:badday:
So, I've been swimming on/off for 15 years now. I started in college, swam for the school and have been with Masters ever since. I spent a few years away from the pool, but was in the ocean every day surfing. Moved away from the ocean and have been in the pool religiously for the past 4 years, never missing a day unless the pool was closed for maintenance, it was a holiday, or I had a Doctor's appt.
I follow a coach's workout everyday. I am in the water for about 90 minutes daily and am always changing up strokes, drills, etc. You would think that there's no way I could get bored in the water, but, it's happening.
2012 has been a tough year for me. I was admitted into the hospital in ICU with severe pneumonia, severe sepsis, multiple organ failure and I even had a stroke. This was in April. I was in a coma for 21 days. I died on the ER table and had to be resuscitated. I pulled through and was eventually admitted to an inpatient care facility to learn to walk, talk, feed myself, etc. I harassesed the therapists daily to let me get in the water!!! I could NOT wait to get back in the pool!!!
Well, June comes and I'm in the water. Start back slow with easy workouts. 1200-1600 meters max. I eventually work up to my usual 2500-3000/day. Then, I notice in Sept., I am literally dreading going in for my workout. I put my fins on and coast through the whole thing just to get done and get out. WAY not normal for me.
Now, I have severe Rheumatoid Arthritis. I swim cause it is supposedly the easiest on the joints, but lately, I'm having problems with swimming and my RA. I flare and can't move in the water, which then frustrates me, and then makes not want to swim. I used to do two workouts a day...I would swim and then do Power 90 (the baby version of P90X). But, doing that is what put me in the hospital. The doctors said I wore my body down so much that it could not fight off any infection. I have to take chemo meds to control my RA, which pretty much kills my immune system.
Basically, I'm not sure what to do. I LOVE swimming. I love the water. I love the glide. I love the feeling of freeness that swimming provides. But, I just don't love it anymore....I hope that makes sense.
Have any of you felt this way? How did you get past it? Is it just a funk? Should I take some time away from the pool? Thank you in advance!!!
Parents
Former Member
You've gotten lots of helpful advice already, and it sounds like you are already on the right track. But I just wanted to add my support! And a few extra words. Sometimes I love swimming more passionately than other times. Sometimes I push myself whether I'm "feeling the love" or not. That's what we do. We're swimmers! I know that if I just get in and get working, I'll probably be loving it before 200 yards have gone by. And if not, then I'll love it the next time, right? Because it's always more fun when you're in good shape. That's how it is for us swimmers.
But sometimes "just get in and get working" is NOT the answer. We've learned to ignore the little voice that tells us to just be lazy, to skip a workout, to sluff off. We're so good at "just doing it". But sometimes we need to listen to that lazy voice, sometimes the answer is TAKE A BREAK. Or TAKE IT EASY today. Remember, the body builds its strength when we're resting!
Skipping a day and taking a nap during your usual practice-time is a really delicious feeling!
I've finally learned that if I take a few days away from the pool, including a day or two of no exercise whatsoever, I come back just raring to go. I hope this will work for you as well.
Sometimes my workouts are more driven by fear of losing ground than by love of swimming. That's when I stop looking forward to them and they become something to get over with. When I start feeling that way too often, I change my workouts to things that don't require me to see how fast I'm going. Like a long straight swim where I alternate easy-hard swimming, or sets with intervals of "10 seconds rest" instead of on a set time. Then I don't feel that pressure of "Did I go faster than I did the last time I did this set?".
Anyways, you have been through so much. You are a survivor, a real tough customer! It's time to cut yourself a little slack.
You've gotten lots of helpful advice already, and it sounds like you are already on the right track. But I just wanted to add my support! And a few extra words. Sometimes I love swimming more passionately than other times. Sometimes I push myself whether I'm "feeling the love" or not. That's what we do. We're swimmers! I know that if I just get in and get working, I'll probably be loving it before 200 yards have gone by. And if not, then I'll love it the next time, right? Because it's always more fun when you're in good shape. That's how it is for us swimmers.
But sometimes "just get in and get working" is NOT the answer. We've learned to ignore the little voice that tells us to just be lazy, to skip a workout, to sluff off. We're so good at "just doing it". But sometimes we need to listen to that lazy voice, sometimes the answer is TAKE A BREAK. Or TAKE IT EASY today. Remember, the body builds its strength when we're resting!
Skipping a day and taking a nap during your usual practice-time is a really delicious feeling!
I've finally learned that if I take a few days away from the pool, including a day or two of no exercise whatsoever, I come back just raring to go. I hope this will work for you as well.
Sometimes my workouts are more driven by fear of losing ground than by love of swimming. That's when I stop looking forward to them and they become something to get over with. When I start feeling that way too often, I change my workouts to things that don't require me to see how fast I'm going. Like a long straight swim where I alternate easy-hard swimming, or sets with intervals of "10 seconds rest" instead of on a set time. Then I don't feel that pressure of "Did I go faster than I did the last time I did this set?".
Anyways, you have been through so much. You are a survivor, a real tough customer! It's time to cut yourself a little slack.
