SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF

Swimming! What an interesting sport. Just when you think…

My approach to sport (in my case, life) has always been the same. Do your best and do it the best you can! The pursuit of perfection has been an endearing battle for me ever since I was little. Whether I was kicking a soft (bomber) footy through the rumpus room doors or teeing off on the short Par 3, 7^th at Spring Park, if it just didn’t feel right, I had to do it again. By the time I got to the back half of my teen years, I was pretty confident I could match anyone when it came to technical application and general coordination. Unfortunately, the further I have come in this pursuit, the larger the holes I find and the more difficult they have become to address.

It did not take long for Coach Darren Smith to label me as technically “unco” when I arrived in Canberra earlier this year. Unfortunately the excuse of, “yes but i’m not a water baby” just doesn’t cut it when your game is the multisport. After coming to grips with the fact that I may be technically flawed, I was set the task of improving the little things to make the big things better. At first I was insulted that my technique was being criticized, but once I realized it was an excuse for being lapped by the 12-year-old girls at the Bayside Swim Club, I felt much better and was ready to embrace the change.  

This year has been as challenging as any other I can remember. Without wanting to sound like the “poor me” triathlete, I have found it hard to stay positive at times after spending the majority of the year sidelined with injury and/or illness. The stressors of being away from home and the scrutiny that faced the entire bomber community added to the hot pot of mental instability that was simmering away! Fortunately, I had another family to support me while I was away and the benefits of having a training squad became obvious. I might just mention while I’m here that this is not just any training squad! My teammates were able to set the triathlon world alight on many occasions throughout the year and it was a pleasure to train along side such a motivated and successful group of athletes. I hope each of them can be proud of what they have achieved this year and I can only hope to one-day share similar accomplishments.

Anyway, lets get back to talking about me! The positive aspect of having a nagging knee injury (lets call it ITB syndrome) is that I was able to invest in some serious goggle time. I probably didn’t swim as many laps as a pure swimmer would have, although one day I did 60 x 100 after our squad session. That’s just one example that springs to mind when I recollect my time at the Morzine Piscine (French for pool- and pronounced in proper Australian as “piss-seen-ay”). I envied the others as they went on scenic runs through the picture perfect mountains of the French Alps while I scanned in for another “mind zapping” technique set in the water. Although, I’ll be honest and say that some days I was happy to have my beloved pool toys for company when I saw the look on their faces after another “tempo” run.

Upon reflection, I am proud of my application during these swim sessions and I can recognise significant improvements in the water. Before you go ahead and add up the amount of time I spent in the water and times it by how fast you think I should be going, I’ll stop you and say that I’m NOT going that fast! I know I did the math at the start of the year and was pretty sure I’d be moving like Sun Yang but I’m still splashing around like Eric the Eel, only now I don’t need the pool buoy to make it to the other end. In the past couple of years I have done enough laps to make up for the ones I missed when I was younger so I’ve managed to level the playing field a little. It is clear the secret is to swim well not often, but for some people like me the former is dependent on the later. I’m happy to pay this price because I enjoy swimming and I look forward to the day you can sit on my feet and feel like crying!

I’ll leave you with this for now, as I’m about to catch up with my dad for the second time this year! I apologise to those loyal readers for my silence over the past few months and I assure you that its not because I’m lazy… I made a promise that I wouldn’t write anything until I had something good to say… And know that both Collingwood and Carlton are out of the finals I can happily report my news. In addition, for those in Melbourne who enjoy knowing that I’m nearby, I have returned home from France and will resume the responsibility of feeding my dog under the table.

Until next time, be good and remember... 

“The small stuff matters” despite what they say! 

Mitch's Goal:
GET MY KNEE FIXED!

Mitch's Pictures: 

Sheer delight to be at the pool in Thonon!

Morzine's 50m pool in all its glory!

Lake Montriond, France!

Kitzbhuel, Austria!

Hanging out at the lake!

Sartrouville French GP (my comeback race)!

Cheeky "selfie"after a double swim day!

Back home with Mum and Mags!