Nutrition

Swimmers in general are usually able to eat whatever they desire due to the amount of exercise done every day and the amount of calories being consumed while we are swimming. Most of the time I feel quite powerful in the pool since I can eat a lot, all of the time. However, I do have those days where I feel awfully sluggish and a lot slower in the water than I usually do. I was reading in a nutritional magazine for swimmers how to not "hit the wall" as they call it. That feeling when your legs are burning and your arms aren't moving quite fast enough in the pool could be due to a number of things ,not just because you're not coming to practice enough as a coach might say, or from lack of sleep. It could simply be from not eating the right foods or not eating enough. Nutritionists say that it is from using up all of the glycogen storage in our bodies. We simply run out of gas. 

Before Practice: At least a few hours before eat a high-carb meals and snacks. I like to eat quesadillas with chicken, a PB & J, or spaghetti and meatballs. 

During Practice: Drink a lot of fluid and eat high-carb snacks. (sports drinks, power bars, power bar or gatorade gel snacks). With a well nourished body, practices can be longer and harder; giving better results.

After Practice: Replenish the store of glycogen (carbs) in your body with high-carb food and drinks. 

At a Meet: 15 minutes before a race have one bite of an energy bar with a lot of protein and during a little bit of Powerade for the extra protein and electrolytes before the race.

I personally believe that this is why I get fatigued rather fast in practice. I need to nourish my body better in order for it to keep up with the rigorous exercise I'm doing. I think this will definitely help me from "hitting the wall" at practice and at a meet. 

The "Cool" New Look

For all you trendy swimmers out there, make sure that this year you are with the new fad.

 Jolyn bathing suit tops, tech suits, and Nike’s. At sectionals a few weeks back I was a little out of place. 

I walked into Belmont Shores swim complex to the fresh smell of chlorine (not) and the buzz of people talking 

and splashing about. Finally, I looked around and realized that I was missing something.

Every girl I passed by had Nike running shoes on, the new cool and vibrant colored ones (Nike 5.0). There I was, all bundled up in my Ugg boots. Clearly I didn’t get the memo. I met my team, warmed up, and went to the bathroom to get my skin-tight, toddler sized tech suit on.

I walked out of the bathroom and again had the same feeling of awkwardness. All of the girls had their tech suits half rolled down and had a Jolyn two-piece top on. They walked around in their Nike’s, the tech suit, and the bathing suit top. I suddenly realized that I needed to get with the new “cool swimmer” program.

Don’t worry! If you are behind too I gotcha covered! Here are some websites that will help you get-cool quick! 

 http://www.jolynclothing.com

http://www.nike.com/us

http://www.swimoutlet.com

London Medals

This first week of Christmas vacation has been anything from what I thought it would be like. I planned to be in the pool every day, twice a day, (except on Christmas Day and New Years Day). However, I have not been in the water once. It is killing me! I have had a fever and a bad cold all of break so far! I feel as if my swimming ability is completely lost, even though it has only been a week.

With all of my extra time, I have yet again dug deeper into what now seems to be my favorite magazine, Splash. So, even though I’m not in the water, I am still learning about what I wish I could be doing. I came across the “Medal Standings” of the athletes and between the countries at the 2012 Olympics in London. The USA team (31 medals) doubled and even tripled the amount of medals earned from Japan (11), China (10), Australia (10), and France (7) in swimming alone.

 

Two of these top medalists for swimming were Missy Franklin and, of course, Michael Phelps. Missy Franklin earned four gold medals and one bronze medal in London, which was her first Olympics! She did not let the nerves get to her at all! Michael Phelps, who didn’t plan to return this past summer, ended up winning four gold medals and two silver medals. Over the past two Olympics, he has earned a total of 22 medals!

Out of all 104 medals earned in London from all of the sports, swimming earned almost 30%!