Quick Dip: What Should I Do When a Set Feels Too Hard?

A short read for the car journey

Category: Training  | Read time: Under 2 minutes

Some parts of training are meant to feel challenging. Your breathing may become faster, your muscles may feel tired and you might need to concentrate more to hold your technique.

A set feeling hard does not always mean that something is wrong. Your coach may be asking you to practise maintaining a skill, pace or effort when you are becoming tired.

First, make sure you understand the set. Listen for the pace, rest and skill your coach wants. Instead of thinking about the whole set at once, focus on the next length or repeat and the part of your swimming you can control.

Try to keep your technique together rather than racing the swimmers around you. If you started too fast, missed the instructions or cannot hold the requested pace, tell your coach. Your coach can explain the aim, give you a focus or decide whether something should change.

There is a difference between working hard and feeling that something is wrong. Sharp or sudden pain, dizziness, feeling unwell or unusual difficulty breathing should not be ignored. Stop safely and tell your coach straight away.

You should also tell your coach if you are unusually tired before the set begins. This gives your coach useful information and is more helpful than pretending everything feels fine.

Learning to manage a difficult set includes knowing when to keep working and when to speak up.

Ask your coach: How should this set feel and what should I focus on when it becomes hard?

Created by Basingstoke Bluefins Coaching Team