In preparation for my swim training session yesterday I watched a few videos on techniques for beginner triathletes. I am a very weak swimmer and know that this is the one event that I need the most help on. After watching the videos, I arrived at the pool excited to work on a few of the tips. I selected one tip on breathing as breathing is the one aspect that can throw the rest of my technique off. If I begin to lose breath or even feel like I am losing breath my mind freaks out. Then my body tenses up which subsequently makes it harder to breathe.
After settling into my warmup I noticed that I was much more relaxed and that my focus on breathing was improving all other areas. I was able to go on to swim the most meters to date and also the longest uninterrupted distance yet. On reflection I realized that this happened for two very important reasons. The first is that I clarified my focus. I limited what I would be paying attention to and improving. Instead of trying to fix all of the discrepancies with my technique I picked one area and put all my mental energy there. The second factor was that I selected the most important area to improve. This one area helps every other area click into place. If my breathing is settled I am able to then focus on kicking, body position, and stroke consistency. When my breathing is failing my mind cannot focus on anything else. It goes into survival mode.
I absolutely love this insight for the rest of my life. As I move forward I want to focus on the critical tasks and limit how many I am working on at one time. When I try to do many things I end up getting nothing done or burning out. I can’t wait to see what other areas of my life in which I can improve and achieve goals.