Faster is in the Future

Hey y’all! This past weekend, I watched the Arena Pro Swim Series at Mesa on TV, and I not only was blown away by the fast times, but also the suits. Specifically, I saw many swimmers wearing a new kneeskin from Speedo. So being that total nerd, I had to find out all ‘bout it. Turns out, it is *cue drumroll* … the Speedo LZR Racer X, and it is a piece of perfection. Coincidentally, on Thursday at practice, the sports marketing gal from Speedo showed up with a bunch of these suits for my team to try on and test in the chlorine!

My team looking beast in the Speedo LZR Racer X.

The Speedo LZR Racer X uses the newest technology for optimum performance. It all starts with the fabric, that stretches vertically but not horizontally for a swimmer to have full range of motion while providing compression and muscle efficiency. Also, the fabric is lightweight and long-lasting, so it will maintain water repellency throughout longer meets. Near the core, there are “ab activators” that help a swimmer have a neutral body line in the water. The entire suit is bonded together with support seams - that are in a metallic blue color and glisten in the sunlight - that inside contain the words Feel the Water. Feel the Speed. Feel Fast. Finally, the suit utilizes laser cut precision straps that are extremely comfortable. These straps are an improvement from the Speedo LZR Racer Elite 2 because they are in a v-shape, which relieve pressure from the shoulders.

When we got to actually put the kneeskins on, I tried on a closed back. The closed back suits are much harder to get into because you do not have the open circle to use to shimmy it on. But, after breaking a sweat and bruising every internal organ and reaching the point where you think the kneeskin will never go on (because it is literally two sizes to small), there is a magical moment where you pull over the final strap and are done! :)

It was finally time to hop into the pool, and immediately once I got into the water I could feel the difference. As I accelerated into every turn, my legs had a faster turn-over rate. Also, even after I was tired, the suit helped me stay buoyant and keep my hips up on backstroke. In fact, this suit is so good, that one my teammates claimed that it felt like they were cheating!

The Speedo LZR Racer X is a kneeskin like no other, and I guarantee that if you purchase it, you won’t be disappointed. I personally have only worn Arena and Blue Seventy, but I really, really, really, really, really, really wanna get this as my next one for long course season. This suit will have the whole world swimming faster within no time, and I can’t wait to see what is coming next from Speedo!

Thanks y’all for reading today! Be sure to comment below on your favorite kneeskin and stay tuned for more posts coming soon! 

XOXO

Siena

Back to the Basics

Hey y’all! Sorry I haven’t posted in a while, but after Age Group State, it was definitely a time for a break from both swimming and school! For this year’s break, I went to the beautiful island of Maui with my family! As I might have mentioned earlier, this summer I am heading to the Western Zone Age Group Championships (again!), which will be held in Kihei, Maui. While on vacation, I decided to stop by after scuba diving and check the pool out! It was pretty nice, except it had a ghetto scoreboard, but I’m pretty sure nothing can be too bad in Hawaii!

The Zones Pool

It’s finally time to start training for my fav time of year…long course season! The meets are held outside and there are less walls, which is definitely a bonus for me and my sucky turns. The first couple of weeks back in the chlorine are the most important, and they set the tone for pretty much everything in the future.

It’s always good to ease back into your routine, but that is not how we started off this time - unless you call sprinting for thirty minutes in dryland before you even get into the water easy breezy lemon squeezie. I have to admit, it is tempting to start off with a bang, especially by sprinting warm-up, but then the end of practice comes around and you literally are gasping for air.

Before a break, you are in your tip-top shape, just coming off of taper and big meets where you are getting best times. After a break, it is like swimming is an entirely new sport that you have never done. Therefore, it is important to watch your technique. Drilling is one of my favorite ways to practice technique and focus on all the “little things”. If you want to change your stroke, now is the time, as you can enforce these habits all season long. 

Now, during breaks you are supposed to remain somewhat active, and not be a couch potato. Well, I am not the example for this whatsoever. I slowly (key word: slowly) walked to the beach and attempted to tan, averaged twelve hours of sleep a night, and went out to eat every night while engulfing in bread and all sorts of desserts, such as hula pie! :)

Getting back in shape is really tough, but the harder you work, the quicker you’ll be there. On my team, we have been emphasizing leg driven strokes and underwaters. Because of these tough sets, I am super duper sore and walking up the stairs is a struggle. But in the end, it is all worth it, because hard work does pay off!

That is all that I have for y’all today. Be sure to comment down below on your experience with new seasons - I would love to hear ‘bout it! If you want to stay up-to-date with all my posts, please follow! Thanks for reading and I will see ya next time!

XOXO

Siena

Conquering The Mental Battle

Every mind is complex. In swimming, the tough and the weak are defined through a series of brain games. When your body and your mind send you mixed signals, it can be difficult to know what is right. Swimming is a sport where hundredths of a second determine a winner and a loser. Swimming is a sport where waking up before dawn is the summer norm. But most importantly, swimming is a sport where dedication is a necessity.

One of my fav quotes
Photo Courtesy of: HD Wallpapers

On my team, we become mentally tough through our language. We are not allowed to say the word can’t, which is also known as the c-word. If we do say it, then we must do twenty five pushups and twenty five lunges. And boy, after dryland and a long practice, every pushup and lunge burns more than the last.

Right now, we are on taper for the age group state meet. Along with any taper comes the good ol’ pace set. By the end of pace, you are out of breath and all that lactic acid is building up in your muscles. Basically, your body feels horrible with a “capital h”. Yet, you know that if you give up, you won’t achieve your desired results. And later, you will know that you will regret it. In those last couple of one hundreds, you need to believe that you can. It all comes down to your attitude.

There are highs and lows in every sport, but the mid-season of swimming is notorious for being an ultimate. In the beginning, your body is fueled and you are excited to get back training. But after a couple of months, without any major meets, most people say practice is just a drag. How do you fix this problem? Think about the future. The final hoorah meet will come, and all of that hard work that you put in mid-season will pay off. 

Guess what, life isn’t perfect. Once in a while, you will have a disappointing swim. I can personally vouch for this, as basically every time I swim the two hundred butterfly, I drown the last fifty. But, you have to put those races in the past and learn from those mistakes.

Doesn’t everyone just love nerves? To a certain extent, pressure can be beneficial because it helps get the adrenaline running. I still remember how stressed I was for my first race at Zones. It was my first travel meet without my parents, and I didn’t trust my training. It was definitely reassuring knowing that my team was there cheering me on, but I still didn’t know how to focus. Sometimes all it takes is a couple deep breaths and a I can do it. And guess what, I ended that race with a personal best.

I am honestly not the most competitive person around, but it is important to focus on your race and not your competition. The only person that you are in control of is yourself, so you gotta make the most of it. Finally, the most important part is to have fun. You will never have dedication in the first place if you don’t enjoy what you are doing.

Preparing to warmup.

I hope you guys enjoyed these inspirational (and deep) words from me. As Ms. Alp (my Spanish teacher) would say, “It is okay to cry and go fart around in the field!” I recently gave a Ted Talk about how your attitude directly affects your performance in my leadership class, and it was the inspiration for this post. Be sure to comment below on how you stay calm before diving in, and I will see y’all soon!

XOXO

Siena