More on Predictions

*Review of Wednesday evening will be coming at you tomorrow.  For now, more on the Scientific Method and its relationship on performance…..

We spoke about the times and the "predictions" before the races for many reasons on Saturday. 

One of those reasons was simply to get you psyched up for the event and go in with some heightened intent.  I wanted to make sure everyone had a goal in mind, because I was pretty positive that people raced the AM session with a "watch & see" attitude (i.e. "I'll see what I go in this race, and be moderately happy with my performance").

Another reason is because it provided some energy to the day and in that energy, I know I had fun and I think our athletes did too.

Another one of those reasons was to help you establish within yourself how intention works!  It's like Kanye West says, "I found bravery in my bravado"…you've got to have some swagger about you to be a great athlete.  You can't walk around the pool deck like you are only a pretty good athlete and really you are only there as fodder for the people who have been faster by only 3 measley seconds in a 200!  You've got to win the B final to become an A final swimmer and you've got to get second in the A final from lane 7 in a practice suit when everyone else is suited up.  We all want to blow the doors off the competition when it really counts but we can practice this mentality every day, not just on the days of the meets of our choosing.

The major reason we talked about predictions is because we need to practice what it is we do at the end of a season, or when we are going for cuts or wins at big meets.  We have to practice thinking about going a time, and then either going it and moving forward, or not going the time and figuring out the missing ingredient to actually doing the time.   Knowing and learning, through experience, is the next big step to repeating the positive aspects of racing and adding more positive aspects to our arsenal.

And it doesn't matter what event it is, whether it's a relay or individual -- and really it doesn't matter if we are racing or at practice.   Although its more directly effective at competitions, athletes should practice this predicting at practice as well -- every length of the pool.   

Every time you get in the gym or get in the pool, race somebody!  Go for your best every swims!  Get to the point where practices become pretty easy for the most part and you can basically just go hard the for the whole 2 hours!!  You get to that point, and how can you not go really fast?!