How To...by Alexandra Schultheis

Alex Schultheis
January 31, 2004
Professor Bishop

How to Prepare for a Swim Race

Before you spring off the block and make your way down the length of the pool there are a few things that every swimmer must do in order to prepare themselves for the big race.
First thing first, every swimmer must have a pair of goggles. Goggles are essential to a swimmer because they are their eyes during a race. There are several types of goggles that a swimmer can choose from; there are the padded Speedo goggles that come in a variety of colors, the rubber padded goggles that are mostly worn by children between the ages of five to ten, and then there is the intimating and very uncomfortable Swedish goggle. The Swedish goggle is shaped to fit the contour of a very small eyeball, and when a swimmer puts a pair of these extremely painful, but very sleek, eye wear on they transform into a scary, fearless, and incredible swimmer.
The next thing a swimmer must have in order to swim a race is a bathing suit, not just one bathing suit but three bathing suits. The first suit is the racing suit; this suit is designed to fit tightly in order to cause the least amount of friction possible between you and the water. The next two suits are much bigger in size, these are the warm-up suits. Before every big race a swimmer will swim a few laps in a warm-up pool. While warming up a swimmer will wear two big suits over their racing suit to cause drag in the water. The idea behind this bizarre ritual is that if a swimmer can swim with multiple layers on then he or she will swim even faster with only one layer on. Although no one has ever proven this to be true it is an age old tradition that every swimmer, whether bad or good, performs before every big race.
After you have acquired the perfect pair of goggles and have warmed up in all three suits it is time to put on the racing cap. The racing cap is made of rubber and can be found in all different colors. Some swimmers prefer to wear florescent colored racing caps, whereas the more modest swimmers tend to stick to black and white. After you have selected what color cap to wear you have to put it on. Putting on a swim cap can be a very difficult thing to do, which is why it is best to have someone help you with it. Your partner holds the cap upside down and stretches it as wide as it can go, then you lean down and insert your head into the rubber cap. After your head is in the cap, take it from your partner and stand up. Now that the cap is firmly on the top of your head you must tuck all the excess hair in it, all hair must be inside the cap. After you have completed this task you are ready to swim the race.
With your racing suit on, your rubber cap firmly in place on your head, and your goggles covering your eyes you step up to the block, it is now time to begin the race. The crowd is cheering, your coach is screaming from the sidelines, and your heart is beating through your chest. On the announcers command you get in the starting position, and when the gun is fired you spring off the block and begin your journey down the length of the pool.