Monday, January 15, 2007
On training your mind
In preparation for the upcoming One Hour Swim, our team practices have emphasized distance. Yesterday, the head coach gave us a main set of 2,400 yards which consisted of 24 x 100s {i.e. 3 x100 pace followed by 1 x 100 at 85% effort}. Our lane was fortunate enough to have Bill as a leader (consistency being his middle name). Finding a comfortable space at the end of the pack, I daydreamed about the views from Lake Michigan, hummed "Let it Snow" and mulled over Dean's suggestions in Open Water Swimming: A Complete Guide for Distance Swimmers and Triathletes. The guru stresses:
- 70 to 80 percent of any open water swim is mental.
- Mental training is a daily process.
- You have to control pressure instead of letting it control you.
- Relaxation is the first component of mental training one must learn.
- To be successful, one's mind has to support one's body.
