I made my first national team the summer of 2002 at USA Nationals in Ft. Lauderdale. I ended up 7th in the 1500 and through a few event double-ups from other swimmers ranked ahead of me, I was added to the 2003 World University Games that would go on to compete in Daegu, Korea. Anyways, I was 18 years old and headed for college at Michigan after the summer. I wasn’t having the greatest meet of all time and was disappointed that I hadn’t dropped more time. Between the 200 and the 1500, there was whole day off which I had to rest and get ready. I knew I had to do something respectable in the 1500 to justify all the hard work I had done.
The entire meet was somewhat torturous because we were staying at a hotel right near the beach. Everyday there were huge waves rolling in and tons of people having fun in the surf. Being the focused athlete that I was, I refrained from going to the beach. I didn’t want to get drained in the sun or spend too much energy hanging out at the beach. However, after a mediocre 400 and 200, I couldn’t take it any longer! The afternoon of my day off, I spent a good hour or two at the beach, bodysurfing with my friends and family. This activity didn’t have the full endorsement of my coach, but he understood that having a little fun is better for the mind than living inside of a bubble. Sure enough, I had a great swim in the 1500 and my international career was set into motion. Lesson learned: Ya gotta have fun!
What I learned from that experience still keeps me going today. Even though I am 6 days away from the biggest competition of this year, I still went to the beach today and rode some waves. As long as I don’t over extend myself, a little mental break is always a good thing. There is a time for work and a time for play, and keeping that balance is important.