Facing Disappointment

Facing Disappointment

Every athlete faces failure. Whether it's a missed shot, a bad pitch, or a wild throw, we have all fallen short and missed the mark. As athletes we are constantly striving for perfection in our craft, each day working to become the best we can be. We spend hours and hours honing skills, and pushing our bodies to the limits. So yes, it can be heartbreaking when things don't turn out the way we hope.
I flew out to Santa Clara California for the Arena Pro Swim Series in June, hoping to finally get my Olympic Trial qualifying time. Years of training had finally brought me to this moment in time. With Trials only weeks away, it was my last shot. It was now or never. My first day there I swam a best time in my 100 butterfly. Not my best event, so I was not expecting to qualify in it. I was very excited to swim a best time. The next day, was the 100 backstroke. My 'best' stroke. I had only to drop one second, and I would qualify for the Trials. One second. Well, just one second can weigh on a swimmers mind like a fifty pound medicine ball.
As a coach, I have talked to several swimmers about their 'best' stroke. It is that one stroke we specialize in. The event that we succeed in. The event we can always count on to be our best, to get us the highest place. We have had many victories surrounding that event. And so, years of building that event up, has placed it on a very high mountain, where the pressure is just as high. Too many times, I have swum a backstroke race that I have gotten out of the pool and thought: "That was terrible. It should have been better." In my head, I proclaim myself to be the king of backstroke. So the pressure to succeed is there, eating away at my mind. And with it, the deep fear that something could go wrong. Butterfly on the other hand, is fun. I enjoy it, because I don't care quite as much about the success of the race. I just like to swim it. And that makes all the difference. It should not be about the time, or the need to succeed, but just to enjoy the process of training, and embrace the race!
After that 100 backstroke in Santa Clara, it was very hard to find anything that I liked about it. I did not have a great mindset going into the race, I nearly missed the wall on my turn, and I hit the lane rope twice during the race. And just like that, one bad swim pulled me down into a funk like I have never experienced. All the build up of self-pressure, and self-doubt pulled me down and drowned me. I had failed. I called my wife, tears welling up, not sure if I could go on. Almost all my worse fears about racing came true. Looking back, months down the road, I can definitely see where I let those fears of failure get to me right before the race. I was too focused on what I didn't want to do. It's easy now to look back and say 'should have done this...' but what good will that do?
There was a moment on the phone with my wife, when I was feeling all the weight of years of swimming hitting me hard in the chest, telling me it was all for nothing, that I was finally able to face myself and be honest with myself. Maybe I wasn't going to be the next great Olympian of swimming, but does that really matter? I was at one of the fastest meets in the country, swimming with some of the greatest athletes. One bad race does not define me as a swimmer. It is the dedication that I have lived by. It is my persistence in following a dream. It is my belief in myself as a person. And it is my unwavering love of the sport that truly matters.
I shook off the fears, and held my head up. Tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow is another race. I swam the 200 IM and the 200 backstroke the next day. The 200 IM was my first event of the morning, and all I had to do was drop 2 seconds to make it to Olympic Trials.
Getting ready for the race that day, I remember facing those same fears: What if it all goes wrong? What if you're not ready? What if you don't get the cut? What if you fail? I told myself what I needed to hear: I don't care about those fears. I want to race.
I swam a best time that day. No, I didn't drop 2 seconds. I did not qualify for the Olympic Trials. And you know what? The world didn't end. I made finals in all my events that weekend. I got to swim in the top heat of the 200 IM at finals, against someone who went on to final in the Olympics. I warmed down, and I held my head up.
Disappointment hurts. It hurts really bad. You want to wallow in all the wishes, and 'should have done this better,' or 'if only I had prepared better,' and you want to crawl into a hole where no one will find you. But that is not what a great athlete does. A great athlete is one who takes disappointment, turns it on its head, and rides on to the next victory. I am sad I didn't qualify for the greatest swim meet our country hosts. I am sad that I will not compete against the greatest athletes in the world at that meet. But you know, one day I will be there. I will stand on deck, and I will be with other coaches who also have swimmers there. While one dream ends, another one begins. Just because we fall short, and we don't reach the goals we set for ourselves, does not mean that we are any less of a person. It means the plan must change. It means the goal must change. It means that there is something bigger, and better out there for you to go after.
So if I could say anything to my swimmers when they miss their goal, it would be this: I still believe you are a great athlete. I believe you can still do whatever you set your mind to. What can we learn from this experience, and how can we grow from it? I am excited to help you pursue the next step, and I'm excited to see what you can achieve.

Swimming is Life

Swimming is Life: a saying that people take way too literally. An athlete is too often defined by what they do. "That's Johnny, he's my swimmer." The more this is repeated, the more the child believes that what they do in the water defines them. This is a dangerous road to travel down, because as we know, not every practice, nor every meet is going to be an earth-shattering success. There will be hard practices, there will be difficult meets, and there will be times when the swimmer does not do their best. It happens to everyone. Swimmers who have a firm grasp on who they are, they are the ones who will recover from disappointment, and learn from it, faster and better than the swimmers who wrap everything about who they are into the sport.
Me, I am a swimmer. I am also a coach. I am also a husband. I am also a writer, reader, coffee-lover, Christ-loving, guinea-pig loving, individual man who happens to really, really like the color yellow. I am Stephen. I do lots of things, I love lots of things, and I have many individual thoughts and opinions. I place a lot of value on my actions, deeds, and words. I believe that what I do is important, because whatever I do, I should put my heart into it. I have been given a divine opportunity every morning when I wake up. So I want to make the most of it.
'Swimming is Life' is a metaphor for what life is. It is a long journey that we must be passionate about. It is a process of training, taking care of yourself, looking out for your teammates, doing your best, and taking action on what you believe is important. To be part of a sport is to be part of something greater than yourself. The structure of sport gives young athletes a place of structure, physical challenges, mental challenges, and a place where personal values are developed.
I swim because I love it. I coach because I love it. I have embraced this sport and my profession because it is what I am called to do. It makes me come alive, and gets me excited. Does it define who I am? No. It gives me an opportunity to show others who I am, and brings out the best in me.
Swimmers: know that you are much more than your sport.
Parents: your child is your child. Not your swimmer, your child.
Coaches: It is all about the kids. They look up to you, make sure you remind them how important they are.
Swimming is just one of many metaphors for life. It has many parallels to the ups and downs, the triumphs and challenges that everyone faces. So don't be afraid to face it head on.

Motivation

Motivation. Where does it come from? It comes from years of goal setting, and a personal desire to be the best you can be. Our coach told us this morning: "We set goals not with the intent to achieve them, but with the desire to BECOME the people who achieve those goals." Sure, it is great to get a personal best time. It is great to be the top swimmer in the lane. But the important part is the person you are. Who are you now that you have achieved this? What did you do to get there? You made choices. You were motivated enough to change yourself, change the way you think, and change the way you act, in order to reach the goal you had set for yourself.
When we swim, it is not always about beating your time. It is about how you beat it. What are you doing in the water? What is going on in your head? Ask yourself how good is 'good enough.' Ask yourself: what are you willing to do to achieve this goal?
They say each day is a new day, and it's true. You are never the same person day in and day out. Every day we learn something different, and we grow a little bit. We are in essence still the same person, but like mighty trees we grow tall, strong, and reach for the skies.
So where does motivation come in? It comes from within us. We find something we like, something we enjoy, and something we experience success in. We latch on to that feeling of success. We want so much to feel it again, we go looking for it. And so begins a great adventure. A swimmer will always remember their first ribbon. Their first trophy. The first time they win a race. They will remember the rush of excitement, and the pride they felt in that accomplishment. And they will spend the rest of their swimming career looking for that same feeling.
It is important to remember where we come from. A lot of days, we older swimmers get lost in the massive amount of yardage we do each day. We get bogged down in the pressures, and we lose sight of that end goal. It is in those times that we must pull ourselves out of the mire. Take a deep breath. Remember how it all started. Remember that first race you won. Let it remind you of why you started swimming in the first place.
So each day, ask yourself: why are you chasing these goals? What kind of a person do you want to be? Once you have those answers, start being that person. Start chasing those goals. We all lose hope at some point. Sometimes it takes a small step back to help you jump three steps forward.
So as you go about your day today, remember this: Motivation comes from within. Envision the person you once were when you started. Envision the person you want to become. See how much you've grown! See how far you've come! Could an ordinary person do that? No. It takes a special person to do what you did. It takes you. Don't stop being the person you set out to be just because it seems hard. The work you have put in has prepared you to take on whatever challenge is ahead. So stay motivated! Stay happy! And do your best!

Passion and Performance

To succeed in the sport of swimming you need to have passion. There is an inner drive which becomes hardwired into the swimmer at a young age. It is this passion for being one's best, and competing against others to see who is the best that keeps that passion going. The need to see oneself improve. That is why as a coach, I am strive to constantly give praise to any form of improvement I see in my swimmers. Now, if something needs to be fixed, then the swimmer needs to know, and I will work with them. But to keep the experience of being at swim practice and the environment of the pool fun and enjoyable, there must be an element of fun to keep things positive. Younger swimmers are excited: they love getting in the pool and just swimming. How do we keep hold of that child-like enjoyment when the swimmers get older, and the sets become long, and the training becomes more grueling? We must constantly remind the swimmers why they are there at the pool. As they get older, their goals become more advanced and detailed, so coaches use the goals of the swimmer to keep them motivated. Also, the coaches create an environment that will supply the swimmer with the passion they need to come back the next day.

As coaches, we can't manufacture the passion within a swimmer. We instill it when they are young, then we create an environment where (hopefully) that passion and drive to become faster becomes instilled in the swimmer naturally. We remind them of their goals, but don't beat them into their head. When swimmers are with their friends and teammates, having a good time working through a set, or just goofing around, the experience and environment are ideal for personal growth. When a coach tries to hard to control the swimmers by force feeding them goals they think they should have, and unattainable expectations, the swimmers become discouraged and frustrated. Just as the swimmers adapt to the sets and the practices, the coach must adapt to the swimmers. Often I find myself going into a practice with a set in my head, a goal or two for practice in mind, and have to change that set because the swimmers are not in a coachable mood, and not responding to my efforts. I will still find way to accomplish my own goal for them, but in a way where the swimmers are being more successful, and understanding the goal better. I can't tell my swimmers to stop feeling like crud and expect them to magically go from a negative attitude to a positive attitude. The best I can do is alter my approach, and invite them see beyond the negatives.
When a swimmer becomes frustrated with practice, how do we help bring them back in, and see the big picture? We remind them that they are special. They have worked hard, and pushed themselves to a point where turning back and giving up would be detrimental to their development. We find ways of helping them find that passion they need to perform well, even when they're frustrated with themselves.

To succeed as a swimmer, and as a coach, there must be an element of passion for the sport. That deep longing for success, to achieve goals, to set new standards, to accomplish some feat, all that desire is built from an early age, and developed by swimmers, coaches, teammates, and family working together for the overall success of the swimmer. So coaches: Keep up the energy! Keep it fun! Be honest and sincere with your swimmers! Swimmers: Be open and engaged! Don't let yourselves get dragged down by frustration! Remember why you are there in the water! That passion will lead to great performances.

Two Sides of the Coin: Negative & Positive

You had a bad day. Take a deep breath. Open your mind, and flip the coin. To each down side, there is an upside. Monday morning, I had one of the worst practices I have ever experienced. The night before should have been full of excitement, as it was the first night in the new house, but instead if was filled with queasiness and nausea from food poisoning (take note: measure your intake of movie theater popcorn!).
So I wake up and jump out of bed at 4:28am, later than I had hoped, and rushed around, still feeling half sick, looking for my swim bag. I rush out the door, and get there just in time before Coach closes the pool doors. I get to the locker room, and with horror I realize that I forgot to grab a swim suit. With a heavy heart, I walk out on deck where everyone else is getting their dynamic warm up started, and ask if anyone has a spare suit. The results are mixed. I end up wearing two very old suits which are slightly stretched out, and end up feeling like someone has attached dumbbells to my hips.
And then I remember it's butterfly day. My heart sinks to the soles of my feet.
Very soon after we get in the water, my body makes me very aware that I have not fully recovered from my 11,000 meter open water race less than two days ago. My shoulders feel like they are made of lead. I am dragging behind in the lane. I still feel nauseous. I swim eight seconds slower than my best when we get up and race. And to make matters get even worse, an enormous wolf-spider decides to hop into the gutter of our lane to make friends with my lane mates and I. My arachnophobia immediately kicks in. One of my lane-mates is gracious enough to remove the spider from the lane, and dump it outside.
It is then that I think, 'I've had it. I just can't go on anymore. This is a terrible day, and I just should have slept in!'
And then I look up and see that day's quote on the wall. It is all about positivity, and not letting negative thoughts infect our minds. "Don't water the weeds."
I stopped to think. Sure, I didn't like spiders. Not one bit. But a teammate saw my distress, and was kind enough to take care of it for me. My coach had held the door for me, and didn't lock me out. I accomplished great things at my open water swim by swimming more than I had ever done in my life. Of course I was going to be tired! And while awful, food poisoning only lasts for a short time. And, my teammates were nice enough to lend me their suits.
While I was down, my teammates and coach picked me up. They helped me to keep going. I finished the practice, and I didn't give up when everything in me wanted to. When you're having a bad day, and everything around you seems to be crumbling down, remember that there is always something good happening too. The negatives may seem to add up, but for every negative there is a positive. You just have to find it, and focus on it. Instead of letting negative thoughts cloud your vision, focus on the positives, and what you can do to make the day go your way. Everyone has a bad day. Everyone has moments where they want to quit and leave it all behind. It would make things so much easier wouldn't it? But did taking the easy way out ever make you stronger? Did it help you later on when you faced another problem, or another bad day? No. Face the problems, the negative thoughts, the seemingly bad circumstances head on. Be courageous and resilient. Counter the negatives with positives, and you will become stronger mentally and physically. Don't water the weeds.

Automatic

We wake up in the morning. We roll out of bed. We fumble for the alarm. We ignore the intense, gut-wrenching urge to crawl back into bed. We stay focused. One thing at a time. Bathing suit. Towel. Goggles. Check. Grab a bite to eat, and we are out the door. Sooner than we think, Coach is yelling at us to jump in the pool. As the icy water shocks our bodies, making that first breath catch in our throat, we start getting into a rhythm, letting our arms and legs carry us back and forth across the pool.
At least, that is how good swimmers function. Great swimmers do things a little differently.
All too often swimmers find themselves simply going through the motions. Going to practice is just what they do. They swim through warm up without thinking. They swim their sets with one goal in mind: get it done. They do it because that is what they are: they are swimmers. They swim. Swimmers go to practice, and work hard. Great swimmers break the mold. Every day is a new day. Every stroke an opportunity to push further, faster, better. Our coach constantly tells us to "Stay in the NOW." This means that we need to focus on what we are doing right now, and put our greatest effort into whatever it is we are doing. Many, many swimmers go to practice. Only a few go to practice with the right mindset. Some say the daily grind can get boring. It becomes automatic. It is just something we do because we've done it for so long, and there is no other way of doing it. Oh, but there is. Life is an journey, full of hills, mountains, valleys, exciting times, and times where that black line at the bottom of the pool just never seems to end. When we jump in a pool we have made a choice to be better. We have made a choice to chase our dreams, and fight for our goals. By making good choices every day, our positive habits become automatic. They become ingrained into our minds and bodies. But to be excellent, we must constantly be pushing and looking past those automatic motions. Instead of just going through the motions, think about them: How can we make them better? Sooner or later, excellence, that drive to become greater than what we are, becomes automatic.

Life Coach

It's the beginning of the week, and I am pumped. We had a couple of great meets this weekend, and I am so proud of all my swimmers! As a swim coach, it is my job to see that my athletes are performing at their best, practicing at their best, and being the best that they can be in all that they do. I am an encourager. I am (or try to be) a solid rock of common sense and moral values. I am a life coach.
Blue Waves is more than just about swimming. Every day we teach the kids not only lessons on how to swim more efficiently, we teach them a small lesson about themselves. Today's quote for the team is: "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't...You're right." -Henry Ford. Instead of giving yourself reasons why you can't, give yourself reasons why you can. As a coach, I can't count the number of times a swimmer has told me they "can't" do something. Whether it's a pushup, or it's butterfly, it is my job to help them understand the word "can't" should not be in their vocabulary. Oftentimes when a swimmer is faced with something challenging, or something they feel they are not good at, instead of taking the risk, and taking a leap of faith, they cower behind the excuse "I can't."
I believe that I can do anything I set my mind to. Nothing is impossible unless I make it impossible. So how to make the kids understand that? By believing in them, and helping them to take that risk. For the little eight year old girl who did her first fifty butterfly in a race this weekend: Yes, she was nervous, but she still stepped up on the blocks and did it. For the young swimmer learning how to do a flip turn for the first time: You may not get it perfectly the first time, but your coach believes that if you keep trying, and do your best each time you try, you will eventually succeed. And when you do, your coach will be right there to say, "I knew you could do it. Great job! Keep on doing it." 
Too often in today's society kids are given the chance to take the easy way out. The sport of swimming is not for those that wish to take that easy road. When an athlete comes to the pool they should not expect their coach to be soft on them. The coach is there to push the athlete physically, and mentally. Each day we strive to keep the kids focused not only on what we do in the water, but how we think, and how we decide on the choices we make. If we believe that we can't do something, then we won't. We have put in place a mental wall that the athlete must climb, and we as their coach must help them to overcome. It slows the progress of the swimmer. The athletes that believe the can do something, they strike out with confidence, and hopefully determination that today they can and will be their best. They see a challenge not as a road block, but as a spring board to something greater that they cannot yet see. As a coach, I enjoy setting up spring boards for my kids, and then teaching them how to take that leap of faith. 
Whether you are an athlete or not, it is what you believe, and what you do with that belief that will define you. So today I challenge you: Take action. Don't let the word "can't" be a roadblock. Be your own life coach today.   

Monday Motivation

Monday Motivation, 10/1/12

Welcome to October Bearcats! The glorious season of fall is upon us, and the weather brings with it sickness and mucus! So stay healthy, drink lots of fluids, and get plenty of rest!

I know that this Monday's Motivation is going out on Tuesday, but that's okay! I would like to start this motivational message with this: Monday night's practice was one of the greats. As a coach, I dream of those kind of practices. Everyone was pushing themselves, and they attacked the base set with reckless abandon. I encourage you guys to ALWAYS attack your turns like you did yesterday! Dryland was amazing! I am so proud of all you guys. Through all the cramps and the pain, you guys pushed through, and that is how it's done. The greatest swimmers push themselves to make each motion their body makes in the water the best. Every stroke you take, you should be thinking about it. You should think about how to make each stroke, each turn, and each lap, better than the last. Even if it hurts, DO IT. Create good habits now. Are you willing to go through a few practices being uncomfortable, if it means you succeed in accomplishing your goals in the end? The answer is a resounding YES! If you know you're doing something wrong, FIX IT! Swimming is not just exercise for the body, it is exercise for the brain.

So answer me this: Do you want to leave practice thinking, "I could have done better," or would you like to leave practice thinking, "THAT WAS FREAKING AWESOME!" ?? It is a mental game we all play. You decide how the practice is going to go, and then it is up to you to follow through. Don't expect others to always push you, or always be positive for you. You have to make that change. Yesterday I saw amazingness. Awesomeness. It was inspirational. Carry that with you! Let it motivate you! You are all smart athletes. You are all stronger than you think.

So in conclusion, watch this video, and be inspired: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX39J_YyKbs&feature=related

YOU ARE ALL CHAMPIONS. Go forth and act like champions! When your body gets tired, let your heart and your mind carry you through! You are strong. You are champions.

Looking forward to practice,

-Steve

Fighting Disease

How well I remember those first couple weeks of college. Everything was new, everything was grand, and I felt so old and so green at the same time. Until I went a little green under the gills. Yes, inevitably everyone gets sick at least once during the fall semester. With so many people sharing one roof, the same air, the same dorms, it will happen. Germs are everywhere, you just need to give your immune system time to catch up.

So instead of not bothering to wash your hands, and going straight for the Coca Cola dispenser at the cafeteria, take some time and wash your hands, and drink plenty of water. By fueling yourself with plenty of healthy fluids, and less sugars, you are more likely to stay healthy. I am a huge advocate of "The Fluid Flush," where you simply 'drown' the symptoms in water, orange juice, and healthy habits. So if you are worried about getting sick during the first few weeks of the semester, and miss out on all the club functions, sports practices, and wild parties, take some tips: Get into a healthy lifestyle, and create good habits. Here is a list of healthy practices, and if you follow these, I guarantee you will be steering clear of the stuffy-nose-sore-throat-sneezing-aching-headache-gunky feelings that follow every new class of freshmen.

1. Drink fluids: keep a water bottle handy, and wash it every few days. 

2. Wash your hands, lathering for 20 seconds, immediately after you flush.

3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth unless necessary.

4. EXERCISE!!! It helps take care of stress, builds up your body's immune system, gives you energy, and it makes you feel better :)

5. Along with that, walk around a lot. Walking is a wonderful exercise that stimulates the senses. 

6. Eat healthy: a balanced diet is key. Eat balanced portions of greens, vitamins, proteins, starches, and carbohydrates. 

7. Get out into the fresh air as much as possible! 

8. Get your sleep! Got to bed on time, and get yourself up at a decent hour. 

9. Keep your work-load stress-free by making good study habits. 

10. Simply stay away from people who you know are sick. 

Take these tips to heart, put them in practice, and you are well on your way to a healthy lifestyle, and a good way of fending off sickness. Final thought for the day, stay happy! 

What is Necessary?

Why was this so necessary again? I was looking through a box of stuff I had brought from home to my wife and I's one bedroom apartment. It was a giant, bulky, awkward to carry paint holder (ideally used for artists who need a handy place to store their numerous bottles of paint. While I do not consider myself a starving artist, if one was looking in on us from the outside, you might call us that. Koah and I are both crafters, and love everything having to do with art and design. We are doing our very best to make our second floor one bedroom as stylish and cozy a nest as ever you saw, but now I am struggling with a couple of items that I just don't see using anytime soon. I brought a Nerf gun for heavens sake. When did Nerf guns become necessary  items? I will tell you: never. 

What is truly valuable to you? Better question: How do you figure out what is really valuable to you? One day, all our worldly possessions will be meaningless. So why do we cling to them now? We box up and store all our items till TLC comes to our house wanting to make another 'Hoarders' episode out of our lives. We cling to them because we think they give us meaning. That we are defined by our possessions. Our possessions do not define us, they bind us. It is our actions that define who we are. Our actions are dictated by our beliefs and our thoughts. So when I get home and look at that box of what I thought were "necessary" items, I will go against my nature and try to rid myself of these chains. 

Where am I going with this? Well, what ties you down? What makes you not want to do something? Too often I hear athletes complain about worries or small things that go on in their daily lives, and how it affects their performance during practice, or even a meet. The fact is, you need to let go of those worries. Save them for a time when you need them. Are those worries necessary right now? And when I say right now, I mean here at practice? No, they are not. Save them for after practice when you have time to focus on fixing them. Don't let outside thoughts cloud your mind in the pool. Same goes for your life out of the pool. When you are living your life, going about your daily business, moving boxes from the closet and opening them up to find blankets or Nerf guns you forgot you had, think about what is really necessary for you to continue to live your life to the best of your ability. What you own does not define you. Your actions define you. Go out there and be great! 

Getting Back on the Horse

Another school year begins...
Tomorrow I am moving up to Pennsylvania with my new wife, into my new apartment, to start my old job at Saint Vincent College. I am excited to get started with practices, but I know those are a little bit further away. My prayer right now is that they are coming back to the team in somewhat good shape, but I need to remember that not everyone takes swimming quite as seriously as I do.
Admitting time: I haven't swam in weeks. I know, I know, I feel terrible for it. I am not a great coach for encouraging my kids to do something that I haven't done in who knows how long. I strive to set a great example for the kids I coach, and it really bums me out that I haven't put a foot in the water in weeks, but I have been busy. So how exactly does one get back into the best shape of their life? I am lucky. I am young, and still have a decent body build. So in essence, I have the tools to work with, but not the ambition. Is it because my dreams and goals have altered slightly? I suppose so. But I still have one dream that has been steady: to continue to compete as a swimmer. But now that I don't even smell like chlorine anymore, how am I supposed to do that?
Well the answer is simple: GET BACK ON THE HORSE AND DON'T LET GO. Dedication and determination are key points here. If I want to get in shape, I need to get my butt to the pool and dedicate myself to my goals and dreams. Each day is a new challenge, and new opportunity for the future. I am the only one who can reach out and grab those dreams.
So tomorrow, with a new school year in sight, and new horizons on the move, I am an explorer embarking onto an old and familiar frontier. My tools are a bit rusty, but with some polish, spit, grit, and hard work, things can be done.
The human body loves routine. There is a new commercial for some arthritis medicine that says "A body in motion tends to stay in motion." That simple phrase has been rattling around in my brain for weeks now. I have lost my motion. Top athletes don't ever stop. They have set up a routine that they follow, and they have habits that they keep to. I have created new habits that aren't exactly good ones. But they are not old habits, so hopefully they won't die hard. I want to get my body back into motion, and keep it in motion for as long as I can. I have had a summer of beginnings, and I look forward to another one. It is time to get back on the horse and keep riding. Keep pressing onward.
So that is my encouragement for the day. Get on the horse, and press on. There are new discoveries to be made.

Pain Is Temporary

So guys, we have a meet tomorrow!

Now if you immediately think "Holy crap, that's just one more thing to pile on top of all this hard work we're doing," or "I'm not going to swim well because I am so sore and tired, so I'm just not going to try at all," or "This f-----g sucks," then I want you to turn your brain off and listen for a few minutes.

How tired are you going to be on Sunday at PAC's? The last day of an intense three-day meet? You are going to be very tired. Why? Because you have not only trained your ass off for months, but you are also giving every race your best effort, to the point where you don't think you can climb out of the pool afterward. You are all going to be champions, with winning attitudes, and the knowledge that you did your best. This week, you guys have trained hard, and broken down a lot of muscle. THAT'S GREAT! When you break your muscles down during a hard workout, then go eat (and I mean EAT), stretch, and sleep, you are preparing your body for those three days up at Grove City. It is times like these when true champions are defined. Who will rise to the occasion? You are all very hard workers. You are ALL working hard. So enough complaining. Yes, you're going to be sore. Pain is temporary. Winter training does not last forever, so why complain about it? Work hard, have the right attitude, and it will fly by! Before you know it, we will be tapering, and practices will be getting easier and easier. So leave your negative attitude at the door tomorrow, and put on your game face.

Let me tell you a story:

Last year, for my team's winter training, we spent the entire of a Friday morning traveling. Friday night, we had our first winter training practice. Saturday morning we had our second. Saturday night we had our third. Each practice we were in the pool for close to three hours, averaging about 8000 yards per practice. And I was middle-distance. Right from the first practice of winter training I had started giving everything I had. That third practice in a row, with about 45 minutes left, my arms and legs gave out on me. I mean literally, gave out on me. I looked like one of those 70 year old men who swim laps, breathing every stroke, moving at a snail's pace, every lifeguard's worst nightmare. Everyone in the pool was passing me. That was the lowest point I had ever been training-wise. I missed all the intervals for the remaining sets, and just kept going. That's right, I kept going. I will not lie to you guys, I did cry. I was upset because I could not seem to get my arms moving. I was upset that I could fall so low. I had been doing great all of fall, and I couldn't believe this kind of thing could ever happen. When practice finally ended, I couldn't get out of the pool for about five minutes. And then I used the ladder. I NEVER use the ladder. I repeat, I NEVER use the ladder. Attached is the picture of me after that practice. I cried when my friend Brad gave me three Oreos, because I was so f-----g hungry. No words can fully describe how awful I felt.

Later, I had a long talk with my coach. She gave me lots of words of advice, that I am happy to pass on some of it to you guys: "I am so proud of you."

Even in the face of utter defeat, and wanting nothing more to stop, to rest, I didn't. I kept trying, I kept going, I kept swimming. And I'm glad to say, it all paid off. Three months later, I had the best meet of my life. I destroyed all my times, and was more successful than I thought I could ever do. To achieve greatness, you have to work hard. You can never give up. So tomorrow, and for the rest of winter training, I don't want to see anyone give up. When the sets get hard, and your shoulders start to hurt, are you going to give up at the first sign of pain? HELL TO THE NO YOU ARE NOT. Tomorrow you are all going to march into Wash & Jeff and say: "Hi, we're the Bearcats, and we're going to kick your asses. Thanks for having us." We win with class. We don't give up. We don't get negative, because we know it brings down the team. We keep going, and we cheer each other on. We give each other Oreos when we're having bad days.

So in conclusion, stay positive, never, ever, ever give up, and be a team.

I am so proud of you guys. Keep up the good work.

GO BEARCATS!!!

 

-Steve

Eating Right: Fueling your body!

Another motivational email: 

Good afternoon Bearcats!

As Conferences approach, and taper gets under-way, it is important to keep your body in top, physical condition. So that means: Eat, sleep, and follow the workout regimen.

Here is a great article about swimming nutrition for you guys to read (and yes, I want you guys to read it): http://www.hocoaquatics.org/files/Fueling_Swimmers.pdf

And here is the list of the top 30 foods for swimmers to eat: http://www.nbswim.org/winbsc/__doc__/145825_4_top%2030%20foods.pdf

I want you guys to eat balanced meals, so here is a diagram of what you should be eating at mealtime: http://www.motleyhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/eatwellplatelarge2.jpg

I like to say, eat the rainbow! Make sure your plate has lots of bright colors (NOT artificial coloring). Now, I know that as swimmers we think we can go ahead and eat as much as we want because we will burn it off anyway. While that is somewhat true, we have to be smart about it. You have to eat the right stuff. If you go to the caf after practice and down five donuts because you think "Oh, I have earned this!" You are thinking wrong. You are destroying the good work your body has just done in the pool. Your body needs the right kind of fuel. Go ahead and eat plenty, but eat plenty of the right stuff.

This means, until PAC's are over, follow these simple rules: Eat the rainbow (at every meal, eat a balanced diet with plenty of the right foods), cut out all excess foods (instead of grabbing three cheeseburgers, grab one cheeseburger, a salad, and some pasta/bread [this means you Andy]), and finally, NO MORE SODA. The approved list of liquids: water, Gatorade, water, milk, water, chocolate milk, water, orange juice, water, and other various fruit juices that are LOW in sugar. Oh yes, and water. Notice I did not say: coffee, energy drinks, or other carbonated liquids. Your body is a temple. Keep it clean.

If you guys have any questions about healthy eating, just ask! Even better, keep each other accountable! You guys are a team. Look out for each other. Nobody wants to fail, so keep encouraging one another! You are champions. Live like champions!

In conclusion, I am not calling any of you fat, because none of you are. You know that. I am giving you guys an easy way you can build up energy, and live healthy lifestyles.

STAY STRONG! SWIM FAST! ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER!

Stephen Clendenin

The Power of the Mind: Staying Mentally Strong

This is one of a series of emails I send to my team. These are meant to motivate swimmers and athletes alike. Enjoy! 

-----------------------

"In training everyone focuses on 90% physical and 10% mental, but in the races its 90% mental - because there's very little that separates us physically at the elite level". - Elka Graham.

We are elite. We have been training for months at a level that few people are at. But we can always get better. We can always become stronger. We just need to believe that we can.

This week's motivation is all about mentality. We are very physically strong, and we will continue to work on that. But we definitely need to be stronger mentally. And that starts with you. You have to believe in yourself that you can do it. At every single dual meet this year, I had at least one of you come up to me and tell me why some race was not going to end well, AND YOU HADN'T EVEN SWUM THE RACE YET. How can you know what you are going to swim before you get in the water? None of you are psychic, that is for certain. So it must be your mindset. You are nervous, you have a little ache here and there, and you worry too much. You don't trust yourself to swim fast. You don't trust your training, and so you don't believe that you are going to have a fast swim.

So how do we get past that? First, it starts with the desire. The desire to get faster, the desire to be the best you can be. You have to feed that desire, and keep telling yourself that YOU WANT THIS. You want to win, you want to swim your best time, whatever you want to do you have to mentally say to yourself every day: "I want this. I want this more than I want to breathe. So I am going to go for it, and no one, especially not myself, is going to stop me. I can do this. I have not been training for months to let my stupid brain get in my way." Most swimmers are able to swim personal bests at any meet they go to. ANY MEET. Now if you immediately think "Oh that's not me," WELL OF COURSE NOT IF YOU ARE THINKING LIKE THAT!!! You have to believe in yourself. Start with that desire, and know that you have what it takes to fuel that desire, and achieve it. So now, you have to go out and chase that dream. Let the desire fuel you. Every practice, every meet, believe in yourself, that what you are doing is helping you to become a better swimmer.

So don't look for excuses about why you can't swim fast. You can always swim fast. Even if, "my shoulder hurts," or "my back hurts," or "I didn't get enough sleep last night," you can swim fast. Tomorrow is another 6am practice people. This is an opportunity: you can either be negative, whine about everything and how you're SOOO TIIRRED... :'( .......

OR YOU CAN RISE UP AND SAY "I AM BETTER THAN THIS. I DID NOT GET UP AT 6AM TO BE A QUITTER. I GOT UP AT 6AM BECAUSE I AM NOT A QUITTER. I WANT TO GET BETTER. I WANT TO GET STRONGER, AND HERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO DO JUST THAT." If everyone came into practice with that mentality, you all would be unstoppable.

Our minds are the masters of our bodies. We all know how to swim fast. I've seen you all do it many times. You just need to break down those mental blocks, and focus on what's important to yo, and pursue it with all your might, your strength, and your passion. Be mentally strong. Don't let bad circumstances, negative thoughts, or other people's negative thoughts, stop you from succeeding! And if any of you are thinking a single negative thought at this second, after reading all this email, then give yourself a bit 'ole mental slap in the face, and tell yourself to buck up. Don't let those thoughts bring you down for one second. You are all strong, passionate, tough, gifted people. The only person that tells you otherwise is yourself. Give yourself another mental slap in the face and focus. 

 

So here are some more tips on how you can become mentally stronger:

For races: visualization. Take some time and think about your ideal race. What will your turns be like? What will your start be like? How fast will you be going? Think of every detail possible, and visualize yourself swimming that perfect race. Do that once, or even twice a day. That way, when you get to Conferences, it will be like you have already swum that race, and you just have to swim that same race.

For every day life: Believe in yourself. Stop making excuses. Look for the positive. It is everywhere if you take the time and look for it. Often-times we focus on the negative because it's seems so big, like when you've pulled a muscle, or have a HUGE paper to write and you don't want to. The positive will always out-weigh the negative if you look for it. Think instead about: how wonderful it will feel to get the paper finished, how nice it is to sit, stretch, put some ice and heat on that muscle, and focus on relaxation. How great it is that all this is making you a stronger person. Pain is temporary. That positive mentality can last longer, make you stronger, and help you out of many rough times.

And finally, SMILE MORE!!! Put out some good vibes, make positive thinking a habit. Your brain is the master of your body, and if your mind is happy, your body will be happy.

So team, from now until Conferences, STAY FOCUSED!!! Focused on your goals, on your races, on staying positive, and on being mentally strong. If any of you have any questions, or want some more tips on how to make staying mentally strong a habit, talk to me. I would love to listen and help out.

And finally, a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlBEqVBN02A

A friend of mine who's a body builder showed me this one. Arnold has some good stuff to say, so listen and pay attention. Also pay attention to what they eat: do you see soda (pop)? do you see cheeseburgers or lucky charms?? No, you don't. Fuel your body right guys! Fuel your mind, fuel your body.

 

GO BEARCATS!!!

 

Stephen Clendenin

Passionate about Swimming

A friend sent me this. It's all about swimming, and being passionate about it. Enjoy!

"People talk about the brotherhood and sisterhood they get in their volleyball, basketball and soccer teams, when they practice 3-4 times a week and sometimes have seasons that run for a few months. In swimming, you train at least 7 times a week, excluding the hours of dryland, stretching and track. Season starts in the first week of September, and if you're lucky, and crazy enough to call yourself lucky, it ends in the last weeks of August. So you take a week off, give your chlorine-soaked skin a respite and start next year's season a week later complaining to all your friends that you are "fat" and out of shape.

"

Oh, and in swimming, you've got such blue blood that you make fun of public swimmers, and have a hidden contempt for any other type of athlete who only trains 3x a week. 

You're in the water for 1.5-2.5 hours at a time, sometimes doing that twice a day, and sometimes waking up at 5:00 in the morning so you can be at the pool 15 minutes early for your 5:45 practice to get some stretching in. You do kick sets until your calf either cramps or your legs are numb, and then you do pull sets until you can hardly prevent yourself from doing dolphin kicks to move forward the extra 2 cm over 100m. And then you get a 50m warm-down just in time for a BA main set. You swim 6-7km a day, and when your school friends ask if you get "bored" swimming all those laps "back and forth," you wonder how to explain the difficulty in being bored when you alternate between exchanging gossip at the walls with extreme pain in all your physical extremities.



"Swimming is not for the body-conscious. After a couple hours, your training suit has ceased to be revealing, even when you rip out the lining and practically eliminate the need for a suit in the first place. After your first meet, you've seen 3/4 of your team naked, and 3/4 of them have seen you naked, either from low-riding speedos, girls that spill all when they pull up their suit straps, or deck changing. And it's not even a big deal. Time magazine may say that swimmers are the most sexually active athletes, but you'll never find a group of boys anywhere else than on pool deck that can still obsess over "adding .8 in my 100 free" when surrounded by 200 girls walking around in their size -8 aquablades with their straps down.

"

You'll live for the 3 hour bus rides to towns with a population that doubles when your team arrives, sleeping in the aisles or on each other. You'll cry when you add less time than it takes to blink to your best time, and you'll be surrounded by a group of people hugging you and reassuring you because they all know how much of a failure +0.5s feels like. Shaving off 0.08 is a miracle. Speaking of shaving, the girls give shaving tips to the guys, or even shave with them. Legs. Arms. Nether regions? All for the sake of that 0.0000000000001s you'll take off, and the "smooth" feeling you get, that no non-swimmer will respect you for. 

And then there's the drama.

"Every swimmer, and just as often boys and girls, have inner drama queens. Who knew that who you sit with on the hour long bus ride to training camp could be so political? And every swimmer has fallen for another swimmer. You can tell by the way they stand at the blocks and cheer for their every race, give them shoulder massages, splash each other in the warm-down pool, sit next to each other in the hot tubs and on the Grayhounds.. and by the way they live halfway across the country from each other, hanging out in the meets that happen every 3 months.

"

And there's love. Lots of love. Love for your sport and your race. Love for your team, in the cheer-offs and deafening screaming during finals. And love for each other, the people you laugh and cry with, who give you their extra green apple Powerades and whose team shirt you're probably wearing. They'll zip you up, badmouth your coach who said nasty things about your 200bk, gossip with and about you, and scream your name with frantic arm gestures for a 4.5 minute race even though you are in the water with a cap on and cannot possibly hear them. They'll know once you hit the touchpads if you were off your best time, stretch your arms behind your back, and wish you good luck and mean it even if they're squaring off next to you in lane 3 for the final. 



"That's swimming. And if you have it and you can do it, no matter how hard it gets or how elusive that time standard is, be "in it" as much as you can. Even if it doesn't work out and you have to quit due to the insanity of 9x/week practices or devastating shoulder injuries, you'll be a swimmer your whole life, and you'll never fully drain the blue blood that makes you laugh when you join your school soccer team."

The Wonder Tea

Feeling the draining symptoms of the fall cold/congestion? Well, here is a drink that will help! It's a tomato tea that works wonders, and clears out your system.
Recipe:
 - 1 cup of tomato juice
- -1 tsp chopped fresh garlic
 - 1/2 tsp of hot sauce
 - 1 tsp lemon juice
 - A pinch of celery salt for flavor.
(I added honey instead of celery salt, A. because celery salt is expensive stuff, and B. because honey tastes better and is slightly healthier).
 - Heat ingredients & drink hot.
Try it out and let me know what you think!

Define Swimming:

[Exerpt from:] The view of a competitive swimmer:

Why do competitive swimmers love swimming? Because they couldn't imagine their life with out it. Its part of them, its something they live for. They live for the 5 a.m practices, pasta parties, cheers, long bus rides, invitationals, countless swim caps, chlorine, and coaches you hate but appreciate later. They live for the way it feels when you beat the person next to you by a tenth of a second and you know those 2 extra laps you did in practice were worth it. You live for the way you jump every time you hear a buzzer, or the way you scream whenever you hear the gun on the 500, even though you hear it every time. You live for the way you celebrate when you get to do a set with fins. You live for the way you become a family with your team, and no one understands what happens within that pool or locker room, but you. You live for the countless songs you sing in your head when your swimming those laps. You live for the people who scream at you while your swimming even though all you hear is BLAH BLAH BLAH. You live for the competition, you live for the friends, you live for the practice, you live for the pain, its a part of you. You are a swimmer.

It's the feeling you get at the end of a hard practice, when you've pushed ur self to the limits, and it's the way the water feels when get back in after time off, it's knowing that you don't have to shave for months at a time, and thinking of 7:00 am practice as sleeping in. It's muscle cramps, swimmers ear, and 11 practices a week. It's when your coach knows you better than your father, and your teammates are your brothers and sisters. It's seeing everyone else cheer you on during a race, and knowing your team is behind you. It's borrowing caps and sharing shampoo, going through whole boxes of cereal in one day, and blowing the fuse in the locker room four times because everyone has to get ready after morning practice. It's hearing people at school say "It's must be a swimmer thing," and always having the best parking spot because you are the first one at the school every morning. It's a collection of T-shirts and ribbons, and not really being able to put into words how the meet went. It's knowing that you got up and did something you love, and something you hate, and something you can't really explain, and don't really want to understand. It's the way you walk, and the way you talk. It's something that no one else really understands because they haven't felt the felling you get every time you step up on the blocks, that swimming isn't just a sport... it's all the friends and coaches over the years, all the practices and inside jokes, all the memories, all the fun times and all the road trips, 

because swimming is more than just a sport...

College Swimming

Does swimming have to end once you get a job?
This is something I have been struggling with for sometime. Once you get out into the 'real world' there are so many time constraints. So many things to do, places to be, and you have got to make a living somehow. I just started my first job out of school, and I can't tell you how much I miss swimming already. Sure I still get in and practice nearly every day, but the atmosphere and the mentality have changed. It's no longer about being part of a team. It is totally for me. I am the master of my destiny so to speak.
This summer I competed at the USA National Championship swim meet in Palo Alto, CA. I tell you what, nothing has inspired me to keep swimming quite as much as that trip. I rubbed shoulders with so many famous athletes and coaches, I swam against the best in the nation, I had a blast, and even somehow got better at my long course times.
Now I'm at a small college in Western PA coaching for a college team. I love coaching, but I don't really want to leave competitive swimming behind. It has always been a huge part of my life. Winter Nationals are coming up in December, and it's the same weekend as the winter invitational that the college team goes to each year. So literally, I am faced with the choice: career, or swimming. This decision makes every time I get in the water a struggle. I am so close to the Olympic Trial cut, I can almost taste it. I want to go so badly, but I feel I have an obligation to the team that I have committed myself to. I want to be there for them when they compete at their meet. I am still very torn about this decision, but it's not completely over yet.
So what should I do? Follow my dreams and beg my coach to give me the weekend off? Or just let it go, and forever wonder what could have been?

Making and Breaking Waves

Gulp&Go Open Water Swimming

Blog Post 10

Stephen Clendenin

04/18/11

Making and Breaking Waves

            Breaking waves is like breaking new boundaries. Each stroke you take that breaks you through a wave is like breaking through some new challenge. It’s another step closer to the end goal. You feel your body climb, and then it suddenly dips back down. It is an endless see-saw motion that most people find nauseating, and somewhat scary. You have no control over the waves. But there is something you do have control over: your body.

            When first going out into an open water race, the first and last obstacle you will encounter is the breakers. That’s the point near the shore where the waves are breaking, sending splashes and plumes of white water everywhere, all around your body, creeping into your ears, mouth, and nose. It takes timing and lots of exhaling to keep yourself from choking on water. There are plenty of ways to avoid this. Firstly, there is seeking. Seeking is when the swimmer lifts their head just enough so their eyes are out of the water, watching the approaching waves. If the wave is a good distance away, then in the same motion, the swimmer swivels their head to the side and grabs a quick breath. Seeking is done throughout the swim as a way of looking where you are as well.

            When you are heading into breakers however, the best option is to take a quick dunk under the wave, and let it break overtop of you. So instead of wasting energy and fighting through the wave, you can easily slip through. Some people prefer to power through the waves because swimming above the water takes less time than going under it. But if you are like me, and prefer to not to get water-logged, going under is an easy way to work on breath control.

            Once you get past the breakers, depending on the weather, the waves should be much calmer and easier to get through by simply seeking, and breathing when a wave is not right on top of you.

            When I swim, I don’t focus a lot on strength, powering through the water like an animal. I focus on the feel. I love the feel of the calm sloshing of the waves slipping down my arms, past my side, and back across my legs in a smooth, fluent motion. If I feel sluggish, I know that my technique is off, or I could be tired. That can easily be fixed by changing up the technique and giving the mind something fresh to think about and focus on. But the feel is so important. It has taken me years of hard work and training to get to know my body. That is sometimes the hardest part. You need to be feeling each part of your body work and move along so that everything can slip through the water with ease. Know your body.

Know Your Course

Gulp&Go Open Water Swimming

Author: Stephen Clendenin

English 202, Writing About Sports

04/10/11

Blog Post #9

Know Your Course

There are over 3,000 sanctioned open water swimming clinics, camps, tours, races, and events in 158 countries. There are distances varying from a single mile, to a marathon in the water. The terrain varies from the tropical paradises of Barbados, to the frozen tundra of the arctic (popularly called ‘Polar Bear Swims’). Where there is water, people swim. Common places such as the English Channel, the Hudson River, or the Cole Classic (Australia) usually host thousands of swimmers yearly. To date, the world’s largest mass participation open water swimming event is the Sun Moon Lake International Swimming Carnival in central Taiwan. Sun Moon Lake (Jih Yueh Tan in Taiwanese) has between 18,500 and 22,000 swimmers take on the 3.3 kilometer distance. Imagine all that white water, the flailing limbs, and perhaps even the hungrily awaiting sharks sitting at the bottom of the lake, waiting for some unfortunate soul to be lost among the mass of swimmers. I shudder to think. But truly, the likelihood of that happening is not nearly as high as the Rottnest Channel Swim. True to its name, this open water swim is a 19.2 kilometer struggle through some of the strongest currents in Western Australia. This swim is also known as having some of the most abundant amounts of marine life to deal with. In my own limited personal experience of marine life in open water swims, I think I was stung by a jellyfish in a tiny spot just under my bicep. In that same race, my friend Brad became entangled in the slimy clutches of a Portuguese Man-of-War. The PM-O-W is among the top ten most deadly jellyfish in the oceans. Its tentacles can grow up to one hundred and sixty five feet long, and are filled with venom that create whip-like welts on the skin (lasting two or three days) and can be extremely painful. Upon exiting the water, my friend Brad was immediately taken and doused with hot water, given lots of medicine to rub on his skin (it was green and looked like twice-digested algae). Not to worry though, he lived, and enjoys telling the story much more than I do. But ANYWAY, the point of that story is: always be aware of the course. Moments before getting in, the lifeguards had posted a warning, telling us that there was dangerous marine life out in the water. Now, warnings such as these may not deter the more hardened open water swimmers, but the smart ones will stay weary. Swimmers who swim the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim need to be aware that when circumnavigating Manhattan Island, they will be dealing with 28.5 miles of temperatures between sixty-four and sixty-seven degrees, various flotsam and jetsam, and who knows what else. Know the course you are getting into when you join an open water swim.