Swimmers should try and wear the official club kit at galas as this readily identifys the club to other teams as well as portraying a competative image.

At a gala one of the most common causes for a young swimmer under-performing is that they have become cold. This could be due to sitting around in damp clothing after a swim in an air-conditioned area.

A 'warm-up' is the preparation of warming up the body for strenuous exercise, such as just before a swim event, whereby a swimmer will perform warm-up exercises. However the bodies muscles still have to be kept warm after the event to prevent strains and chills. This can be achieved by drying, changing and putting on warm clothing on top of their swimwear.

Swimmers should be aware that eating or not eating correctly on competition day can impact greatly on thier performance. The key to nutrition is to make sure that you have eaten enough carbohydrates before the competition starts, not the day before the meet.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, avoid high-fat choices such as bacon, sausages, biscuits and choose foods high in carbohydrates such as cereal, fuit juice, muffins, pancakes, waffles, toast, bread/rolls with low fat spread, jam, marmalade and either fresh or/and dried fruit.

Swimmers competing at all-day swimming meets may have a problem choosing nutritious food throughout the day. The swimmer should consider the amount of time between eating and racing when choosing foods to eat. Chips, burgers, hotdogs, candy bars provided by most venue cafes are extremely high in fat and will not be digested quickly. Two to three hours before competition choose fruit or vegetable juice such as orange and tomato, eat cereal bars, plain biscuits, soup and bread, lean meats, low fat yogurts. One hour or less before competition drink plain water and eat fresh fruit which is light such as watermelon, grapes, peaches, banana and oranges.

Avoid high fat content food choices such as sausage rolls and items already mentioned, including fizzy drinks and caffeine in cola, crisps, chocolate bars and chocolate biscuits.

But most of all avoid overeating as this will make you feel heavy and lethargic and don't skip breakfast as this will make you feel that you have no energy at all!! The best policy is to eat little and often during the day inbetween events

Fluid intake is just as important to a swimmer whether they are in training or competing. Swimmers are encouraged to drink frequently during competitions to replace fluids as the indoor pool environment is humid and dehydrating. Do not wait until you feel thirsty until you start drinking. Have a drink about 15mins before an event, this will allow enough time for it to be absorbed.

Recovery after competition is just as important, have something to drink and eat immediately after your last swim. Water, a sports drink or sports bar are best. Do not wait a couple of hours and then have a little snack as this is not sufficient, especially if you have an event the next day. Eat a high carbohydrate meal with protien, such as Sphagetti Bolognese, Jacket Potao with Tuna, Chicken with Potatoes. Have rice dishes, fish with vegetables, soups with bread to dip in. Eat fresh fruit, yogurt or jelly as a dessert, don't have cakes and ice-cream. Avoid microwave meals as most contain inadequate sources of energy, also don't ruin a baked potato or bread with too much butter and cheese.

These are some guidelines which you can follow, however if in doubt about nutrition requirements, talk to your coach

Nerves are good, "It's not about getting rid of the butterflies, it's about making them fly in the same direction."   James Parrack (British Olympic Swimmer)

A feeling of nervousness helps the body get ready for the performance you want to give.

The body has exactly the same response to things you are anxious about, like going to the dentist, or feeling excited about .. like Christmas Day. In both cases you might not sleep much the night before, you may feel nervous, or be thinking a lot about what is to come etc. The only difference is how you think about it. In the case of the dentist you may not want to do go, and so on. About Christmas Day you may think Bring It On!!

You have to ask yourself 'Is this really where I want to be right now, here, doing this?' The answer should be Yes!

If you find yourself getting too excited, you need to relax.....

Relaxation, sometimes we need to take time to relax. If we spend too much time getting excited, we will have used up all our nervous energy before we get to the race.   Relaxation helps pass the time, helps you focus on the performance and keeps the butterflies ready for when they are unleashed.

Breathing exercises are good. Breath in for 3, Hold for 3, Out for 3. Do this for 5 to 10 minutes. Do this exercise any time you feel the need to relax, especially on the day of the race.

Visualisation, when you are relaxed, this is the time to spend a few minutes visualising the performance. Go through in your mind exactly what you want to do in the race. See yourself walking out, feeling strong and confident, hear the noise , think about the swimming pool smell, getting on the block , hearing the gun, visualise the perfect streamlined dive, the strong kick into the stroke and every aspect of the race.

Run through this a few times.

When it is done well, visualisation can be a very powerful tool to help the body rehearse the performance you want to give. The more realistic you can make it, the better.

A big thank you to James Parrack (British Olympic Swimmer - Blue Water Training Camps) for kindly sending information on Race Preparation, Turning around Negative thoughts or comments and Focus on Performance Goals Not Outcome Goals which have been summarised on this page. To view further information regarding these topics click on the following link: Race Preparation