Hitting a Plateau: Juggling Competitions, Training, and Homesickness - Week 8
A hectic and fast-paced week has just passed, marking the halfway point of my first semester here. It's strange how quickly time is flying by, yet I feel stuck in some ways. Despite all the experiences I've had, I still feel like I'm back at square one. My swim times aren’t progressing, and schoolwork here doesn’t feel as challenging as back home. Most of my week revolves around sleeping, eating, procrastinating, swimming, and squeezing in some free time for different activities—along with a bit of studying. It’s different, and I’m starting to feel a bit homesick.
I competed in two swim meets this week, which brought a mix of fun and pain. Swimming hurts, but at least I’ve scored some solid points for the team, so I can’t really complain about that. Wednesday's competition didn’t go as I expected, even though I swam decently and won two of my three events. The problem is that I’m not seeing the times I want. I’ve been faster in meters before, and it feels like I’ve hit a plateau. I’ve started doing more stretches and core workouts, and I’ve added an extra swim practice on Sundays, hoping that this will help steer my progress in a better direction.
Saturday’s meet was just as tough. Again, I won two out of three events, which I think made my coach happy since I’m contributing to the team. But personally, I’m not satisfied with my performance. There’s so much opportunity here, and it feels like I’m wasting it by not improving. I’m hoping that these adjustments in training and stretching will help me get back on track.
Of course, everything here is new, and swimming almost feels like a different sport. I shouldn’t put too much pressure on myself. I’ve never competed this tired, unprepared, or this often before. It’s a strange feeling, and maybe I should try to ease off the competition nerves and treat these meets more like practice. But at the same time, I see friends at other schools posting great times, and it’s hard not to compare. Maybe they’re just better suited to this type of swimming.
Recently, I’ve discovered a new hobby—photography! I’ve started taking photos during competitions and other events, and I’m really enjoying it. It’s a fun way to capture memories, and I’m learning more about it every day. If you’re curious to see some of my shots or get a better view of my competitions, I’ve created a new page on my blog dedicated to the photos I’ve taken during competitions. You can check it out below.
Gustav Löfqvist
I’ve also noticed something else—there’s a slight difference in the air here. At first, I thought it was just me being out of shape, but I learned that the altitude means there’s a bit less oxygen than back home. It’s not enough to notice in everyday life, but during practice, I’ve found it takes longer to catch my breath. It shouldn’t affect my times too much, but it might be slowing down my recovery a bit.
Balancing this intense competition week with school has been a challenge, but since it wasn’t a demanding week academically, I’ve managed. It’s also really nice to have a short break now, with Monday and Tuesday off from school. Unfortunately, coach sees it as the perfect time to give us five total practices to complete over those two days. I’ll be swimming twice both days and lifting on Tuesday too. It’s rough, but if it’ll help me improve, I’m all in.
I also visited a Mexican grill, which was a nice break from the usual school dinners. It felt great to eat out and treat myself after such a competitive week. The experience was relaxing, and I was happy with the food, although I had a bit of trouble figuring out how to tip! It's still a bit weird having to do math on the spot, but I managed to make it work. Overall, it was a nice little escape from the routine.
Working on my technique. Catch and turn still needs alot of work.
