November 2015 – just over 7 months to Trials.
As the anticipation builds leading up to the US Olympic Trials in June and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, we will stoke the excitement with high performance tips and training techniques on an ongoing basis.
Race Day Schedule and Strategy:
In our second Olympic Trials tip, we discuss perfecting your race day schedule and strategy ahead of time using a Saturday practice. Work with your coach on the key areas specific to you that you can focus on in the coming months. Discuss your breathing patterns, when to make your move in the race and plan the warmup and recovery protocols discussed last month. By preparing for your race day now, you are creating an environment and routine to follow, leaving nothing to chance.
Bridge Tip:
Try your racing suit on before racing in it – the first time always requires more time and extra effort to put on .
Perfect Practice Makes Perfect:
Simulating your ideal race day starts the night before. Prepare the necessary race-day essentials such as your racing suit, extra cap and goggles, snacks and charge all your devices. Eat the type of dinner you would like to have at Trials and get a good night’s sleep. From when you wake up, go through your pre-race routine. Eat your pre-race breakfast, if you have a favorite playlist, listen to that on the way to the pool. Move through your pre-meet dryland and water warmup. Plan about a 45-minute break to have a shower, put on your suit and mentally prepare for your race. Execute your race, film it, and review it with your coach.
Bridge Tip:
Remember – unlike high school and college meets, at Trials, once you report to the Ready Room, you may not leave, so no hopping in the water right before your race.
You have the opportunity to simulate your race day at least 6 times before Trials. By creating and preparing for your race day now, it will be like second nature heading into Omaha.
Good luck – make everyday count!
#Bridge2Rio
About BridgeAthletic
BridgeAthletic works with elite professional, collegiate, and club swimming programs to provide a turnkey solution for dryland training. Led by Nick Folker, the top swimming strength and conditioning coach in the world, our team builds stroke-specific, custom-optimized dryland programs for each of our clients. The individualized workouts are delivered directly to athletes via our state of the art technology platform and mobile applications. Check Nick and BridgeAthletic out as recently featured in SwimSwam.
About Nick Folker
Nick Folker is the Co-Founder and Director of Elite Performance at BridgeAthletic. Nick’s athletes have won 22 Olympic Medals, 7 team NCAA Championships and over 170 individual and relay NCAA championships. Megan Fischer-Colbrie works as the Sports Science Editor at BridgeAthletic. Megan was a four-year varsity swimmer at Stanford, where she recently graduated with a degree in Human Biology.
The Championship Series by BridgeAthletic is designed to empower athletes with tips from the pros that will help them reach peak performance come race day. We will be covering competition-focused topics such as nutrition, recovery, stretching, and mental preparation.
Follow BridgeAthletic on Twitter here.
Like BridgeAthletic on Facebook here.
Follow BridgeAthletic on Instagram here.
Swimming Training is courtesy of BridgeAthletic, a SwimSwam ad partner.