#1: Master Your Skills

Can’t do away with this step, can we? The whole point of a swim meet is to test yourself, your skills and unleash your potential. Just like in school, before you take a test, you HAVE to put effort into preparing for it. Even if you managed to wing it in school, there’s no way you can wing it at a swim meet. Your breathing techniques, stroke methods and water confidence will all come into play. There’s no hiding!

#2: Get Your Gear Ready

#3: Pack Your Swim Bag

What are you going to do with all the items you’ve prepared in step 2? Pack it into a bag, of course! But, do NOT leave it for the night before. You know what happens. You’ve been there. In primary school, in secondary school and even maybe in your university years. You procrastinate your “bag-packing-business” till the night before, end up realising you’re missing something and then you’re unable to find it without wreaking havoc in your room and your mental state. You definitely don’t deserve such a huge amount of stress put on yourself a night before your big day! PACK. IN. ADVANCE. It’ll make all the difference, trust me!

Want to be extra safe? Prepare a checklist which includes all the items you’ll need such as your swimsuit, goggles, cap, sports drink and a change of clothes.

#4: “Recce” the Venue

It’s important to get familiarized with the environment you’re about to have an all-important meet at. Afterall, familiarity breeds enjoyment. It increases your comfort level which in turn would help you keep calm and focused on the all-important day!

If you’re allowed to or if you manage to find the time to, it’s HIGHLY advisable for you to visit THE venue and get a few laps or training sessions in. Spend a bit of time visualizing how the actual day might be and also figuring out where the starting blocks are, where you/your team will be situated when waiting for your turn and where the changing rooms are.

#5: Maintain a Healthy Diet

I can’t imagine anything worse than the feeling of your stomach begging for attention right as you stand up to the mark (or in this case, at the edge of the pool). That for SURE is in the list of top 5 most annoying occurrences in the world. Well, good news, it’s almost completely avoidable! All you have to do is maintain a healthy diet and know what to avoid, especially on the days leading up to your big day. If you’ve always been having “breakfast A”, “lunch B” and “dinner C”, keep to it. It’s definitely not a wise idea to introduce “snack D” any time near your swim meet, especially if that snack has even the slightest tendency to shake your guts up! 

Since we’re on the topic of nutrition, if you’ve plans to get in an energy bar or a snack between your events at the meet, it’s advisable to TEST OUT your nutrition a couple of times BEFORE D-day! Examples of snacks which have been tried and tested out by fellow swimmers are bananas, grapes, yogurt, unsalted nuts and even plain sandwiches. Carbs are your friends!

#6: Double Check Your Schedule!

This has to be the MOST IMPORTANT STEP. Do all the above but miss this and there goes all your months and months (or even years) of effort. Also, you should note that your swim meet schedule might include a separate timing for you to warm up! It’ll definitely be wise to make use of this slot of timing to get your muscles and mind ready for the excitement that’s about to begin.

Conclusion

All this aside, remember that if you’re at a swim meet, chances are you’re pretty good at swimming and have a truck load of passion for it. So, while you remain focused on the goals you’ve set for yourself, don’t forget to relax and have fun!

Not sure with you have the competitive flair in you? Join us at condo swimming lesson to find out more ! 

Hello everyone! I'm a gym enthusiast who gets very excited at the sight of dogs. Drinking teh tarik is my form of relaxation. I hope you share my passion for anything fitness-related through my writing!