I've been swimming masters now for well over a decade and I've hit a bit of a lull. Last year I set my Go The Distance goal at 550 miles and missed it, so this year I revised it downward to 500 miles and as of today I'm 66 miles behind the pace I need to be at to hit that goal. I just don't have the desire to get to the pool as often, or stay in as long, as I usually do.
With that introduction my question really is: how do YOU train long term? Do you try to stay consistent or do you vary from year to year? Historically I've been very consistent, but I wonder if intentionally varying things is a better long term strategy.
Wookie beat me to it. I had just read the article on SwimSwam from Josh Davis about his experiences and results with USRPT over the past 2 years and it seemed like it might be a good option given your ebbing desire to swim frequently and for long periods of time.
As for taking a break from the pool, I did take several months off of swimming a few years ago to focus on road biking. I ultimately found myself missing swimming and lost interest in biking. Getting back into swimming shape wasn't the most enjoyable experience but I haven't felt a need to take a break from the pool since then.
I think my advice would be to shake up your training and if that still leaves you uninspired, there's certainly no harm in taking some time off from the pool. If you haven't been enjoying the process of training recently, forcing yourself to continue doing the same thing in hopes of eventually coming around seems unlikely to cure what ails you.
EDIT: I hope you bring back your blog at some point in time. It's always been one that I read regularly.
Wookie beat me to it. I had just read the article on SwimSwam from Josh Davis about his experiences and results with USRPT over the past 2 years and it seemed like it might be a good option given your ebbing desire to swim frequently and for long periods of time.
As for taking a break from the pool, I did take several months off of swimming a few years ago to focus on road biking. I ultimately found myself missing swimming and lost interest in biking. Getting back into swimming shape wasn't the most enjoyable experience but I haven't felt a need to take a break from the pool since then.
I think my advice would be to shake up your training and if that still leaves you uninspired, there's certainly no harm in taking some time off from the pool. If you haven't been enjoying the process of training recently, forcing yourself to continue doing the same thing in hopes of eventually coming around seems unlikely to cure what ails you.
EDIT: I hope you bring back your blog at some point in time. It's always been one that I read regularly.
