How do you get ready to win $10,001 for 60 seconds of work?
If Nathan, Jimmy, Josh and the other 20 swimmers in the Fastest Man in Texas Shootout are racing 3 times for about 20 seconds per 50yd free with approximately 35 min rest between each one, where the 3rd 50 is the most important, how does one prepare muscles and mind for that kind of explosive, focused, no room for error event? For that answer we turn to dryland and strength training guru Nick Folker of Train FASST (Folker Aquatics Strength and Speed Training) and co-founder of BridgeAthletic. After competing himself in the 2000 Olympics, Nick has been helping with the Cal-Berkeley swimmers for 10 years, namely Nathan Adrian, Anthony Ervin, Natalie Coughlin and Roland Schoeman.
Josh: What are some things that Nathan would be doing to prepare for this Shootout?
Nick: Nathan is obviously a seasoned professional at managing his mental and physical energy for big events. From when he lands off the plane to when he is on the podium he has habits of good hydration/nutrition, good conservation of physical energy while staying warm and loose, and good management of his emotional energy(staying calm, positive, focused yet flexible).
Josh: What should these guys be doing the physically to get ready?
Nick: They need to stay hydrated. Maybe start sipping water the night before and when you get up in the morning. Water to the body is like oil to a car, preparing the insides for optimal performance. A possible routine right when they get to the pool might be foam roller work but not static stretching. Then dynamic stretching of jumping jacks or toy soldiers. Just doing some movements that wake up the kinetic chain, get the core body temperature up but do not fatigue the muscles. Once you get in the pool the more experienced guys might just warm up for about 20 minutes. The last 5-10 minutes could be some speed play to fire up the muscles and some breath control underwaters to warm up the cardiovascular system.
The level of the athlete will determine the warm up needs but you guys won’t need more than 30 minutes. Unfortunately, many young athletes leave their energy and best swims in warm up. Nathan will probably use the first round as part of his warm up.
Josh: What should we be doing mentally to get ready?
Nick: One thing Nathan and the veterans do so well is limiting distractions and avoiding wasting nervous energy. They know how to be focused yet flexible, happy yet professional, relaxed yet ready. As they advance through the rounds the pressure will mount and so will their ability to have tunnel vision and tune out all distractions. They will manage their emotional energy by being somewhat relaxed in the first round, more focused in the second and then saving the heavy focus for the third round. If they get the adrenaline boost great if they don’t it doesn’t matter. They are able to keep out negative self talk and focus on the strategy and the positives. They definitely save the chatting and catching up with friends till after the race.
Josh: What other secret sprint tips can you give up?
Nick: After the each round you will want to warm down and move out the lactate build up but actually having a little bit left in the system can be used as a fuel source. The trick is 10-15 minutes before the next round you need not sit anymore and let the lactate pool up. If you don’t have a message therapist to give you a flush message than you can do it yourself with a foam roller or just light movements in the ready room. Nathan will probably change suits after each round if there is enough time. Sometimes you may just want to keep the same suit from the 2nd to final round so you don’t get distracted and fatigued putting on a new suit. Again, in the Shootout, the swimmer who can manage their physical and emotional energy the best will win the $10,001.
Josh: Nick, thanks for your advice. How can people contact you?
Nick: Thank you Josh for hosting these kind of events. Young swimmers of America can really benefit from seeing Olympians compete in this type of event and hopefully they will have more opportunities to compete in special races like this which will really help them prepare for peak performance at the international level.
Josh: Any predictions?
Nick: I like seeing anybody swim great but it’s rewarding when someone you work with succeeds, so I have to go with Nathan.
The above is a press release submitted by the Fastest Man in Texas organizers.