{"id":581124,"date":"2024-03-18T08:52:24","date_gmt":"2024-03-18T15:52:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=581124"},"modified":"2024-03-18T08:52:24","modified_gmt":"2024-03-18T15:52:24","slug":"inside-the-lane-lines-a-senior-swimmer-beats-challenges-during-grueling-championship-meet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/inside-the-lane-lines-a-senior-swimmer-beats-challenges-during-grueling-championship-meet\/","title":{"rendered":"Motivational Monday: How a Senior Swimmer Beat Challenges During Grueling Championship Meet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Motivational Monday: How a Senior Beat Challenges During Grueling Championship Meet<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Elizabeth Kelley, Guest Contributor<\/p>\n

Breathe, it’s only a 200,<\/span><\/i> I tell myself. <\/span>Eight laps butterfly \u2014 that\u2019s all it is. <\/span><\/i>A shiver runs down my spine as I think about the amount of pain my body is about to experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNext up is heat 2 of the women\u2019s 200 butterfly,\u201d the announcer says as the first heat finishes, all with looks of exhaustion across their faces.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSwimmers, take your mark \u2014 BEEP!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I stand nervously behind where the timers have just seated themselves, resting their legs as the swimmers attempt to complete the 200. I adjust my overly tight black tech suit, double checking it didn\u2019t rip, like the last one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The second heat of swimmers reach the wall \u2014 only 100 yards left.<\/span>\"\"<\/p>\n

I look over the timer\u2019s shoulder scanning the sheet for my name, making sure I am in the right lane, one last time. I step up to the black line along with everyone else in my heat, as the heat before me makes their final turn. I shove my goggles on my face and anxiously tug at my cap assuring myself it won\u2019t fall off.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Only one lap \u2014 the toughest one of the event.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ok, this is it. You\u2019ve been training for this event for months, so there is no reason to be worried. Breathe. This is YOUR EVENT. Fast turns and kicks off every wall, and keep your hips up when you get tired. Just like you practiced.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I jump up and down and fix my cap and suit for the final time as the timers get up and stand over the edge of the pool.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is it, Elizabeth. Give it everything you\u2019ve got.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\n

Prior to every long weekend meet, the inevitable feeling of nervousness invades my thoughts, despite the months of training. The buildup to championship season is stressful for all swimmers, as it is what we have been preparing and working for for so long. <\/span>Whether that means pushing ourselves to get up at 5:00 a.m. to attend practice before school or continuing to push ourselves at mentally challenging practices despite how tired and sore our bodies may be. I get through by reminding myself that all of it will pay off in these upcoming weeks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A few days before our State meet, my coach gathers all who will be attending the meet the following weekend, to discuss with us what each of our goals were for the forthcoming meet or what exactly it is that we hope to accomplish or a specific change we want to make in a certain event. This particular question always makes that pre-meet anxiety disappear a little, because for me, thinking about what exactly I want to come out of the weekend makes me feel more confident in the effort I\u2019ve been putting into the season in order to improve my overall performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

For this particular meet, I hoped to drop in both of my fly events, as I had been working on fast kicks off the walls and breathing regularly to maintain a fast and steady tempo throughout the entire race. In addition, my coach stressed the importance of having a positive mindset. She explained that how we react in the face of adversity or disappointment ultimately determines the outcome of the rest of the weekend.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n