The Week in Review and the Week Ahead - 1/30

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

What a great week. We had some really solid practices. These practices, at this time of year, can be the most difficult to date. Sometimes the difficulty is physical, sometimes mental, sometimes both. With the conference meet just over three weeks away, guys need to stay focused on what we have to accomplish. Below I have some hints for athlete bodies should and shouldn't feel at this time of year

    

Fatique: KNOW THYSELF Goldsmith, Wayne

Feeling fatigued after training is normal, but excessive and constant fatigue is not. How do you know how much training you should do? How do you know when your body and mind are tired and need time to rest and recover? The answer can be found by evaluating several fatigue factors that, if monitored regularly, can help you stay healthy and train optimally.

There are some factors that are relatively simple to measure and can be excellent indicators of your level of fatigue:

* SLEEP. What is your quality of sleep? Do you fall asleep easily and wake up feeling refreshed, or do you toss and turn and wake up feeling even more tired than the day before? Swimmers who train hard sleep well. Swimmers who are in a state of excessive fatigue will often complain that they have difficulty falling and staying asleep.

* MUSCLE SORENESS. Do your muscles feel tired after training, or are they sore and aching for two to three days after a hard session? It is normal for muscles to be tired, but it's not normal for muscles to be sore, aching and tight for more than 24 hours.

* RESTING HEART RATE. As you become more fit, your resting heart rate gets lower. If your heart rate is elevated by 10 to 15 beats per minute for two to three consecutive days, it may be a sign that your body is not adapting to training (and life stresses).

* STRESS. Swimmers are people who-just like other people-are susceptible to all the stresses and strains of life. There is a strong relationship between life stress and fatigue levels.

* RECOVERY TECHNIQUES. There are several things you can do to help you deal with fatigue, such as eating well, rehydrating, getting plenty of quality sleep, having a massage or doing some non-weight-bearing cross training (e.g., mountain biking).

MEET SPLITS from Tuesday's meet against Holland

MEET SPLITS from Thursday's meet against EGR

Another way to check on the results on meets that we are hosting, is a new free iPhone app called "Meet Mobile"

THE WEEK AHEAD

This Week's Practice Notes and Special Events

• A "Normal" week of practices this week  - Monday, TUESDAY and Wednesday from 3:30 - 6:00
• Tuesday & Thursday - Morning practices beginning at 6:00 am.
• Saturday, February 4 - Normal Saturday practice.

This Week's Meets

• Thursday, Feb. 2nd Home Meet vs. Grand Rapids Christian - Athletes should be on deck at the Aquatic Center by 5:20.