practice once upon a time in some awesome alter universe where every athlete in the pool was busy being at their all time best. Most of the time, that doesn’t happen. If you are having an off day, chances are someone else is, too. If you are usually the lane leader and suddenly find yourself displaced because today just isn’t going your way, there may be a friend back in the ranks who can pace you out to your 100% effort that day. Whoever it is, cheer for them, and they’ll cheer for you too. I can’t count the number of times where teammates have “gotten me through” a practice, by cheering and being willing to help push me and themselves to whatever our best is for the day.

3) Change it up

So you’re a breaststroker and all your tempos and times are off today. Or maybe you usually do long freestyle, but you can’t hold onto any water. Whatever your main stroke is, and whatever speed you’re supposed to be going can act as a rut. If you find yourself stuck doing mediocre times and can’t get your turnover to be “right,” try doing a repeat of something else. If you’re supposed to be sprinting 50s of fly and can’t manage today, try doing a 50 or two of backstroke. See if you can shake yourself out of the rut by resetting the system. Occasionally your main stroke just needs a day off.

4) Switch the focus

So you can’t relax. There’s no one going nearly as slowly as you are today. Your breaststroke didn’t get any better by trying some backstroke, and now there’s a killer aerobic set waiting in the wings. You’re ready to give up and call practice what it obviously is today – a waste of time.

Don’t. Sure, everyone else is going to be going after 18x150s on 1:40 like bats from hell, but you aren’t going to focus on making the time. If your body isn’t going to cooperate in speed, you can find some other way to make the workout into a time to improve. How many flip turns are there in 18x150s? 90.  Time to focus on turns. Focus on breakouts. Focus on not breathing into or out of the wall. You get caught? Work hard to make the other person swim around you. Try to make every third 150. Master three dolphin kicks off each wall. Pick something to turn this into a game, and let a little automated video-game voice in your head narrate what you’re doing.

If it’s not exactly what coach intended when she wrote the set? Hey – at least you got something out of it.

5)  Look forward

“How was your set today?”

How many times do you hear that and want to say that practice today was worse than being forced to run a marathon backwards in a snow-tornado-blizzard wearing a two piece and no socks? Better than focusing on how not-your-best today was, look to the next workout, whether that’s tomorrow morning or this coming afternoon and say, full of conviction, “The next one will be better.”

Anyone have other ways to deal when the going gets rough?

Importance of Stretching Before Exercises

 | By Gina Belleme 

Many active individuals believe stretching is not an important part of any exercise program and it can be skipped all together. However this is not true --- stretching can improve your flexibility, reduce risk of injury and improve your overall quality of life. By adding stretches that focus on all major muscle groups before you exercise, you will get more out of your workout and decrease muscular soreness afterward.

Flexibility

Stretching increases your flexibility. Increased flexibility can improve your physical performance during exercise and everyday life while reducing your risk of injuries by increasing the range of motion in your joints. As you age, your flexibility decreases, thus making your body stiffer and less mobile. By incorporating stretching into your routine you can counteract this process and maintain your current flexibility.

Other Benefits

Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles, which is important for exercise because it increases mobility and prevents your muscles from tiring too soon. Stretching can be beneficial throughout the day. For example, if your neck muscles are tight at work you can gently stretch them to release tension and prevent headaches. If you are experiencing soreness from a previous workout, stretching before your next workout can alleviate some of the muscular stiffness.

Proper Stretching

When you incorporate stretching into your exercise routine it is important to follow certain guidelines while stretching to avoid any onset of injury. Many believe stretching is considered a warmup; consequently stretching cold muscles can make you prone to injury. You should warm up with light activity --- walking or jogging --- before performing your stretches. According to MayoClinic.com, avoid any bouncing-type movements; these can cause small tears in your muscles. When stretching, you should hold the stretch for 30 seconds before releasing. It is important to stretch both sides of your body. For example, if you stretch your right quadriceps, you should also stretch your left quadriceps.

Considerations

Stretching after your workout is equally as important as stretching before. Since it increases blood flow to your muscles, stretching afterward can lessen muscular soreness and aid in muscle recovery. If you already have an injury stretching it may not be best because it can cause more strain and prolong the injury. MayoClinic.com states stretching may not prevent all injuries, for an example you can still suffer from an overuse injury. You should consult with your physician about the best stretches for you if you have any health concerns.

How to Stay Hydrated During Practice

8/13/2013

By Jill Castle, MS, RDN

Dear Splash,
My coach had a lecture for us about drinking things like soda and Gatorade during practice. He asked us to send a letter to the editor asking this question, "What should we drink during a swimming practice and how often?"

Drinking fluids during practice is very important, yet many swimmers save drinking for after practice. And, there can be barriers. My own daughter has complained stating, There isn’t enough time, Mom. Nobody else does it, why should I? The breaks are our time for talking and it’s awkward.

All the experts and all the science points to the importance of drinking fluids during practice, especially if muscles are to perform their best and the body can endure the demands of a long practice.

When figuring out what to drink, it’s all about the duration of practice.

For one-hour sessions or less, swimmers can drink and stay hydrated with plain water. But, when swimming sessions last more than an hour, swimmers need to replace the primary sweat nutrients, sodium and chloride, as well as consume some carbohydrate to improve endurance and keep muscles fueled. This can be accomplished with a beverage containing electrolytes and carbohydrate, such as a sports drink.

Most sports drinks provide a blend of sugars, maximizing the carbohydrate uptake to muscles, and come in concentrations of 4 to 9% solution (or 14 to 19 grams per 8 ounce serving size). There has been research in young athletes showing that sports drinks containing 8% carbohydrate may cause gastrointestinal upset, so lower concentrations may be better tolerated.

Fitness waters and enhanced water don’t provide enough carbohydrate for a long workout, and soda and other sugary beverages such as juice drinks, sweet tea, or lemonade are to be avoided as they may cause stomach distress.

How often should swimmers consume fluids during practice?

We can look to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) who set three guidelines for fluid consumption during exercise for youth. They say:

1. Appropriate fluid replacement should be available and consumed at intervals before, during, and after exercise. 
2. Nine to 12-year-old children should replenish with ~3 to 8 ounces of fluid every 20 minutes, and adolescents may consume 32 to 48 ounces of fluid every hour. 
3. For longer-duration activities (more than an hour), electrolyte-supplemented fluids, such as sports drinks, should be used to optimize hydration. 

While science tells us that swimmers should hydrate every 20 minutes, how does one make that happen in the pool? My advice is to bring drinks (with your name labeled on it) to the edge of the pool, at the end of the lane where you are swimming and being coached. At each pause in sets, or at a break, take two to three swigs of fluid (an average gulp of fluid is about one ounce).

Get practical:

• For a young swimmer age 9-12 years, bring at least 12 ounces of water to the poolside for the first hour of practice, and another 12 ounces of sports drink if practice goes for two hours. 
• For teens, enter practice hydrated and with good nutrition on board. Bring along a liter of water to consume the first hour of practice. After that, switch to a sports drink (bring a liter) to make sure you maintain hydration, keep your energy level up and enhance your endurance. 
• Some swimmers don’t like the taste of sports drinks. Use other techniques to enhance hydration, such as watered down 100% fruit juice, water and a salty food such as pretzels, or a sports gel and lots of water. 

Are you staying hydrated during practice?