Donovan does not swim until tomorrow. We have a number of responsibilities.
Firstly we need to stay sharp. His first race is the 100 fly. This is a strong event for him but the world has become much faster! He will have to go best time to qualify for finals. We have been working on fly drills, starts and turns. Today we practiced in the LZR suit. This suit is brand new to swimming and an excellent option for Donovan. He is very muscular in the lower body and the suit provides him with buoyancy and support for his mid section. His break outs are as fast as ever !
Secondly, he has to manage himself. He needs to maintain hydration, the proper number of calories and a disciplined diet. He has done a stellar job in this regard. Daily weights and urine specific gravity determinations provide objective feed back in this regard. He needs to protect his sleep and nap times, he has a lot of swimming, 5 events over six days a very tough schedule!
Thirdly, he has to visualize. (pretty tough for a blind guy!) He has been working with his sports psychologist in this regard and it has paid off
Last, but not least he needs to support his teammates. We will attend heats and finals to cheer on his teammates. The emotional support of one another is a key to team dynamic and success!
1 comment:
I.ve been trying to catch a glimpse of Donovan but since there are no Ozzies in the S11 category we get to see squat down here, so I've had to resort to the computer and Hugh's Beijing Blog, thanks for the daily and often more than daily updates and most importantly GO DONOVAN GO, you have the support of the OZZIE UNSYS
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