I'm thinking the level of anxiety I have leading up to meets, especially championships, is telling me competition is not worth it for me. I wish I could see myself improving through a season so that I can be excited to find out how fast I'm going to race at the end of it. Unfortunately, I'm at that age where I'm only getting slower, and I don't have the technical background to draw upon that some others do. I always feel relieved just after a big meet, but in the months and weeks leading up to one, I have anxiety even going to the practice pool. I dread the fact that I'm facing work, not leisure. That almost guarantees a bad practice. 'Sounds crazy doesn't it? Is it time for me to quit competing? In re-reading my first sentence I'm considering, maybe I need a therapist to help me learn what small reward keeps me going back to something so stressful, or to figure out how to give myself permission to quit. I saw a video on USA swimming in which they mention, Ryan Murphy used to puke before big events. That was a little validating. So how do you forumites manage your anxiety? Or if you don't have any, how did you achieve that serenity?
So maybe if you step away from the meets, you'll get into a good groove enjoying the workouts, and build back up that desire to compete again after a while
I agree. Betty, if you do step away from the meets, don't step completely away, though! Go to the meets, volunteer to time (or count laps, or both), cheer on your friends, make new friends, watch the stroke technique of the best swimmers, take pictures for your LMSC's newsletter, shoot video for other swimmers, or anything else that comes to mind. Just stay involved! Whatever you choose to do at the meet, I promise you will feel better after the meet than you did when you woke up that morning. Not only will you be appreciated for your efforts, but you will find as a spectator that swim meets are such uplifting, positive environments, and the excitement and energy is contagious! You may even find that you leave the meet wishing you had signed up to compete in it!
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So maybe if you step away from the meets, you'll get into a good groove enjoying the workouts, and build back up that desire to compete again after a while
I agree. Betty, if you do step away from the meets, don't step completely away, though! Go to the meets, volunteer to time (or count laps, or both), cheer on your friends, make new friends, watch the stroke technique of the best swimmers, take pictures for your LMSC's newsletter, shoot video for other swimmers, or anything else that comes to mind. Just stay involved! Whatever you choose to do at the meet, I promise you will feel better after the meet than you did when you woke up that morning. Not only will you be appreciated for your efforts, but you will find as a spectator that swim meets are such uplifting, positive environments, and the excitement and energy is contagious! You may even find that you leave the meet wishing you had signed up to compete in it!
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