Recovery
Recovering doesn’t mean doing less. It means giving your body the time and tools it needs to adapt to training. Often, improvement doesn’t happen while you swim, but during the hours afterward. These small habits helped me train better, avoid injuries, and arrive more prepared for competitions.
Training doesn’t end when you get out of the water
Recovery starts as soon as the last set ends. What you do in the following hours directly influences how you’ll feel in the next training. Resting, hydrating, and eating well are part of the work, even if they don’t have a stopwatch.
Regenerative training sessions are more important than they seem
It’s easy to think that a light training session is useless. In reality, these sessions help the body recover, assimilate the work done, and arrive in better condition for demanding workouts. Skipping them is usually a mistake.
Sleeping is also training
Rest is one of the great secrets of sports performance. While you sleep, the body repairs tissues, recovers energy, and consolidates training adaptations. It’s no coincidence that many athletes call sleep "the silent training."
Hydrate before you feel thirsty
Even though you’re surrounded by water, you lose fluids during training. Waiting to feel thirsty means dehydration has already started. Get used to drinking water after the session to help physical and mental recovery.
Learn to listen to the small signals from your body
A discomfort today can turn into an injury tomorrow if you decide to ignore it. Listening to your body, distinguishing normal fatigue from pain, and acting in time will allow you to train much more consistently throughout the season.
Recovering also means knowing when to stop
There are days when the body needs rest. Respecting them isn’t wasting time; it’s allowing all the previous work to take effect. Consistency is built over months, not in a single training session.
"Recovery doesn’t take you away from training. It’s what allows you to come back tomorrow and keep improving."
— Javiera Salcedo · Olympic swimmer and founder of Odeclás
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Nutrition
Eating well is also training
Often we spend hours preparing a perfect session and forget to take care of our nutrition. However, both go hand in hand. If you want to perform at your best, adapt your diet to your training volume and, whenever possible, seek advice from a professional specialized in sports nutrition.
Don’t train on an empty stomach if your body needs energy
If you train very early in the morning and notice you lack strength, try having something light before getting in the water. A banana, some nuts, or a bar can provide enough energy to start the session feeling better. Afterwards, enjoy a good breakfast to recover everything you’ve spent.
Hydrating starts before you feel thirsty
You lose fluids in the pool too, even if you're often unaware of it. Get used to drinking water after training and don't wait until you feel thirsty. Good hydration promotes recovery and helps maintain performance throughout the season.
Rest also fuels performance
Sleeping well, recovering, and respecting rest days are part of any swimmer's preparation. We often talk about nutrition and forget that the body also needs time to rebuild and adapt to the effort.
The best diet is the one you can maintain all year round
Don't look for quick fixes before a competition. Results come when you turn good habits into part of your daily routine. Consistency, including in nutrition, always makes the difference.
"Training makes you stronger. Eating well and resting properly allow that training to bear fruit."
— Javiera Salcedo · Olympic swimmer and founder of Odeclás
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Mindset
Your mind can be your best ally... or your biggest obstacle. Over time I discovered that training the mind is as important as training the body. Motivation changes, nerves appear, and some days it's hard to jump into the water. These are some tips that have helped me keep moving forward both in and out of the pool.
Visualize the goal first, then the path
When motivation disappears one day and you can't find the strength to train, imagine your goal achieved. Visualize yourself reaching it and feel the satisfaction it would bring you. Often that image is enough to take the first step and end up having a great workout.
Bad days are also part of training
Not every workout goes as expected, and that doesn't mean you're regressing. There are days to enjoy the good feelings and others to learn to keep going even when your body doesn't respond. Both are equally important.
Every effort brings you closer to your goal
After a particularly tough session, it's easy to focus only on the fatigue. Try to change that perspective: every completed workout means you are a little closer today to the swimmer version you want to become.
Take advantage of the mental clarity after training
Many times we come out of the water with a much clearer mind than before we entered. It's a perfect moment to make important decisions, study, or solve problems. Swimming not only trains the body; it also helps organize your thoughts.
Trust the process, even when you don't see results
Improvement in swimming is rarely immediate. There are weeks when it seems like you’re not making progress, but the work is accumulating little by little. Consistency always pays off, even if it sometimes takes longer than we’d like.
Discipline always beats motivation
Motivation is fantastic when it appears, but you can’t depend on it. Athletes improve because they train even on days they don’t feel like it. Building solid habits will allow you to keep progressing when enthusiasm fluctuates.
"The difference between giving up and succeeding often lies in deciding to jump back into the water one more day."
— Javiera Salcedo · Olympic swimmer and founder of Odeclás
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Competition
Competition doesn’t start when the whistle blows. It starts much earlier: in preparation, routines, and those little details that can give you peace of mind... or make you lose focus. These are some lessons I discovered over the years that never appear in the rulebooks but I always carried with me before competing...
Never debut gear on competition day
Goggles and competition swimsuits should never be debuted on the big day. All your gear should have been tested beforehand, preferably during a demanding or tune-up training session. A small discomfort, a seam that rubs, or goggles that don’t fit well can become a problem when you most need to stay focused.
Make your routine your best ally
Before an important competition, try to always repeat the same routine. Preparing your gear, warming up, listening to the same music, or following the same order helps your brain enter a familiar environment. When everything feels familiar, nerves weigh a little less and it’s easier to focus solely on swimming.
Never enter the water without activating your body
If for any reason you can’t do your usual warm-up, spend at least five or ten minutes mobilizing your shoulders, neck, and back before entering the pool. Arriving with your body prepared improves your sensations from the first stroke and reduces the risk of injury.
The best day to try a swimsuit was yesterday
Your competition swimsuit should feel like a second skin before the big day. Wear it beforehand during an intense training session and even do some fast sets to make sure everything performs as expected. Competition is not the time to discover surprises.
The difference is in the little details
Races are often decided by very little. Sleeping well, preparing your bag in advance, checking your gear the night before, or arriving without rushing may seem like insignificant details, but when everything is under control, you can devote all your energy to competing.
Compete with what you have today
Not every competition comes at the perfect time. There will be days when you feel unstoppable and others when the sensations aren’t there. Instead of thinking about your best version, focus on giving one hundred percent of what you have that day. That mindset removes pressure and allows you to compete with much more freedom.
"Medals are earned through months of training. The competition only sets the date for the effort."
— Javiera Salcedo · Olympic swimmer and founder of Odeclás
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Gear
Gear won’t make you swim faster by itself, but choosing it well can make a huge difference in comfort, confidence, and performance. Over the years, I’ve learned little tricks that extend the life of gear, prevent discomfort, and make training much more enjoyable. It’s one of the reasons I created odeclás.
The perfect cap starts with a little trick
If you use a silicone cap, sprinkle a little talcum powder inside it from time to time. This will prevent it from sticking to itself, help it keep its elasticity, and make it last much longer.
If you have a lot of hair, try the double cap
If you have long or thick hair, use two silicone caps. The first gathers the hair, and the second keeps everything much more secure. You’ll notice less movement, greater comfort, and less neck tension during long training sessions.
A swimsuit shouldn’t distract you while you swim
If the seams of your swimsuit cause chafing, especially during long sessions, apply a little sports vaseline or silicone paste to the area before training. It’s a simple step that can prevent discomfort throughout the session.
Never train with leave-in creams
Leave-in hair creams might seem like a good idea to protect your hair, but in the water, they make the swim cap constantly slip. If you want to care for your hair, do it after training.
When goggles fog up, the pool has its own science
If your goggles start fogging up during training and you don’t have anti-fog spray handy, use a little saliva, rinse gently with water, and put them back on. It’s one of those classic pool tricks that works generation after generation.
The best emergency plug might be at a kiosk
Have you lost a silicone earplug just before training? There’s an improvised trick many swimmers know: chew gum for a few minutes and use it temporarily as a plug. It’s not the ideal solution, but it can get you out of a jam when you have no other option.
The best gear is the one you already know
Glasses, swimsuits, or any other important gear should be part of your training long before a competition. When the big day arrives, all your equipment should feel completely familiar.
"When your gear stops worrying you, you can focus all your attention on swimming."
— Javiera Salcedo · Olympic swimmer and founder of Odeclás
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Training
Every workout has a purpose, even if it’s not always obvious. Over the years, I’ve learned that improving isn’t just about swimming more meters but understanding what your body needs each day. These little tips were born from early mornings, endless sets, and many hours in the pool. I hope they help you enjoy the journey more too.
Light workouts also build great results
Recovery workouts aren’t “easy” sessions. They allow your body to absorb the work done, regain energy, and be ready to perform better the next day. Learning to respect them is as important as pushing hard in the toughest sets.
You won’t feel the same every day
If you string together several bad sessions, don’t punish yourself. Every day you have different energy, and the goal isn’t to compare yourself to your best version but to give 100% of what you have today. Even on tough days, every workout counts.
Learn to listen to the sensations of the water
Often, when you feel like you’re swimming easily, long, and smoothly, that’s exactly when you’re training best. Not all progress is measured by the stopwatch. Learning to recognize those good feelings is a skill developed over the years.
When a workout goes perfectly, take note
If one day everything seems to click, don’t think it was a coincidence. Write down how you slept, what you ate, how you felt physically, or even your mood. Repeating those conditions can help you perform better in the future.
Just commit to starting
There will be days when you have no motivation to train. In those moments, make a small pact with yourself: start with just five minutes. Most of the time, once you’re in the water, your body and mind end up doing the rest.
Use long workouts to train your mind as well
Long sets can be the perfect time to mentally review notes, recall concepts, or simply organize your thoughts. Swimming has something special: while your body works automatically, your mind finds space to think clearly.
Summer can also be an opportunity to train differently
When it’s hot, training in a sports bikini designed for swimming can be much more comfortable and lightweight. Besides improving your feel in the water, you get used to the material you’ll likely wear during the beach season.
"Great results don’t come from perfect training, but from hundreds of consistent workouts."
— Javiera Salcedo · Olympic swimmer and founder of Odeclás
