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Experience and Sports Performance: A Personal Insight
Why is it that an overweight, undertrained 35 year old can do the times he did as a 17 year old swimmer? And no, the answer isn't "the suit"...---
I've just come back from the British Masters Swimming Championships, where on Saturday I swam within 1/100th of a second of the time I did for 100 metres Breaststroke 18 years ago (I'm 35).
At the time I wasn't world class or anything, far from it, but I was in Scottish National Squads and training around 10 (or more) times every week.
Incidentally, my split time was the fastest I have been from a standing start (i.e. not a relay) over 50m.
So what's going on?
Well, I'm certainly a bit stronger than I was. My technique may be better, but then my range of movement and flexibility isn't quite what it was. After all, I've been sitting at a desk more than anything else for the last 10 years or so.
I'm pretty sure that my anaerobic fitness is not what it was and aerobically, well, there's no comparison. Indeed, for most of the intervening years I haven't even been a regular exerciser.
Yet, in a little over a minute's swimming, there's no significant difference between what I did then and now.
The biggest item in the credit column must be psychological.
Then, I took it all very seriously and overanalysed poor performances. I used to be conscious about what other people thought of me and where I stood in rankings.
Of course, now I have the benefit of hindsight so I race for fun. Sure, it's competitive, but if it wasn't fun I wouldn't bother.
The other psychological aspect is that I really try and learn from my races. I don't waste energy going back over things to the point where I'm beating myself up, but I do treat every race as a learning experience. I look for something to improve and move on.
My mantra going into the meet this week was "trust the process" because as I rested (from my massive 3 sessions a week) I could feel my stroke coming together. I hit the first wall on my 100m and thought "nailed it" and from there just went on automatic until I felt myself tying up a bit, then it was "keep it long". At the end I was dying a bit and didn't time my finish well, but hey, that's for next time :)
(And in case you are wondering, no I didn't wear a LZR bodysuit!)
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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
Stade Francais 'Warhol' Kit: What is the psychology of team colours and outfits?
I had an interesting call yesterday from a journalist yesterday. In the run-up to the Heineken cup, French rugby team Stade Francais released yet another in a line of 'garish' kits.
The Adidas shirt depicts the face of Blanche de Castille, the wife of Louis VIII, in a multi-coloured design described by the club as "in the fashion of Andy Warhol."
Stade's shirt for 2008-09 follows three previous designs that mixed pink, brown and blue. Last year, the club went for pink lilies to continue the distinctive designs that were started for the team's away kit.
The shirts are down to owner Max Guazzini's promotion of a club that up until six or seven years ago, played to a small, fashionable crowd, and his attempt to challenge the 'macho' image of rugby.
Could there be any positive or negative psychological effects of wearing kits like this? Perhaps it helps to unite the team, as part of a coherent brand or identity? Or if players do not feel comfortable could that harm performance?What do you think? Please share any insights or opinions.
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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
Spanish Star Etxeberria Signs a New Contract - To Play for Free
For a sport better noted for its greed than its good, it was wonderfully refreshing today to read about Spanish international midfielder Joseba Etxeberria who has signed up for one final season (his 15th) with Athletic Bilbao - and will play for free!Exteberria (31), who joined as a 17 year old, has represented Spain at three major championships, and should play his 500th game for the club, wanted to give something back to the fans. Athletic's president Fernando Garcia Macua said of the gesture: "From the club's standpoint there are not words enough to thank such a gesture."
Here's the full story from the BBC.
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Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
