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.
Started swimming competitively around age 8, and things quickly took off from there. I was a pretty accomplished junior USS swimmer (state high point, placing at zones, etc...), but got burnt out by about age 14 due to the intense training and juggling 2 year round, highly competitive sports. I stopped swimming year round then to focus more on soccer, and I was a serious under-achiever in the pool in high school. Shortly thereafter, I quit swimming for about a 10 year period.
Fast forward to now, and I have just recently started getting back into the swing of things. I'm with a team now, swimming 4-5 times/week, about 3000-3500 yards per day. It's been a difficult road getting back to what I consider to be in shape, however I have found that swimming regularly, with high intensity, has made me feel like I'm 16 again. :bliss: I have more energy than I can ever remember during my adult life, my level of satisfaction in life has increased greatly, and my relationships with co-workers, friends, and family alike have all improved.
My motivational struggles at this point center mostly on being able to push myself like I want to. I would like to believe that I have the tools to become an excellent Masters swimmer, but I am SO far behind some of my teammates, it can be disheartening at times. I don't have the stamina that I once did, so understanding, accepting, and learning to work with that has been difficult. Other than that, my only major issue is getting up at 5:15am everyday to get to practice on time :bolt:
Started swimming competitively around age 8, and things quickly took off from there. I was a pretty accomplished junior USS swimmer (state high point, placing at zones, etc...), but got burnt out by about age 14 due to the intense training and juggling 2 year round, highly competitive sports. I stopped swimming year round then to focus more on soccer, and I was a serious under-achiever in the pool in high school. Shortly thereafter, I quit swimming for about a 10 year period.
Fast forward to now, and I have just recently started getting back into the swing of things. I'm with a team now, swimming 4-5 times/week, about 3000-3500 yards per day. It's been a difficult road getting back to what I consider to be in shape, however I have found that swimming regularly, with high intensity, has made me feel like I'm 16 again. :bliss: I have more energy than I can ever remember during my adult life, my level of satisfaction in life has increased greatly, and my relationships with co-workers, friends, and family alike have all improved.
My motivational struggles at this point center mostly on being able to push myself like I want to. I would like to believe that I have the tools to become an excellent Masters swimmer, but I am SO far behind some of my teammates, it can be disheartening at times. I don't have the stamina that I once did, so understanding, accepting, and learning to work with that has been difficult. Other than that, my only major issue is getting up at 5:15am everyday to get to practice on time :bolt:
