June 2008 Karen's Top Tip: Race preparation
Sometimes the harder we try, the harder it is to succeed. We put so much pressure on an important event, we get tight and anxious and end up swimming slowly. Then on "less important" events, we don't stress about them, and we end up swimming fast. You are probably much more relaxed for these races and allow your body to swim the way it was prepared to swim Ð loose and strong. So before every race, I'd recommend that you take some long, deep breaths behind the blocks, and do the same thing before important races as you do for the others. Visualize feeling smooth and strong in the water, and remind yourself that you are ready to perform.
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