I'm an overweight 52 year old man who has made a somewhat miraculous return to swimming. I've been swimming 4 to 6 times a week for about 12 weeks now. My workouts began with 9 x 50's the first week and have progressed to about 1800 yards in about 50 minutes (typically 2x450's, 200 kick with fins, 5x100's free, pull or paddles, and 4x 50's). I had a swim buddy but he finally decided that he just hated getting in the pool so he quit on me. So I found a small group of Masters swimmers at my club who swim early morning at 5:15 AM and I joined them this week because I find it very difficult to stay motivated swimming solo.
When I showed up this morning no one was there, so I jumped in and started swimming. I had ZERO MOJO, didn't want to be there, the voice in my head was screaming quit, quit already. I felt tired and lazy and barely managed to finish a sloppy 1500 yards. I've felt this way in the pool before and I think it's how my buddy felt and why he quit. Does anyone have suggestions as to how to fight this feeling some days and how to stay motivated and determined everyday you go to swim? I mean it's 5:00 AM and you're already there, why not just bust it out and finish your workout. Thanks for listening to my personal appeal for help.
At least in my expereience as an adult, most of my MoJo is related to my psychological/emotional and even physical state, and that changes and is influenced by life and circumstances well outside the realm of swimming. Sometimes I'm up and sometimes not, but as someone else posted, i'm almost always up after swimming or other training activities. The key for me has been to make it habitual and make the habit as important as other high priority acitivites. Like they tell you on airplanes, 'put your own oxygen mask on first, and then put your kids on,' you need to survive if you are going to be able to help support dependents, and swimming and exercise will help sustain you and therefore them.
I am of necessity almost always swimming solo, and don't have the benefit of team support and regular practice schedules, but i also have the flexibility to move things around to fit my schedule and to set my own workouts. In my case, i have to swim in the morning before work (evenings are often occupied and im often tired and unmotivated after work), which means i have to get to bed early enough to get rest and recover and i have to eat/drink to support training. For me this required a shift in lifestyle, but once i made that shift habitual and began to realize the benefits (healthier, happier, more energy, etc.), the training became easier to sustain.
At least in my expereience as an adult, most of my MoJo is related to my psychological/emotional and even physical state, and that changes and is influenced by life and circumstances well outside the realm of swimming. Sometimes I'm up and sometimes not, but as someone else posted, i'm almost always up after swimming or other training activities. The key for me has been to make it habitual and make the habit as important as other high priority acitivites. Like they tell you on airplanes, 'put your own oxygen mask on first, and then put your kids on,' you need to survive if you are going to be able to help support dependents, and swimming and exercise will help sustain you and therefore them.
I am of necessity almost always swimming solo, and don't have the benefit of team support and regular practice schedules, but i also have the flexibility to move things around to fit my schedule and to set my own workouts. In my case, i have to swim in the morning before work (evenings are often occupied and im often tired and unmotivated after work), which means i have to get to bed early enough to get rest and recover and i have to eat/drink to support training. For me this required a shift in lifestyle, but once i made that shift habitual and began to realize the benefits (healthier, happier, more energy, etc.), the training became easier to sustain.
