Psychology of Masters Swimming - Your Input Please
Former Member
I trained and worked as a sport psychologist before I took up masters swimming (and about the same time stopped private practice due to my boring corporate job), and for the first time really I'm looking to put both together with some articles for the web.
There's no lack of material on swimming performance but there's not much out there, for physical or mental aspects of swimming, that really acknowledges the specific challenges that masters swimmers face.
I'd really like to hear your own views on what you have to manage as a masters swimmer. This doesn't have to relate to racing specifically.
For example, I have to plan around my family, never manage to do as much training as I'd like, so I have to manage my own expectations, yet bring what I have in my locker on race day and make the most of it. I also have my 'former' life as a swimmer and the negative experiences that led to me quitting at 18 that shape my motivations now.
Thanks,
Rob
P.S. I've yet to start my own site, but I do have a swimming psychology page on facebook and I'm on twitter. I'd really appreciate a boost with likes/shares as I build a readership.
I can really go any number of directions with this. Just a quick background: I started swimming when I was 6 and I am now 30. I have never taken off more than 3 months consecutively and that was only one time when I had surgery on my hand. I love the sport and, more specifically, competition. I swam high school, club, college, and currently both USA-S and USMS.
My physical challenges are probably the same as many...my body cannot handle the workouts it once could. If I swim a challenging 6,000-8,000 LCM practice, I need a full day to recover. In college, I could do doubles of that distance and be ready to go the next day.
This ties directly to the mental side. Based on how hard I trained, I was always confident heading into a race. Now, when I'm racing these USA-S kids, I am well aware that they do significantly more work in the pool than I do. Not the greatest feeling in the world! So then the mentality switches to "well, I'll just do the best I can" type of mode. I will say though, the experience that comes with age is definitely advantageous. I never go out too hard and rarely go out too slow.
In terms of managing the schedule, I probably have more options than most masters swimmers who aren't retired. I am not married and I don't have any kids. I have a full time job, so then it's just a question of balancing the social life. For me, it's infinitely easier to focus on swimming when I'm single. Try explaining to someone that you intend to work out five days a week for two hours for three straight months just so you can do a two minute race :)
I can really go any number of directions with this. Just a quick background: I started swimming when I was 6 and I am now 30. I have never taken off more than 3 months consecutively and that was only one time when I had surgery on my hand. I love the sport and, more specifically, competition. I swam high school, club, college, and currently both USA-S and USMS.
My physical challenges are probably the same as many...my body cannot handle the workouts it once could. If I swim a challenging 6,000-8,000 LCM practice, I need a full day to recover. In college, I could do doubles of that distance and be ready to go the next day.
This ties directly to the mental side. Based on how hard I trained, I was always confident heading into a race. Now, when I'm racing these USA-S kids, I am well aware that they do significantly more work in the pool than I do. Not the greatest feeling in the world! So then the mentality switches to "well, I'll just do the best I can" type of mode. I will say though, the experience that comes with age is definitely advantageous. I never go out too hard and rarely go out too slow.
In terms of managing the schedule, I probably have more options than most masters swimmers who aren't retired. I am not married and I don't have any kids. I have a full time job, so then it's just a question of balancing the social life. For me, it's infinitely easier to focus on swimming when I'm single. Try explaining to someone that you intend to work out five days a week for two hours for three straight months just so you can do a two minute race :)
