Preparing to Win - Part 2

Race Tips

Just as a bad stroke can get ingrained in your muscle memory if your technique is not corrected, in the same way, thought patterns also get ingrained in your brain, and either help you or hold you back.

When I run a workshop or a mentorship session with a top athlete today, a lot of what he or she shares is similar to my own experience of stress on race days. Issues range from feeling too much muscle stress just before a race, to fear of failure and sometimes even, fear of success. Swimmers often talk to me about how their focus shifts pre-race, to worrying more about what the person in the next lane is going to do, rather than on their own swim! And then of course, every once in a way, I come across an extremely talented individual, the hardest worker in the pool, who is expected to win, but ends up being the biggest let down, because he or she let a number of these negative factors overpower their natural ability.

Some of best timings even at world meets have been recorded at relay swims. Yes, you do get the advantage of a rolling start, but the biggest factor for swims that shock the world have been that the athlete’s mind is focused on just that one thought of swimming for his team with little or no attention to what others are doing in the pool, and less stress. On a more personal level, there have been times when I have looked at the touch pad display and been shocked with the timings I clocked on relay times. It felt so easy! And that was because my mind was excited enough to ignore pain and negative thoughts that otherwise cloud focus.

Developing race-day equilibrium needs you to recognise the patterns you’ve unconsciously allowed yourself to develop and perhaps even nurtured unknowingly.

Preparing to Win

When I was 9 years old, racing In Mumbai, my coach told me that I would never get over the nervousness I felt on the starting blocks, no matter how many times I raced. I didn’t believe him at the time, but looking back over twenty years of competitive swimming, I think, I have to agree with him. I was as nervous for my first race at 7 as I was for my last one at 27!

Many swimmers do better in training, where there is little pressure, and end up clocking slower times at meets when it matters most. The best athletes in the world, however, figure out how to be at their physical and, more importantly, mental best when it really matters. Through my competitive career in the pool, though the nerves never left, I got consistently better at dealing with the stress of competition, the excitement, and the pressure that inevitably comes with it.

There are only two ways you are ever going to approach a competition. One is stressed and scared, and the other is excited and waiting to get up there and win! I tell swimmers that I train, that you have to consciously develop the skill, just as I did over a period of time, to recognize the nervousness, excitement and all the pressure of expectation that exists, and use that energy to drive you to do your very best on race-day. This is as important as the hours of physical training you put in to be your best.

I often joke with swimmers about how we train several kilometers through a training week, and come race-day, swim so little! So, we must love racing because it is so much less work. Most laugh and agree, and there are a few who admit that race prep and race-days are what they hate the most !

So to start the year, I’m going to share some thoughts on how you can prepare and deal with stress leading up to race-day to race better. My advice comes from what I’ve learnt through training with some of the best coaches in the world, observing what the world’s best did at big swim meets, as well as figuring out for myself, little ways and means of distracting from what isn’t good for my focus, and paying attention to what really is!

Just Ah! Hospitality

I like this chain of budget hotels.

Travel for sport or work, has always been a part of my life and with so much travel, you end up staying in many, many hotel rooms.

Bangalore was my home for 13 years as a swimmer, and I continue to visit the city even now, to coach national and state level swimmers.

I've stayed at JüSTa hotels in Bangalore twice over the last year, and always returned rested and satisfied. Their central location, clean rooms, delicious meals and provision of essential facilities like laundry, fitness centres and free WiFi along with efficient personal service, check off all the must-haves for an excellent budget brand.

On my first visit, I got a special welcome from the
Hospitality and Brand team - Ms. Shwetha Desai and Mr. Karthik Sheshadri.

The JüSTa property, located on MG Road, the vibrant and lively heart of the city, has a lovely, spacious penthouse that is surprisingly quiet considering its location, making it my personal favourite. Room interiors are styled by fashion designer Deepika Govind, and the hand-picked Burma teak furniture and contemporary Indian art creates a unique home-like ambience in each room.

My personal favourite room from JüSTa M. G. Road.

Mr. Shyam and Mr. Rakesh from the hospitality team
taking time out to making my golf trip the nicest

My timings are unusual. Swim workshops often begin as early at 6 am, or my stay might end with a very early round of golf at the Prestige Golfshire, near the airport. The staff at JüSTa have always been kind enough to accommodate my odd timings by putting together delicious breakfasts at these unearthly hours, and ensuring a smooth check out.

Breakfast at 5 am, Chef Kiran and Raju are always the sweetest!!!!

JüSTa is also engaged in several other activities that have caught my interest! Through their "Go Green" initiative, the brand has made several efforts to protect and preserve the environment. From installing solar water heating systems to ensuring procurement of products through organic fair trade and that have been produced without child labour, the hotels definitely show a social and environment consciousness that has my vote. 

I've now stayed with this chain thrice and I intend to do so again once again this month.

You can connect with them on the following handles:

www.justahotels.com or visit their Facebook and Twitter pages well.

The Luxe List - St. Regis

Sumptuous silence in constant chaos, for me it's the ultimate luxury. Changes in technology create 24x7 connectivity, and its subsequent impact on lifestyles has created a shift in culture and communication, and a deep interest in less tangible forms of luxury, such as the longing for space and time.

The St Regis, Mumbai - A beautiful view of the city from the Grand Deluxe Room

The St. Regis, Mumbai, is one of my favourite getaways in the city, because its an oasis of calm in the midst of Mumbai's usual pandemonium.  Its very central location makes it easily accessible from Bandra to Nariman Point, a big plus when you want to catch a breather in-between business demands that need you to criss-cross the city. Plush, well appointed rooms that are complemented by very pretty views of the Mahalaxmi race course cascading into the Arabian sea beyond, inspire a sense of calm that makes you momentarily forget the mad traffic you negotiated just before you walked into the hotel's plush 9th floor lobby.

The bar at St. Regis

Here are 5 of my recommendations for you to get your slice of me-time at this newest address for luxury in the city:

1. Treat tired muscles to one of the many signature treatments of the hotel's Iridium Spa, an idyllic sanctuary to rejuvenate and rebalance the mind and body
2. Relax with a cup of the finest beverages at #AfternoonTea, one of the hotel's classic rituals that takes place every evening at The Drawing Room
3. Get your endorphins to kick in with a workout at their state of the art gym or with a relaxing dip in their outdoor pool 
4. De-stress with some shopping at the Palladium Mall below which features the best in brands from Brooks Brothers and Zegna to Gucci, Burberry and Boss
5. Explore the hotel's gorgeous Art Tour that has the soon-becoming iconic #MumbaiMural as its piece d'resistance 

The amazing #MumbaiMural at St. Regis

I haven't got around yet to trying the hotel’s award-winning cuisine. But being the Parsi foodie that I am, I certainly will, and you can watch this space for more on that!

These are a few of my favourite..

"Let me tell you something. I came here to win a trophy…for sheer bloody pride at being the best, that's why we do this." Harry Vardon, The Greatest Game Ever Played.

They say you truly fall in love only once. I've fallen hard, twice over, and it's been for a sport both times! Or maybe it is just winning, that I love so much. It was a summer afternoon two years ago; I'd just moved from Bangalore to Pune having retired from 20 years of professional swimming. The life of a professional swimmer is very demanding with long hours of training in the pool and gym, and having achieved more than I imagined possible in the sport for India, I was figuring out what to do next. I do a lot of motivational speaking these days, and one of my main messages to people is that you should try to find something you love doing and are willing to work hard at. When you find that something you are willing to go the distance for, you will be successful. Someone gave me this movie to watch in my suddenly very empty day – The Greatest Game Ever Played - and suggested that I try golf. I went to the Pune Course the next day, and after hitting a few balls, found what I think will be my calling for the next 20 years!

Over the last two years, as I've travelled for work and leisure, I've had the privilege to play across several courses in the world and here's a list of my favourite courses so far.

Emirates Golf Club, Dubai: I recently watched Rory McIlroy win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at this beautiful course, and am also playing there again this week.  A stunning clubhouse, combined with the natural rolling desert terrain for serious golfing on two of the cities finest must-play courses (the Majlis and the Faldo Course), the EGC is the recipient of a host of awards including Golf World magazines 'Top 100 Golf Courses in the World' and  'Best Course Middle East' in the Asian Golf Monthly Awards 2010. And if you've had a busy day at work, it may interest you to know that EGC also is the only 18-hole course in the region to offer night golf. A host of F&B options to unwind over, Le Classique the club's award-winning French fine dining restaurant with a menu that includes both classic favourites and new dishes with a modern twist, has my vote for an unforgettable dining experience.

My All-time Favourite Monsoon Retreats

There's something about the monsoons that have always had the poets very inspired. And while the city's an unbelievable mess if you're trying to dodge potholed roads, pavements crowded with hawkers and pedestrians or just the traffic that's moving at a snail's pace, there are some places that immediately take you right back to that inspiring, sweet spot like the poets, even in the urban jungle.

As a professional swimmer, you need to swim all year round to keep up with your fitness routine. So rain, hail or sunshine, we'd have to be in the pool everyday swimming that mandatory 15 kms; anything except if it thundered, really, when the coach would reluctantly agree to let us off because of the imminent risk of electrocution. And trust me this gives you an even deeper appreciation for how pretty the rain looks - out there!

So here's a list of some of my favorite monsoon retreats:

1. The Palladium Hotel, Mumbai

One of my favorite monsoon retreats in Mumbai is the Palladium Hotel, with its floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city, Mahalaxmi Race Course and the Arabian Sea. The hotel's plush contemporary interiors with opulent chandeliers, marble and traditional mosaic motifs, blend with rich velvets and dramatic sculptures, to create a warm ambience. It's the perfect setting to sit back with your cup of espresso and that special someone and watch the monsoon clouds break the sweltering heat and wash the city clean. If you're getting restless, you can walk down to the luxurious High Street Phoenix Mall, watch a movie, shop for a range of labels, relish a delicious meal or just lie back in your room and enjoy the view!

Must Try: The Tiger Tear Maki at the award-winning Japanese restaurant Yuuka is one of Chef Ting's signature dishes.

Dubai Dairies - Part 4

I started swimming at 7, and loved competing, so becoming a professional swimmer was meant to be. I was fortunate that the passion I felt, translated to success and I became one of India's best in the sport. I've recently taken up a new sport - Golf, and now dream of tasting the same success in this as well. My golf coach, Justin Parsons, is based in Dubai, and teaches at the Butch Harmon School of Golf, which trains some of the world's best golfers today. This means I get to Dubai quite frequently, and along with my golf training, because I love to travel, am becoming quite the expert on the many entertaining things this incredible city has on offer.

Given my affinity for the water, it's not surprising that one of the things I've really enjoyed in Dubai is the interactive programme for guests at the Dolphin Bay in Atlantis, the Palm where you can get up close with some of their Indo-Pacific Bottlenose dolphins in a beautiful 4.5 hectare environment.

Maybe it's their seeming smiles, or tales of friendliness that surround this mammal; perhaps it's their incredible intelligence or their emotional connect with humans, but something about dolphins has always fascinated me. As a professional swimmer you learn to live by the clock, and all your effort is geared to getting as streamlined as possible, to building power and reducing resistance, with the goal of cutting that minuscule fraction of a second from your race time. So when you see a dolphin, do a 100 meter dash in just over 10 seconds, something that you know as a professional swimmer, would take the fastest human being about 4 times as long to finish, you're bound to feel a splash of awe and wonder for these extraordinary animals.

With seven interconnected resident pools and three interaction lagoons complete with temperature controlled water, sandy beaches and landscaped gardens, I think these dolphins have it really good, much better than many of the training facilities for pro-athletes back home! So I wasn't surprised to hear that the dolphins at Atlantis have not only reproduced in the absence of a formal breeding programme but also are expected to live much longer than they might in the wild.