How to Prepare Yourself for A Swim Meet

How to Prepare Yourself for A Swim Meet

With championship season on the go, swimmers are priming up for their big meets of the year. After months of investing all of those early mornings and seemingly impossible main sets, the opportunity to reap the benefits of all of your hard work is upon you. So how do you prepare for a swim meet? Here are some tips.

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Etiquette Laws of the Lane

Etiquette Laws of the Lane

Competitive swimmers know there are set rules to follow whilst swimming to ensure good lane etiquette and keeping peace between swimmers. For those new to competitive swimming, don’t worry we have you covered! Here are the rules to abide by when swimming in the lanes!

Getting into a lane

Choose the right lane for you. You may frequent the fast lane, but that doesn’t mean it’s always going to be the right lane for you. The best lane is the lane that will not impact your performance or your fellow swimmer’s performance. Take a second to evaluate the lane speeds before getting into the water. Be sure to observe the lane direction to see which direction you should be swimming. Clockwise? Anti-clockwise? Make sure you know the flow of the lane.

There should be lane signs to refer to in case you are unsure. If you are still unsure, check with a lifeguard! Don’t be the one to swim in the wrong direction as this can be dangerous. Just take a second to know you’re going the right way around.

Now you understand the lane you plan to get into, make sure it is clear when you get in. Don’t slide straight in! Make sure there are no oncoming swimmers before you enter the pool. If there is no safe space to jump in, sit to the side to indicate to other swimmers that you are there and ready to join the lane. Only join when safe to do so.

Don’t push off straight away behind a fellow swimmer. If you are close to the swimmer ahead of you, the more the person is dragging you along. Your swim becomes easier and theirs becomes harder. Wait a minimum of five seconds before pushing off - wait even longer if possible!

Be mindful of others

Certain swimming techniques require you to be more streamlined, keeping your arms and legs closer to your body, such as front crawl and backstroke. When it comes to techniques such as butterfly or breaststroke, you will be taking up more space with wider strokes. Be mindful of your fellow swimmers when practising. If possible, move to an empty lane when practising these techniques. Or you could pull one arm stroke where possible and try to reduce the size of your kick when passing another swimmer.

If someone touches your foot when swimming, don’t panic! Swimmers often tap each other’s feet to let them know they want to pass you. If your foot is tapped, all you have to do is move either to the wall or to the lane rope and let them pass by! Swim until you reach the end of the lane and stop at the wall to let them turn ahead of you. 

Taking a break

Need a break? When you need to stop, tuck yourself into the corner of the lane or sit on the poolside. Remove yourself from the end of the lane to allow other swimmers to carry on with their set without any disruptions.

When you’re taking a break, you shouldn’t ever hang off the lane ropes! Not only could you cut yourself, but the lane becomes loose and starts to wobble, effecting both your lane and the neighbouring lane.

And remember, when getting back into the lane, treat it as if you’re getting in for the first time! Check for other swimmers before getting in and keep your distance from the swimmer ahead of you.

Other etiquette rules

Don’t take equipment from others! When there are floats placed at the end of a lane, it’s because a swimmer has chosen to put them there and will be using them for their training plan. Be sure to have all your own equipment before swimming!

Be prepared. At ProSwimwear, we have a great range of equipment available for this: https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/swimming-accessories/swimming-training-aids.html 

Now you know the rules of the lane! Remember to check your surroundings and be aware of other swimmers. 

Race Day Preparations- Be ready for Race Day

Race Day Preparations- Be ready for Race Day

One rule all swimmers and coaches agree with on race day is keeping your routine and sticking to strategies that you know work and lead to your best performance. Have a series of checklists that will help set you up to achieve your peak performance. In this blog, we will go through the different ways to prepare for that big race.

Competitions push a swimmer to their limit, adding additional challenges. Swimmers often have to warm up multiple times during the day, once at the beginning of a session and again before each swim. Most warm-ups in the water consist of a moderate level of swimming, maybe try 400 to 800 metres! This can include stroke drills and even high intensity workouts that last around 50 seconds. 

Here are a few things you can do to help prepare that little more:

  • Finish your main warm-up at least 30 minutes before you have to race.
  • Finish your pre-event warm-up as close to the start of the event as possible. Leave it to the last five minutes of when your race is to begin
  • If possible, try getting back into the water 10 to 15 minutes before the race.
  • Only work your body enough to warm it up! Don’t work so hard that you fatigue your body before stepping up on the blocks!

 

As important warming up in the water is for a race, you should also incorporate dryland training into your warm-up, especially if the pool space at a competition is limited and no warm-up pool is available. Dryland training can improve a swimmer’s power, athleticism and speed for when they get back into the water. 

Swimmers need a strong core to transfer force efficiently from one part of the body to another, to push off from the wall and essentially win the race. Good core strength enables the swimmer to accelerate faster and to carry more speed in a dive. Core training can help to improve your breathing flow in the water, improve posture and upper body strength. You can do many dryland workouts that help to improve core strength, such as using resistance bands or doing sit-ups. Dryland training has many benefits for a swimmer. Want to learn more on why dryland training is important to a swimmer? Read more here: https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/blog/why-you-should-begin-dryland-training-/ 

 

 

Although your physical ability and health is important for a race, being mentally prepared and ready for a race is also very important. Having a well-known routine that helps prepare your brain for the race is always a great way to have your mind focused and will help to increase your performance.

Having strong self-confidence is also important to being prepared for a race. When a swimmer is able to see future successes as part of their mental preparation, their confidence isn’t too far behind. Confidence is something you can train and sharpen and isn’t something you have to fake. Recognising what you have done well helps to boost your self-esteem and to appreciate how far you have come. Want to learn more on how swimming increases self-esteem and confidence? Read more here :https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/blog/how-swimming-increases-self-esteem/ 

 

 

Overall, preparing for your race on the day should be with workouts and routines you are familiar with. Have confidence in yourself and don’t tire your body during warm-ups! We wish you the best of luck with your next competition!

The National Arena Swimming League

Arena Swim leagueThe National Arena Swimming League is on again for another season. With round 2 just around the corner, we're shining a spotlight on the national swimming league. So, what does the National Arena Swimming League involve, you might be asking?

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