From my experience with races

I think back, and I remember being disappointed with bad swims. I remember being young and not really caring that much either (this might have been longer than I'd like to admit). It's funny, when I began to get faster at swimming is when I remember getting upset with bad times. Before becoming fast at swimming, I don't even remember what I felt towards my races, as I only saw it as a race.

I also remember beginning to train more and work harder at workouts. It happened later than many good swimmers, but I remember when I did begin to put forth more towards swimming. My mentality actually changed, and after awhile I learned a new feeling about some of my swims. I began to not get upset about bad times, but I remember really getting mad over races that when I finished the race, I knew I had more to give.

It became disappointing to myself, as I had made the decision to put more of time and effort into my training, and to go to a meet and not give everything I had for race; made me mad at myself. The 50 Freestyle became frustrating, as I began finishing every race feeling like I still had some more to go. This led to my improvement in many events. I might have swam some events wrong, but I knew I was going to put forth everything. I knew for 100's that if I wanted to be really fast I had to give myself a chance by being out fast. Learned that from Scott Jett; you can only go so fast if you start the race at certain speed, so if you really want to go faster you have to sprint the first 50 and use heart and desire on that final lap. Yes, that strategy hurts a lot, but the pain never bothered me at the end of a race. The feeling that I still had something did.

My advice to swimmers. Every race, practice giving everything you have. Forget the time, practice finishing with absolutely nothing left. Have that become your habit. Use the X-Factor to become better at racing. The X-Factor being the heart and pride that you gave it your all. Let training make you better physiologically, but the willingness to give your all and swimming with heart and pride; these are the things that you can't develop swimming laps. You have to train yourself to mentally be able to race like that.

My opinion, worst feeling in the world at the end of a race: Feeling like I didn't it my all. It is way worse than seeing I got a bad time.