In the perfect race, your swim will be 85 % training 10% race prep and 5% luck. Assuming that you are training correctly and you picked up a penny earlier that day our goal here is to make sure you are able to race at 100% efficiency. However, make no mistake, while it may only constitute 10% of an ideal race, a dead poor race prep routine can cripple a competition day to where your hard work in training could be rendered redundant. Getting into the right mindset, keeping your body on form and making sure you aren't doing anything silly like eating harrows 3 mins before a race, is very important for having a good race day. For those of you who are already veteran swimmer that has a routine that works for you keep it. If you are new to racing or are currently not a fan of your race day performances and think it may be linked with anything here, give them a try and see what works for you. Race prep is the most personalised and self-tailored part of competition swimming so make it so.

​

​

1 Month From Race Day

 

1 month from race day is a good time to become more race-specific in your training and to pick up the training and recovery. In one month there is enough time for the implementation of recovery techniques you may have wavered the rest of the year to have a positive effect. It is a good time to start eating just a bit better, stretching more and sleeping better. Begin now to chose to swim your race strokes more often and really put emphasis on perfecting starts and turns when you can. It is also good to get into a competitive mindset, set out what time you want to get and whom you want to beat (defeat not hit), it will give you extra motivation and focus on what you know you should be doing in order to facilitate that goal.

​

1-2 Weeks From Race Day

​

A couple of weeks from race day is a good time to become race stroke-specific in training. Train your race stroke as much as you can with emphasis on the distance you are going to race. Get turns and starts nailed, making sure underwater phase is strong and the breakout is smooth. ask for help with any weaknesses you have but do not make any large changes within 10 days of race day as by then it is often too late and its best to work with what you know. Do not make any large dietary changes, this is not the time to try that cool vegan diet your bestie Sarah is on. Increase protein consumption slightly, ensure you are hydrated (water and salts) and try and cut down on junk food. Ideally, we are making the diet as clean as we can without making you feel uncomfortable. Get work done and out of the way, you do not want to be racing while stressed about that assignment you haven't done yet, not good. Keep an eye on your goals and try and ramp yourself up, keep a positive attitude and reduce unnecessary stress, its easier to feel relaxed and good on race day if it's been the theme of the week.

​

Final 5 Days

 

The last few sessions you have before your race should be as race-specific as they can be, with finalisation and perfection of technique in every aspect. Do not go ham on a training session close to your race day, taper. If your last session is the day before your race then you can choose whether or not to attend, I often race better when I have not swum the day before but I have friends who swear by it. Make no other large changes to your habits, diet or training it will not be beneficial to your race to do so.

​

The Day before

 

This day, or at least the second half of it, should be dedicated to preparing for your races tomorrow. Find out where you need to be and when by. Try and find the programme so you can roughly plan your day, when you should and can eat, when can you go for a walk etc. Pack your bags completely ready and make sure that everything is done and dusted, this is not only good organisational skills but it will help clear your mind and make you feel more relaxed, the theme here is relaxation. After everything is compleated you may now want to psych yourself up or down, depending on how well you can sleep when riled up. Some like to try and forget about the race the next day, relax and get a good night sleep. Others prefer to visualise the race, focus on what they are going to do and how they are going to do it. Its all down to what makes you feel more prepared. Back when I was good at swimming, I would visualise the race and get myself in the zone, to then do my best to forget about it and relax, that way I had a blueprint of my race in my head but I was not sleepless with anticipation and adrenaline​. Finally, ensure that you are well hydrated, have no nagging easy to fix injuries and are fully hydrated. hydration the day before the race cannot be overstated in its benefits.

​

Basic things to pack:

• 2-3 water bottles

• Snack bars and such

• Training trunks/suit

• Racers/race suit

• Spare trunks/suit

• Hat and Goggles

• Spare Hat and googles

• Poolside Towel (if needed or used)

• Drying/changing Towel

• Poolside bag (bag to put stuff you will use on poolside while the bigger bag is in locker)

• Poolside Wear (TShirt and Shorts to wear over tranks/suit poolside to keep warm)

​

Race Day!

​

Hazzah! It is the day of the races. You have prepared properly and you are feeling good, you known when you are racing. As such you have timed your eating properly. You should have a large meal if possible around 1-1.5 hours before warmup and have enough food with you that you have snacks to keep you ticking over. Bananas, cereal bars, oat bars and such are ideal as they are sources of long-chain carbohydrates and slow-release energy. If there is a long break then you can have lunch but make sure you are not swimming 1 hour within a large meal. Sweet sugary things are less idea to be eating as this causes your sugar levels to spike and then dive unpredictably, not ideal.

 

Make sure you get on poolside on time to get a good warmup done. Swim a good bit of free and back to get warmed up and then change to the stroke you are going to race. Start slow and then increase speed over time so you don't injure yourself. Make sure the turns feel good and don't let people get in your way at the pool ends. Be courteous but if they are just sitting there it's fine to swim past them and turn on the wall where a space should have been left open. If you are racing spirits today then it is important to get a little bit of a longer warmup and to practice sprints in the pool for short distances. If you are doing a longe race then you don't have to warm up for as long but make sure that everything feels lose and smooth, don't hop out the pool feeling rusty or uneasy. After some time, sprint lanes at the end lanes will open up for dives. If you can be one of the first people on the blocks so that way you are very likely to get 2 dives before warmup ends. Once warmup is over, get dry, stay warm and get ready to put on our racers 10-20 mins before your race.

​

The Race

​

You have made it down to the whipping area and now you are waiting for your name to be called into your heat. This time should be spent warming up again, doing some jumps and ballistic movements, light stretches and mobility exercises to get the heart pumping. Use this time to visualise your race and become focused. Go over every detail and how it will be done so you will be in no uncertainty once you have left the blocks. 

​

Before a race, you should feel confident, so don't stand there slouched and nervous. Look straight ahead and shoulders back. If you are in the zone good. However, if you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed with anxiety, uncertainty and negative emotion then you need to find a way to counter it. You can try to focus on something else, breathing or any way you like to try and calm yourself and back to focusing on the race, or you can go the opposite way and use controlled aggression to block out the panic and use the adrenaline positively (usually works well for chaps and sprinters). Whichever way you chose just make sure to be focused and not to let negative thoughts cloud your race because they can follow through to the pool.

​

Once you are up at the blocks waiting for your race to start, you are able to use the water bucket if you like. I would recommend this for backstroke as you have to jump in first to start and it's cold. After this point, you are under the control of the referee. Remember to only go on the go, and never go unless you have heard the buzzer, don't follow others in they may have it wrong. Goodluck :)