Swedish Swim Ace Adam Paulsson Provides Some Training Focus Tips As Winter Approaches in Northern Hemisphere

It’s the winter season here in Sweden and Europe. Time to start planning those goals you want to achieve next year. If you haven’t got one yet, I suggest you start a ‘swim book’ right now, regardless of whether you are a competitive swimmer or just someone out to improve condition and performance. Write down your goals, log your sessions and add your comments, as well as those from your coach if you one. It’ll help keep you focused (and will probably amuse you in later years).

Rule number one when setting those goals is to be totally clear about what you want to achieve – what success means for you! Is about swimming 100 meters freestyle faster, knocking of a couple of seconds? Or is it about mastering a new stroke, like butterfly, for example, or building endurance for a long open water swim? This is your chance to dream and map out the journey to achieving that goal (or goals).

Next, you need to set a moment in time when you deliver on your goals. It could be entering a specific swim competition or a triathlon. You may decide you want to swim the English channel. Focus in on those goals and monitor how your training is enhancing your opportunity to deliver in reality on the dream.

Your swim book is now coming into play. It will allow you to follow the ups and downs of your progress and drive you to tackle weaknesses and leverage strengths. What’s working and what isn’t? Is your breathing helping you or hampering you. How’s your mental attitude supporting you? If you don’t have a coach, would it help to have one to make that extra big leap? What do you need to focus on during the next session to move you forward? Setting the milestones for your progress will help keep you on track and provide the proof of your success.

For me, goal setting is all about positive action. You’ve made a decision not to vegetate but to move forward. I also advise you to live your dream from day one. Enjoy the grind by imagining your ace performance when the moment comes. Hey! And now's the time to buy those rockstar sunglasses because soon you’ll be the 'star' your hard effort is going to make happen.

So dive in folks, it’s your time! And don't forget to stay well hydrated, preferably with water as clean as nature intended as delivered by Bluewater water purifiers.