YOU ARE NOT RECOVERING PROPERLY
During my short time here with the FISH, I have noticed the schedules our swimmers are trying to maintain during the summer season. The most important job for a swimmer outside the pool is recovery. Training hard in the pool is of no benefit if a swimmer is not doing what he/she can to recover between workouts. A proper routine of stretching, eating the right food immediately after practice and sleeping the appropriate amount of time on a routine schedule are fundamental to the recovery process. It is during the recovery process that a swimmer's muscles strengthen and benefit from the work done.
Consider Dara Torres, her intensive recovery routine is what she accredits her success for in the 2008 Olympic year. Her recovery routine was above and beyond what any other swimmer was doing at the time, and it paid off. It is unrealistic for us to expect our current swimmers to have such an extensive routine, but it should be noted. During the 2008 season, Dara hired two full time personal stretchers/ masseuses, a full time nutritionist/ cook, and participated in electro- physiotherapy weekly to rehabilitate muscles. It is easy to maintain a good recovery habit with a full support team but it is not impossible to do it without one.
I encourage every swimmer to take it upon themselves to come up with a stretching routine (or get one from the coaches, above and beyond what they do with the team), a quick "meal" immediately after practice, and have a goal time for when to be in bed with the lights out every night. These three "ingredients" for success can make a world of difference in your practice performance, and even in your attitude towards a hard workout.
Stretching daily and appropriately has been proven over and over again throughout sports history to be an extremely positive active recovery method. Appropriate stretching is fundamental to the recovery process. No muscle group should be over stretched; meaning that pulling too hard on any one group can cause strain rather than increased flexibility; twelve to twenty seconds is an adequate stretch. A gain in flexibility can add inches to each distance per stroke which quickly add up over the distance of a race.
Eating within a thirty minute window after practice has proven optimal. The body is able to digest and absorb nutrients better within thirty minutes of strenuous activity. For years now sports scientists have been encouraging athletes to eat immediately after workout. Some guidelines to follow on what to eat after practice can be found on the USA Swimming website. Foods with a good balance of protein and carbohydrates tend to be the most beneficial. Chocolate milk fits in this category nicely. Other foods such as, berries, pineapple, and many vegetables are loaded with antioxidants which prevent further muscle tissue damage after workouts. Find something you like and bring it to work out to eat on deck after.
Lastly and maybe most importantly is maintaining a good sleeping habit. Getting to bed early and consistently is very important. The body recovers during sleep and needs a consistent routine. If you haven't noticed by now the body becomes accustomed to falling asleep and waking up at certain times. Taking your body off its accustomed sleep schedule results in less sleep or a lower quality sleep. A legendary coach, Doc Counsilman, once said "It is the hours before midnight that count". Get to bed early and waking up early isn't so hard to do.
