The Real Difference Between A Swimmer Who Wins vs Loses Their Race Finish
What does it *actually* take to finish with a WIN? Well, more than you might think. When I swam competitively, my teammates used to complain about racing me (a fact I am proud of). They’d tell our coach, “Hey, that’s not fair! They have a 7th gear at the end of their races.” The reality: this was and wasn’t true. I was a normal, hard-working swimmer, whose 7th gear was the combination that I needed to out-touch my opponent 99% of the time. Today I want to share my equation for a Race Finish that brings home the “W” with you.
As always, the swimmer who prepares to finish to win is the one who will win. But what does it take? The equation is simple in theory but difficult in practice. You add: A proper technical finish that’s been practiced until it’s muscle memory + incredible mental fortitude + emotional strength & confidence. The result? Winning your race. We’ve got your back at the Race Finish of this blog post.
Let’s Get Started
Race Finish With Proper Technique
The reality is, if you don’t finish your race with proper technique, it doesn’t matter how emotionally or mentally strong you are. You can still get out-touched. And more than that, it’s crucial that proper race finish technique is MUSCLE MEMORY. After all, the end of the race is a painful and tiring experience. We need to be able to rely on our practice here.
Race finish technique is fascinating too because all 4 strokes have a different finish technique: We’ve got proper technique for all 4 strokes with coaching cues in this blog post here!
For example, we can never forget this iconic Breaststroke Finish that was decided by pure instinct practiced over time.
Mental Fortitude At The Race Finish
Although we train to increase our endurance, sometimes we just go out too fast and die at the end of a race. But other times, our physical body CAN keep going. The problem is mentally we are tired of being tired and we slow down without meaning to.
Mental strength is what separates the good swimmers from the great ones. Mental strength is the secret ingredient to that 7th gear. It asks the question: “I know you’re in pain. Can you keep going anyways?” This is one of the most amazing, human parts of swimming, because we learn that we can push the mind-body limits that exist.
When I was swimming, especially the longer races, when I felt that intense, searing pain in my legs and lungs, I would use that as a cue in my mind to turn it up a notch. After all, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, it is that we are powerful beyond measure” – Marianne Williamson
Swimmers must train their mind to expect and even welcome pain and still remember that they are powerful. Try listening to some of these inspiring audiobooks to help boost your mental fortitude!
Emotional Strength & Confidence
The reality is that the end of a race is an emotional warzone. When swimmers are tired and over-heated, they are no longer at their best emotionally. The question then becomes: Who wants it more AND who believes they deserve it more? These aren’t physical questions. They are emotional ones.
I remember during a particularly rough college season I had plateaued with my progress and was feeling incredibly frustrated. I had lost a ton of confidence in myself and my ability to get better. Then, during a particularly important mid-season meet, my finals lane was right next to my training partner. We battled it out just like we did at practice, and I out-touched her by 0.01. This resulted in me dropping 0.06 seconds from my best. Although this doesn’t seem like a lot, it broke my plateau and restored my emotional confidence in myself.
Coaches, this is why it’s so important that your swimmers know that you believe in them and that you encourage them to believe in themselves. At the end of a race, when everything hurts and the going gets tough, they must have emotional fortitude and confidence within themselves to lean on.
Until next time,
Abbie Fish and the Swim Like A. Fish Team