Over my years as a competitive swimmer, I have come to notice that people react to the stress of competitions in very distinctive ways. A swimmer\u2019s pre-race preparation says a lot about them as an athlete. In my opinion, behind-the-block behaviour can be broken down into four general categories:<\/p>\n
The first is \u201cThe Chatterbox\u201d. We all know the type- the person who will dive into long conversations with you right before your race. They are relentless, and use chit-chat to take their mind off of their upcoming swim. Avoid falling victim to the \u201cChatterbox\u201d, because once they start talking it\u2019s hard to make them stop.<\/p>\n
The next category describes a swimmer who is just as full of energy: \u201cThe Busy Body\u201d. The person who\u2019s pre-race ritual involves more jumping, stretching and stationary jogging than you\u2019ve done all week. These swimmers can be easily distinguished by their heavy breathing and the slap marks on their body as they psych themselves up for their race.<\/p>\n
The third is the swimmer who is \u201cIn the Zone\u201d. They often don\u2019t get along very well with the above two because of their preference for a quiet, leisurely spot to prepare mentally for their swim. They can typically be found calmly sitting down, but don\u2019t let their apparent lack of energy fool you, because they tend to mean business.<\/p>\n
The final behind-the-block behaviour is the \u201ciPod-dependent\u201d. They are the easiest type to spot because of their attachment to their electronic devices, and often use techno songs with a fast beat to help get their energy level up.<\/p>\n
So whether there\u2019s one particular behind-the-block behaviour that suits you perfectly, or you\u2019re a combination of a couple, the one thing we all share is our readiness to race once we finally get on the block.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Over my years as a competitive swimmer, I have come to notice that people react to the stress of competitions in very distinctive ways. A swimmer\u2019s pre-race preparation says a …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1294,"featured_media":16774,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10060],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n