Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

__steve__ — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 07:55:31 GMT

Warm water seems to be akin to resistance activities, i.e., altitude, dragsuit, parachute, but for me doesn't make workouts in vain, just makes them tougher and unpleasant. 82 degrees and up I feel my face burning up and sweating like I'm outside running in the heat

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

Elaine Krugman — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 01:31:05 GMT

You should try 78 sometime. It's to die for. :D I did, recently, when the heat pump at our community pool broke and the water dropped to 78. :ohyeah: Next week, the outdoor pool closes, so the noodlers move inside :bitching: and the indoor pool temperature gets set at 84 degrees. :badday: Not only can hot water put a damper on mojo; complaining noodlers about me "splashing" and "getting their hair wet" can do the same. Hmmm; time to invest in a pair of ear plugs and pretend I can't make out what they're complaining about and point to my ear plugs. :anim_coffee:

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

smontanaro — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 11:40:15 GMT

You should try 78 sometime. It's to die for. :D

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

funkyfish — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 11:25:49 GMT

This is the number one thing that keeps me out of the pool. They've been keeping my local pool at 86 all year. (I blame noodlers.) Just thinking about it makes me want to cancel my membership. At this point, the only thing keeping me there is the proximity - it's a 16-mile round trip instead of 60 miles. I'm beginning to think that water temp is more of an issue than I originally thought. My pool's been running at 89-90° for the past 2.5 months. It's caused me to greatly reduce my swims in both intensity and duration. It's supposed to be kept at 85°, which is still a bit warm, but tolerable. This Monday I was able to swim with my daughter's team in a different pool, and it was 82°. I wanted to cry it was so nice. Long story short, hot water can zap mojo in a big way, at least for me. :bliss:

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

sydned — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 10:15:35 GMT

Glad to provide a good laugh - right before I go off to my 100% effort 3rd workout of the day. :)

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

jaadams1 — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 12:19:06 GMT

I don't know what's wrong with all of you. I am primed and eager for every single solitary workout of the countless workouts I do each week. I am ready to kick butt and take names, and I perform to the best of my abilities at all times. I am certainly NEVER lacking in motivation, regardless of how much sleep I've had, whether I am healthy or sick, my nutrition, or what is going on with my family or work. If I could, I'd train 24-hours a day, all at the peak of my abilities. And I ALWAYS do a double. No matter what. You people? L-A-Z-Y! This entire post should be my new signature line...it's great!

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

That Guy — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 02:15:07 GMT

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

sydned — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 11:27:03 GMT

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

AnnG — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 04:11:37 GMT

First of all, just getting to the pool is a win for the day, so congrats on that. How many other people in your town did that today? You mentioned you were alone, sooo, that means no one! You beat them all! I too have trouble staying motivated when swimming on my own, right now our pools are closed for maintenance and I have one more week of solo swimming at my sports club (yeah, another 85 degree pool but I have to make do) before masters practices resume the 17th (hopefully). It helps me to have a planned practice prior to arriving at the pool. Have you checked out the coaches workouts in this forum? They do a great job. You don't have to do the practice exactly as presented either, remember you are a Master now! You get to pick and choose. If nothing else try a set that is new to you that looks interesting and remember if you still aren't feeling it when you are in the pool you can quit then. 99% of the time once I "trick" myself into showing up on the pool deck I end up finishing my practice if I have something planned.

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

Former Member — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:12:02 GMT

Bad mojo, I sympathize with you. That empty feeling of not wanting to swim can be a real bummer. You mentioned you finished 1500. Congratulations. You're a champion in my book!

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

Former Member — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 11:10:56 GMT

I agree with the previous posters who say take off a few days to get back into things, but I caution against taking off too much time. I went on vacation in April and tried to stick to a routine and failed. What started as a three week break turned into four months out of the pool :-O Maybe try swimming at a differnt time of the day, when there are other swimmers, or invest in a waterproof Ipod to keep you going.

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

orca1946 — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 01:44:41 GMT

We ALL have up :applaud:& down :badday:days & mornings! I ,at times ,just go thru the motions to get in the pool to find out 1/2 the way into practice ---I'm feeling better about myself!!!:)

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

Elaine Krugman — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 04:50:50 GMT

I hear ya on that one, Celestial! :bitching: Hot water will kill my mojo even more than noodlers complaining I am "splashing" and getting their hair wet! Swimming in water too warm is just about the only thing that kills my mojo. Getting motivated to swim is almost never an issue; it's usually harder to tell myself it's time to stop already and get out! :D

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

Celestial — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 04:22:50 GMT

Here's a person's story of how the MoJo can spread to and from other members of your family and friends important to you. Doesn't matter if you are swimming or whatever, but if you don't want to be raising couch potatos: www.usatriathlon.org/.../family-fringe-benefits-061912.aspx Sojerz thanks so much for sharing that! In a non-athletic venue, it reminds me of when I went back for my doctorate (as an ARNP) - there was one woman at work who was indignant about my "Bragging" about going back to school - but interestingly enough, now four more of my old co-workers have also gone back to get their advanced nursing degrees too. One of my boys told me that he loved seeing me study, because it made him feel like he had more in common with me (he's a tennis player). My mojo goes right out the door when the water is too hot, and frequently when I have to swim solo. I used to joke that if there wasn't anyone to swim with, I would just do an 800 and go home. Only it wasn't a joke! I've gotten better & more disciplined now - and that GTD genie certainly helps, like Bobinator says! You'll need to pick up the pace to achieve your goal this year! (brother) Another thing that helps me when I have to swim solo is to use toys. I allow myself to put on fins, and play with my snorkel. Sometimes I see how many times I can lap the slow poke a few lanes down (or try and avoid getting lapped by the ex-Olympian swimmer a few lanes down!). When it's too hot though - I really am lucky to just do an 800 before I get out and call it quits. We all have these days & fortunately, after a while, we get our mojo back. :)

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

Sojerz — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 12:34:25 GMT

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

ande — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 12:19:45 GMT

you wrote: "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 have progressed to about 1800 yards in about 50 minutes" your swim buddy quit, you found a small group of early morning Masters you find it very difficult to stay motivated swimming solo. you showed up one morning and no one was there, you swam alone and said: "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." 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? my advice to you is similar to what I wrote in this thread. It boils down to your mental process, your goals, your reasons, your plans, your self image and your self talk. What are your swimming goals? Why do you swim? What will you gain if you keep swimming and what will you LOSE if you QUIT? What plans have you made to reach your goals? How determined are you to reach your goals? All you have is this moment right now. Do what you need to do Your self image is who you think you are. Your self talk is what and how you say thinks to yourself. If you're doing negative self talk, switch the script, write down the self talk of the you you want to be. it could be something like this: "I've been overweight for ___ years & currently am over weight now. I'm fed up, I am transforming myself. I swim, walk, lift weights, and eat right. I am totally determined to reach my goal. Nothing can get in the way of me becoming the ME I am meant to be. I prefer to train with others, but if I show up and no one's there, I am going to do what I need to do. I'm that determined." So if you're thinking negative thoughts in your head, in your imagination turn down the volume, push the source of the sound further away and make it fuzzy Replace it with something that makes you feel emotionally charged and determined, something that makes you focus and take action. make that closer and clearer and louder

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

Former Member — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:35:33 GMT

Otterski Great post, I do not post a lot but read the forum every day. Lots of lurkers like myself on this forum who are like you; thanks for being honest. I am a fat overweight 58 old ex athlete who started swiming a year ago. Went from doing 300 meters (stop and go) to doing 2000 meters every morning and 2400 if I feel good. Have lost 24 pounds without cutting back on my food and wine :) Do the flog, set a realistic goal, many days I dont want to get up at 5am and go to the pool but the flog gets my ass out of bed. Once I hit the water, I am good. Flog is free and a great motivator thanks for an inspirational post

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

Former Member — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:48:35 GMT

I have lofty goals and terrible self motivation - The perfect combo for failure and a return to TV and chips... The thing that actually gets me in the water is the people that I swim with. We have a great group of swimmers with a competitive/supportive relationship. Our coach seems to know how to capitalize on the competitive aspects by putting people in lanes where they have a "chase" situation. I have only been back in the water for a few months and the coach has keyed in on my need to challenge a more advanced swimmer. The result is that my self motivation gets me in the water and my teammates push me to my limits. p.s. The battle over water temp with the noodle-heads is annoying. I pity the pool-tender who has to deal with the constant bickering. But I am not below whining to him when the pool starts to resemble a hot tub with lane lines.

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

tpost2 — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:50:31 GMT

Thanks for posting. It made me think.... unlike some of the folks here, I haven't figured out exactly what motivates me, but I have identified two hurdles: 1) getting up before the sun to jump in the pool 2) really hitting the workout hard and focusing on the point of the set rather than just getting through it For me, the first is just a decision, and as others have mentioned, remembering how good I'll feel for the rest of the day. The second one I'm still working on.

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

Sojerz — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:42:54 GMT

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.

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

smontanaro — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 11:56:29 GMT

Otter, One other thing. I have been swimming on my own for the past year or two. My yardage has definitely fallen. This fall I plan to connect with the masters swimming group at the YMCA where I swim (not USMS affiliated, mostly triathletes). They have a three-a-week option and a once-a-week option. Hopefully the latter will help. You might want to check to see if there's something similar where you swim. Even if you can't make all their practices, you might find it helps.

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

Bill Sive — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 11:54:49 GMT

Bad MoJo comes, usually, in my case, from other swimmers. Just get in the pool and swim. As mentioned above, create a Go the Distance FLOG, set a goal and work towards it. I swim after work at 5pm. On my days off I am in the pool when it opens at 5:30 am. Then I go back for a second round of swimming at 12noon, or 4pm. Make friends with other regular swimmers who are Masters swimmers, and who are not Masters swimmers. These other swimmers can be your best swimming support group, and, in my case, I receive a lot of encouragement from them. I also get some pretty good feedback, and swimming tips. Giving up is not an option I would choose.

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

sickfish — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 10:15:39 GMT

I find it harder to swim when the water is warmer. This is the number one thing that keeps me out of the pool. They've been keeping my local pool at 86 all year. (I blame noodlers.) Just thinking about it makes me want to cancel my membership. At this point, the only thing keeping me there is the proximity - it's a 16-mile round trip instead of 60 miles.

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

smontanaro — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 09:30:04 GMT

Just out of curiosity, any idea how warm the pool is where you swim? I find it harder to swim when the water is warmer. At the moment, the pool where I normally swim is closed for maintenance. Of the two other pools available, one is maintained at about 83F, the other at 78F. The cooler pool is a little bracing when I get in, but I feel like I can swim forever. I feel like a slug and overheat pretty easily in the warmer pool. Maybe your pool is warmer than usual for some reason. Just a thought.

RE: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

joel schmaltz — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 08:05:50 GMT

Not lame at all. I'm sure we've all felt like this on many occasions! +1 Sometimes I am happy if I have one good workout a week. Life is hectic enough for all of us. If you aren't having a good day in the pool find something positive out of it anyways. Sometimes just making it to the pool and through a workout it a accomplishment. Keep plugging away at it.