Staying Calm at Big Meets

This week’s Speedo Tip of the Week is an excerpt from the March-April 2006 issue of Splash, in which special correspondent Bonnie Moss takes a look into National Teamer Mary DeScenza’s training regimen. Here, DeScenza offers some advice on how to relax at big meets.

The Tip:
After the disappointment of a fourth-place finish at the 2004 Olympic Trials, DeScenza took three weeks off to think about her swimming career and regain focus.

“Trials was a huge learning experience,” she says. “I’ve accepted that everyone has bad days, and you can’t get too comfy. Being in the No. 1 spot for three years means absolutely nothing.”

DeScenza has learned how to handle her nerves since then. In 2005, she won the 100 and 200 butterfly at NCAAs and then made the World Championships team in the 100 and 200 butterfly, as well as in the 100 and 200 freestyle.

She tries to relax at big meets and keeps it lighthearted.

“Staying relaxed can be difficult, especially during the most important meet of the season,” DeScenza says. “Being a bit nervous before getting on the blocks is good, but being too nervous is not conducive to a good race.”

To relax at the perfect level, DeScenza listens to music – oldies like Queen and The Beatles.

“I like fun music that can distract me from freaking out,” she says.

DeScenza uses the warm-up before her races to swim the nerves out and to get a good feel for the water. She has been doing this ever since her first National Championships and says it has always helped.

“I know I swim faster when I’m happy,” she says. “I don’t think about how hard or long the 200 fly is. I just try to have fun with it. I’ll talk, chat and laugh in ready room, but once I’m on the blocks, I get very serious.”