When my goggles came down during a race, I thought about the people in the stands watching and realized I had to perform regardless of the circumstances. Transcript: "Yeah, so that was a really tough moment for me. But in that moment when my goggles came down, I thought about who was in the stands. There were three other people up there that could have been in that same relay spot. Just because I had my goggles in my mouth doesn't mean that I could use that as an excuse to not perform. I had been chosen for that spot for my country and for myself and for my teammates, and so I needed to step up and perform regardless of the scenario."
Brushstroke is not much different from other strokes, and people can get held back by overthinking it. Remember to take smaller breaths and focus on the kick to find what works for you. Transcript: "So this is interesting. I think for a lot of people the biggest thing that holds them back in brushstroke is that they overthink it. In reality, it's not really that much different from all the other strokes, you know? In the pool, you're still trying to get that high elbow catch so catching early in your stroke and then pushing forward. When I was younger, I had a lot of trouble because I would stop here with my breath. But I think just remembering that you get to breathe every stroke so it doesn't have to be a big breath, that can also hold people up because they go here then they're breathing, and then it takes them a while to get back up. But just remembering smaller breaths so that you can move your arms around. For me, since my kick is kind of the stronger part of my stroke, that's also the driver for my stroke, so I kind of base the rest of it around the kick, which is different than a lot of people. So just finding what works for you, and yeah."
Three brushstroke drills include two kicks one pull, swimming half the pool in flutter kick and then transitioning to brushstroke arms halfway down, and pulling down between strokes. Transcript: "Okay, three brushstroke drills. The first I'd say it's a super basic one. And super great for a timing technique. All that is two kicks one. Pull. It just really tightens everything up for me. So I'll often do that one in warmups. I've also really enjoyed and until recently the so you swim like, half the pool just lights going and light flutter kicking. And then about halfway down the pool going, too fast, brushstroke stroking, and Your flutter kicking. I'm not I just said that super confusing but so you skull halfway fast, brushstroke arms halfway, so that you can kind of feel the beginning of your pull and translate that into your pool. Lastly. I would say that for me since my pullouts are kind of a week or spot of my stroke. I've been doing a lot of just pull down, so I'll do like a pulldown. Come up due to a Strokes. Go back down to another pull down. Just do that all the way down the pool."
Sprinters focus on strength and technique in their practice. They usually spend time in the weight room, with short high intensity sessions. On off days, they focus more on technique and stretching out in the water to get a feel for it. Usually two to three Sprint sessions a week are done. Transcript: "So I'd say for sprinters, there's kind of two elements that you want to focus on one is strength and the other is technique and feel for the water kind of. So, obviously Sprinter spend a lot of time in the weight room. So I'd say that makes up quite a bit of practice time. Usually the sessions are a bit shorter, but more high intensity. I would also say, on off days. I spend a lot of time. I mean, I guess I'd consider myself a Sprint brush to occur more. Because in the hundred and working on the 50, I personally focused a lot more like technique and then just like, stretching out in the water, like getting a feel for the water and then, I don't know, it depends on the week, but I do maybe two to three Sprint sessions a week."
Swimming with people faster than me can be intimidating, but I look at it as motivation to push myself harder and improve the whole program. Transcript: "This is actually really good one for right now because I'm kind of transitioning into training with a new group at Texas who where there are really people that are swimming a lot faster than me and working really hard. And I mean not that I didn't have that before but it's just different to be swimming breaststroke and how people that are going the same speed or faster than me. But I wouldn't necessarily say I'm intimidated or scared by that. I think that it can definitely be Be intimidating or scary. Unless you look at it as motivating because having people ahead of you or having people going the same speed as you makes you want to go harder, makes them want to go harder and the whole program, just improves."
My biggest swimming pet peeve is when someone gets in for warm up and swims too fast or aggressively, or says they'll let you go ahead of them but then passes you anyway. Transcript: "My biggest swimming pet peeve is when someone gets in for warm up and starts swimming super fast and run, goes past you super aggressively. I also think it's really annoying when people say, oh, you can go ahead of me. And then proceed to pass you in the first 25 of the set. Like, just go ahead of me."