Some people just get it

[andyinnorway]

So here I am posting daily on this forum, thinking about my stroke, aiming for balance and efficiency and still struggling to make significant improvements over my time.

Then there is my friend I will be swimming with (against) on Saturday

doesn't know what a catch is or how he should be pulling, never thought about balance in his life.

Gets in the pool, swims a mile gets out. We know the type. these have been his texts the last few weeks.

1. "Ooh, swam a mile today, haven't been for ages lot slower than last year 26.45"

2. "Felt easier today 26.00"

3. "Getting a feel for it again 25.15"

4. "today, thought I'd gone much slower but was actually 24.40, feeling quite confident for saturday."

it's like bang bang bang, times tumbling and all he seems to do is cram in a few non stop miles before a long day at work.

I must stay focused on my long term strategy. Tortoise and the hare I tell myself but its so annoying that he finds it this easy to improve.

[CoachSuzanne]

Originally Posted by andyinnorway

So here I am posting daily on this forum, thinking about my stroke, aiming for balance and efficiency and still struggling to make significant improvements over my time.

Then there is my friend I will be swimming with (against) on Saturday

doesn't know what a catch is or how he should be pulling, never thought about balance in his life.

Gets in the pool, swims a mile gets out. We know the type. these have been his texts the last few weeks.

1. "Ooh, swam a mile today, haven't been for ages lot slower than last year 26.45"

2. "Felt easier today 26.00"

3. "Getting a feel for it again 25.15"

4. "today, thought I'd gone much slower but was actually 24.40, feeling quite confident for saturday."

it's like bang bang bang, times tumbling and all he seems to do is cram in a few non stop miles before a long day at work.

I must stay focused on my long term strategy. Tortoise and the hare I tell myself but its so annoying that he finds it this easy to improve.

Return the texts with your own yarns...

1. "Thought I'd go for 2 miles today...33 minutes, not bad"
2. "you've really motivated me. just did 2 x 1 mile hard...22min each. need to work harder"
3. "Decided to work on form today...whao! 21 minutes for 3 x 1 mile? I gotta bottle this and sell it"
4. "Hey, thought we were meeting for a swim today...what's wrong, don't want to swim with me?"

[Donal F]

There is such a thing as a body genius. You are really racing against yourself.

[andyinnorway]

Originally Posted by CoachSuzanne

Return the texts with your own yarns...

1. "Thought I'd go for 2 miles today...33 minutes, not bad"
2. "you've really motivated me. just did 2 x 1 mile hard...22min each. need to work harder"
3. "Decided to work on form today...whao! 21 minutes for 3 x 1 mile? I gotta bottle this and sell it"
4. "Hey, thought we were meeting for a swim today...what's wrong, don't want to swim with me?"

Or I can change the rules and tell him we have to swim 16x100 with a minute's rest, then I can win easy.

[ashby]

Originally Posted by andyinnorway

I must stay focused on my long term strategy. Tortoise and the hare I tell myself but its so annoying that he finds it this easy to improve.

How long have you been doing this? Years right??

If you always do what you've always done...

Thinking logically you MUST change something in your approach. In fact there must be something pretty big in your approach that's actually harming your swimming if you're working that hard and not making any progress (or getting slower?!).

[CoachToddE]

Originally Posted by andyinnorway

So here I am posting daily on this forum, thinking about my stroke, aiming for balance and efficiency and still struggling to make significant improvements over my time.

Then there is my friend I will be swimming with (against) on Saturday

doesn't know what a catch is or how he should be pulling, never thought about balance in his life.

Gets in the pool, swims a mile gets out. We know the type. these have been his texts the last few weeks.

1. "Ooh, swam a mile today, haven't been for ages lot slower than last year 26.45"

2. "Felt easier today 26.00"

3. "Getting a feel for it again 25.15"

4. "today, thought I'd gone much slower but was actually 24.40, feeling quite confident for saturday."

it's like bang bang bang, times tumbling and all he seems to do is cram in a few non stop miles before a long day at work.

I must stay focused on my long term strategy. Tortoise and the hare I tell myself but its so annoying that he finds it this easy to improve.

Appears to me he is trying to get inside your head and psych you out before you even get to the meet and it sounds as though he might be succeeding. How do you really know what he is texting is true? Any verification? Forget about his texts. Start mentally preparing for your race. Develop your race strategy ahead of time and rehearse mentally. Hopefully you are in the same heat and you can keep an eye on him. Stay within your game plan but keep in contact with him (1/2 to one body length behind) and make him feel you are chasing him. He may waste a lot of energy trying to stay ahead not realizing you are swimming your plan not his. If you prefer to be in front stay with your plan (SPL/length). Let him do all the trash talking prior to the race. Good luck!!!

[swimmermike]

Andy

I agree in spirit with what Coach ToddE says, about this guy possibly having gotten into your head.

Your worried post does not sound like you (usually, dedicated, confident, focused).

I'd go back to just working. On a baseball game I was just watching, one of the coaches said, "instead of being anxious, relax harder."

From what I know of you (I've read your stuff for years), you are a great competitor and hard worker. Go back to your absolute basics, pick focal points, work them.

[boken]

Hey Andy, I know how it feels. I'm married to my swim buddy and he's what I'd consider a natural, plus he's a TIer. He never rubs it in and he'll not be a direct competitor in races because the mens/womens divisions. But I certainly can't help but notice that he's much much faster than me even though it is I who is compulsive about analyzing stroke videos, pouring through the forums, etc. He gets most of his TI tidbits through me but his rate of progress is faster. It seems that if I find something interesting to try, he has it integrated and working for him immediately.

Yes, some people just get it and it drives us analytical types absolutely nuts because we're the ones putting in all of the study and we think that means we should be better. We just have to remember that conscious study is just a fraction of what our brains have to figure out when choreographing a complex act like swimming. And that is perhaps a cue that we have some gains to be made in other skills like sensory perception/balance etc.

...And you're faster than me. And I'm certainly faster than others. So we also have to remember how far our neurotic stroke studies have actually taken us.

[tomoy]

I was in the pool pondering the similar with a TI guy I met there. We're watching these dudes jump in, splashy as all get out, and cranking away for an hour faster than we can keep up for 30 min.

One truth, with many languages, is never to discount early education. Kids who did swim club in school or raced in high-school or college. Serious advantage to be had there. Sure, we aim for fluency, and may get there. But some are just native.

Not to be fatalistic or anything - just focus inside and do your best.

[WFEGb]

Hi Andy,

your work in swimming and in this forum is absolutly admirably! Thank you for it.

When going to the pool be aware you've won your first race of the day against yourself with fun (most people outside even don't think about).

When reading your posts I'm sure there always is a profit you take from your swim when ever and where ever. That's the second race you've won. (Not everybody is able to.)

When going to swim with your friend, even doing is the third profit just for you, because there is no real need for you...

And easy in easy out last but not least you might reach a personal best one or the other time even if your friend is a little faster...

Your friend is faster? 3 (4) :1 races for you. The winner takes it all...

Regards,
Werner

PS: Played squash for serveral decades and know such friends too good. Swimming just fore myself. Sometimes feel like a looser, but know it's not true....