Where does it finish? (a) At the first bouy.
(b) At the back break
(c) All the way around the course
This is the most critical part of all racing: (What is your plan?) also, for life in general. The goal of a race plan is to control those things within your powers and ignore those that are not. Most of you have read or heard the quote, ‘If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.’ Sticking to plan gives you a clear strategy to swim your course. You may add or change tactics due to circumstances in a race or conditions on race day but the overall race plan needs to be prepared and stuck to. An important benefit of a race plan is when you focus on the steps and tactics in your plan during a race; you are thinking process and not results. Thinking results without a plan usually ends in failure. A race plan is how you will approach race day and specifically how you will tackle the race itself. We will concentrate on the race from start to finish.
On race day and following a good warm up you would have carefully observed and tested conditions. Any adjustments for your procedure out and in are tactics you are going to use in your race for example, using rips, sand banks, gutters and sweep direction along the beach.
The basic plan is:
- Good sprint start
- Run in fast and hit the water first
- Wade as far as possible
- Duck dive while observing bouys and competitors
- Swim fast with a maximum sprint to begin 8 to 10 seconds
- Use good skills going out, through or under waves with no mistakes
- Sprint to and around 1st bouy out of congestion
- Good rhythm along bouys and turn efficiently
- Line up marker on beach and hold course
10. Check for waves under arm
11. Time a wave and catch it as far as possible
12. Kick with head down and hold your breath
13. Stand in shallow water, wade then run to finish
How do you do this? The above points involve skills, techniques, right decision making, timing and physical conditioning adaption different to pool swimming.
