Dear fellow swimmers
Managing performance expectations
Can cultivating indifference to your performance improve it?
Last
weekend I took part in a masters gala. I had also just returned from a hiking trip. I was tired and jet-lagged. I’d been travelling for 25 hours. I had barely swum in nearly three weeks.
My swims could have gone badly as a result.
On the other hand, I’d been out all day in the fresh air, eating basic but nutritious food, and I had done a lot of walking.
Perhaps my swimming would benefit?
Usually when I go to
events, I have target times in mind. I put pressure on myself to hit those times and am disappointed if I don’t.
This time, I was liberated of my usual expectations. Because I had no idea what would happen, I was indifferent to the outcome.
As a result, I enjoyed the event more, felt relaxed while swimming and didn’t suffer the same nerves as usual. Some of my times were slower than I’ve done recently. I wasn’t bothered. A couple were right up there, which suggested some truth in the positive narrative I’d told myself – or perhaps I just swam fast because I was relaxed?
There's a lesson here. If we free ourselves from our performance expectations, could we improve our swimming experiences – and perhaps even our swimming, whether that’s in the pool or open water?
I don't mean that we should go around making excuses before events to lower our expectations. Instead, can we become better at
embracing and enjoying the event experience while cultivating indifference to the outcome? No expectations rather than low expectations.
Maybe you do this already, but it was a revelation to me. Anyway, let us know: are you disappointed if you don’t meet your performance expectations at events or are you just happy to be there, regardless of the
outcome?
Look out for our Events Guide
Talking about events, the open water racing season is just around the corner. From our recent Trends survey, we know that the most popular reason people gave for entering events is to push themselves physically and
seeing what they can do. This was closely followed by the opportunity to swim somewhere different and knowing it’s safe.
In the April issue of Outdoor Swimmer magazine, we will publish our annual Events Guide, with details of as many events as we can find.
If you’re an event organiser and haven’t yet let us know about your 2025 swims, please get in touch now to be included.
If you’re a swimmer and not yet a subscriber to Outdoor Swimmer, sign up today to ensure you get the Event Guide.
Swimming events are a highlight of my summer. If you see me out there, please come and say hello.
