{"id":184841,"date":"2016-02-13T09:00:35","date_gmt":"2016-02-13T16:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=184841"},"modified":"2016-02-12T14:24:04","modified_gmt":"2016-02-12T21:24:04","slug":"6-things-to-love-about-racing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/6-things-to-love-about-racing\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Things to Love About Racing"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Annie Grevers, Swimming World Staff Writer<\/em><\/p>\n

We the people of the United States…love a good race. It’s never more apparent than during an election year\/Olympic year. And in this season of love, I thought it would be an appropriate time to muse about our infatuation with racing.<\/p>\n

Here are a few things this swammer loves about get-up-and-go time…<\/p>\n

1. The Adrenaline Spike<\/h2>\n

I think back to my cloth cap and pillow-gasket goggle days and recall having a bit of an upset stomach as a 7-year-old en route to a summer league meet. I had never felt this physical reaction to nerves before and I was not sure what to make of it. Was it something I ate? Or is this feeling in my tummy really because I want to be the neighborhood breaststroke queen? Turns out it was the latter. The nerves almost made me puke in high school, but I thought that’s the point I needed to get to in order to know I was race ready. Well, I was wrong. Ralphing doesn’t help race preparedness, but caring a healthy amount certainly does. I now miss the flutter in my gut. That flutter indicates commitment, competitiveness, and a true love for racing.<\/p>\n

2. The High Velocity Plunge<\/h2>\n
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Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher\/USA Today Sports<\/p><\/div>\n

We have all had a bad dive, acknowledged the bad dive, then allowed it to ruin a race. But how about those dives that rip you through the water and leave you feeling like you barely have to use your limbs to ride that speed? Those are the best. The water rushes past your ears and your body innately knows what to do. No fatigue, just pent up energy thankful to be unleashed.<\/p>\n

3. The Eye-to-Eye Race<\/h2>\n

Coaches have technical reasons for you to learn the bilateral breath, but here’s a logical one– so you can keep your sights on every person in your heat. I’ve watched so many races and pleaded in my head, “Breathe the other way!” knowing that if my teammate or swimmer could just see how close they were to the competition, they would find a new gear. Some of my most energizing race moments as a breaststroker came on open turns– when my competitor and I turned simultaneously. It usually led to\u00a0a shot of energy when I needed it the most. We may not be verbal during our races, but there’s fight in those eye-to-eye\/goggle-to-goggle moments.<\/p>\n

4. The Final 10 Meters\/Yards<\/h2>\n