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Behind the Blocks: NCAAs or bust tracks the training and development of former All Met swimmers working towards the goal of making the NCAA Division I championship meet in March during the 2013-2014 season. Each week the swimmers will post a personal blog about training with their respective school’s swim program and the daily challenges of life as a student-athlete at the D1 level. Check back every Tuesday for new blog posts, and join us throughout the season for a behind-the-scenes look at some of the country’s elite collegiate swimmers and swim programs.
Eva Greene is a junior at the University of California-Berkeley. She started her swimming career with the Tuckahoe Tigers in the NVSL and continued with McLean High School where she was MVP from 2008-2011. She was named PVS Swimmer of the Year in 2009 as a member of Machine Aquatics. Read all of Eva’s blog posts here.
This week the Bears get a little change of scenery… we’re off to Vegas! Just your typical college girls’ trip to Las Vegas. Swim meets…that’s the main Vegas attraction, right?
At this point in the season we always travel for a fall invitational meet, and this year we happen to be going to the bright city itself. Try not to get too excited.
Fall invitationals can be a bit tricky. We don’t typically rest for them, they land right before Thanksgiving when most people are ready to go home for a break, and we’re traveling right as professors dump some last minute, pre-finals assignments on us. But on the other hand, it’s such a great time to hang out with the team and get racing practice and experience in. Especially in a Pac-12 and NCAA championship meet format.
One of the many adjustments I had to make when coming to college was coming up with a pre-race and pre-meet routine that I was comfortable with and confident in. In club swimming, my coach dictated how long I should stretch, what my warm up was, what set I did, and how I was supposed to feel, which is not how it works at Cal.
The coaches are there to offer help and guidance, but it’s up to us to get our bodies ready to perform. Each Bear is unique, so she’s going to prepare differently than the girl next to her. Finding out what works for you takes time, trial, and even some error. Here’s a little peek into what I do on a big race day:
At the hotel: I like to wake up relatively early and stretch in my room before leaving. For breakfast I usually eat light, but things that will sustain me throughout the day. Some oatmeal or a bagel, lots of fruit, yogurt, water, and a cup of coffee usually do the trick. I make sure to leave the hotel with a full water bottle and plenty of snacks for the session.
At the pool: After arriving, I hit the stretching again. I pop my headphones in and do a good amount of work to limber up. After this I do a little jump roping to get my heart rate up, and some reaction drills to get my muscles moving.
Warm up: Depending on how I feel in the water, I tend to vary how long I warm up. I mostly stick to the good old 400, 300, 200, 100 pattern to start off because it breaks it down nicely and keeps me from stopping too often. Then, if I’m feeling good, I usually do more sprints and race-like pieces. If I’m feeling tight and tired I focus more on a longer stretch out. I always do at least one start off the blocks and make sure I check my stroke count if I’m at a new or unfamiliar pool. After warm up I throw on some warm clothes and get prepared to race!
Overthinking a pre-race routine can be exhausting. Sometimes a race can even be lost in the warm up purely based on my mental state. A bad attitude can ruin even a perfectly crafted taper and well-executed warm up. This weekend I’ll surely need to prep my body well, but I’m mostly excited to get out there and race. We may not be able to enjoy all the excitements of Vegas this weekend, but the Bears will surely make this meet enjoyable. Wish us luck – GO BEARS!
California competes at the UNLV Fall Invitational in Las Vegas starting Thursday, Nov. 21.
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