Hey all!

Crazy to think that 2023 is coming to an end. December has always been a month of introspection for me. I can’t help but to look back at the year and see what I’ve accomplished and what I could’ve improved upon.

As we inch closer to the new year, here are 5 tips that have helped me as a swimmer that will also help you too:

Tip #1: Get ahead of your injuries by doing a strength program.

If I had known that lifting and getting on a proper strength program would’ve saved me from years of pain and surgeries, I would’ve done it in a heartbeat. Instead, I learned it the hard way by getting injured (so many injuries), then having to rehab those injuries before I could properly improve my strength.

Tip #2: Swimming more yardage doesn’t always make you faster.

There were days when I swam 10K+ as a sprinter. While it sometimes felt like a badge of honor and bragging rights, it ultimately just led me to burnout and injuries. While repetition is important and increasing yardage has a place in programming and improving aerobic capacities, I could’ve benefitted from tailored training programs specific to my strengths and events.

Tip #3: You can’t just hydrate with water.

Water alone simply isn’t enough. I used to pound liters of water every day and still felt thirsty. I didn’t realize that all I was doing was further diluting whatever electrolytes were left in my body, making me more dehydrated. I felt groggy, had headaches, had difficulty focusing in class, and was always exhausted.

As soon as I added electrolytes to my water, it felt as if my fatigue evaporated instantly. I swam faster for longer, I focused in school, my headaches went away, and I was no longer tired all the time.

Tip #4: Nutrition has everything to do with your performance.

I understood nutrition had an important role in training. I didn’t know that it was pivotal to success. I didn’t know what I was supposed to eat and when I was supposed to eat. I didn’t know that I was supposed to prioritize protein for muscle building and carbohydrates for fuel. All I knew was that I needed to “fuel my body” without any guidance or direction. It wasn’t until I sought out nutrition coaching that I realized I was doing it all wrong during my entire swimming career.

Tip #5: Don’t forget to have fun.

Swimming is fun. Isn’t that why you started doing it in the first place? Yet somewhere down the line, you forgot that’s why you swam.

I stopped having fun during my last few seasons in college. I was anxious, stressed, and constantly worried about getting my cuts. It didn’t help that I was also overtrained, undernourished, dehydrated, injured, and burned out. But mainly, I lost sight of why I started swimming. I focused too much on wanting to PR every year that swimming became a job instead of a passion. I fell out of love with the sport and I wish I reminded myself to have fun and not take it so seriously.

Cold = Stiff?

As winter rolls around the corner and the temperature begins to drop, we tend to get a little stiffer. You may need to warm up longer or spend more time with your mobility routine to loosen up.

Check out this IG reel on how to improve your mobility.

Tropics During The Winter

I’m a big trop house & EDM fan and I’ve assembled a training playlist of my go-to mood-boosters (more to come as I keep adding to it). For those of you missing summer and warmer weather, here’s my go-to playlist to bring back summer feels.

Now that you have this on hand, regardless if you’re near or far, wherever you are, it’ll always feel like we’re training together 🫶 

As always, leave feedback by replying to this email. I love sharing the wealth of knowledge and I’m glad I get to share it with you!

Have a FANTASTIC weekend.

Until next time,

Sandra

PS - Need customized strength coaching or swim coaching from someone who’s personally recovered from 10+ injuries and surgeries, and helped many others recover from the same? Sign up for 1:1 coaching with me.

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