PAC-12 Broadcast

The view from my chair.

Check your local TV listings for Women's PAC-12 swimming championships … they will air today on Fox Sports Net. Rumor has it there's some interesting guest commentary!

-Amanda

Intermediate Swim Workout

WARM-UP

• 300 swim

• 300 kick

• 300 pull

WORKOUT

4x:

• 2x25 fly :40

• 2x75 (fly/back/breast) 1:20

• 2x100 free 1:40

1x:

• 400 pull

• 20x50 kick (each set of 5 gets faster) 1:00

• 400 pull

WARM-DOWN

• 200 easy

TOTAL: 4,500 yd.

If you have any questions please ask in the comment section below and remember THIS IS ONLY AN EXAMPLE! If you attempt to follow it you are doing so AT YOUR OWN RISK! When making any changes to your fitness routine ALWAYS take your personal limits into serious consideration and ABSOLUTELY MAKE SURE you obtain prior approval from a licensed and board certified physician!

7 Habits of Highly Effective Athletes

1)  Perfect Practice Makes Perfect - Gregg Troy, my college swim coach from the University of Florida, said "perfect practice makes perfect" what felt like at least a dozen times every single workout. At first, I brushed it off as just another catch phrase from the ole swim coach but at some point I began to read between the lines … if you just go through the motions at practice everyday then you will just go through the motions at the big show. Do everything as perfectly as you can day in and day out and you will be at the top of your game come time to compete. It’s that simple.

2)  Keep it Simple - Don't make things more complicated than they are. Most of what we deal with in life, including sports, is actually fairly simple if you slow down or, better yet, stop and think about it.

3)  Find Balance - Too much of one thing can make anyone go crazy. Finding the right balance between your sport, family, friends, pets, social activities and hobbies is crucial to your sanity and ultimately your success.

4)  Don’t be Afraid to Fail - Yep, that's right, I said it … FAIL. Go ahead, I dare you! If you’ve never failed, until you do, you won't succeed. Hate to say it, but it's the truth … it even makes me cringe to write it! - "Those who have no problems never eventuate to accomplish anything, Those who face the most challenges often create the most value."

5)  Remember You Goals - Write down questions your goals are answers to and post them where you can see them. Having goals is one thing, but forcing yourself to recall them from memory regularly and putting them where you can see them every single day, several times a day, will engrave them in your mind … think of it as mental muscle memory.

6)  Ask Questions - just like in school, in athletics there are no dumb questions. Ask coaches, mentors, role models, older athletes, etc. anything you want to know: knowledge is power.

7)  Have Confidence – Last but not least, what are we without confidence? Not a whole lot. It’s the foundation of everything we are and everything we will become so BELIEVE in yourself and have confidence but don’t go searching for it, it only comes from within.

-By guest blogger Caroline Stilwell Burckle