I'm been swimming since I was 19. I've competed in local, regional, and national masters meets since 1989. This past season I've noticed that I've really lost my desire to swim. Part of this may have been caused by not being able to afford the trip to Nationals this year in Hawaii. And last year I experienced much of these same feelings and my performance at Nationals (Santa Clara) was horrendous. Any suggestions on how I can get excited again?
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Former Member
Michael:
You raise a very interesting topic. I have experienced similar feelings and have witnessed people "burn off" so to speak and walk away from the sport. For me, I found that keeping focused on my goals and aspirations in swimming help me stay the coarse.
I try above all to enjoy the journey and the people around me. I try to show up every morning and swim the best I can. MOST of America is still in bed when I’ve finished 3000/4000 meters at the end of the morning workout. Knowing this helps motivate me. I keep focus on the fact that swimming is the finest means of exercise known to man. I pride myself in the fact that I am not sitting on the sidelines in life and that I am doing my best to get my banged up old frame (my body) as far down the road as possible. Swimming is simply the vehicle that helps me do this.
Winning and swimming fast times are great! Obviously, that is a mission for many of us that compete. Note I said A mission…not the entire mission. Having said that, I believe we can neither win nor lose…unless we walk into the Arena and give it a whack. Winning is a subjective thing….I think the people I swim with every morning are serious winners…yet, many of them will never stand on a gold medal box. They are winners because they are out there in the mornings banging away at keeping fit.
It is ok to feel like it is a grind…because it is a grind sometimes. When this happens, I simply keep focused on the real mission. Keeping fit and enjoying the company of the great people around me...and... helping them do the same.
Michael:
You raise a very interesting topic. I have experienced similar feelings and have witnessed people "burn off" so to speak and walk away from the sport. For me, I found that keeping focused on my goals and aspirations in swimming help me stay the coarse.
I try above all to enjoy the journey and the people around me. I try to show up every morning and swim the best I can. MOST of America is still in bed when I’ve finished 3000/4000 meters at the end of the morning workout. Knowing this helps motivate me. I keep focus on the fact that swimming is the finest means of exercise known to man. I pride myself in the fact that I am not sitting on the sidelines in life and that I am doing my best to get my banged up old frame (my body) as far down the road as possible. Swimming is simply the vehicle that helps me do this.
Winning and swimming fast times are great! Obviously, that is a mission for many of us that compete. Note I said A mission…not the entire mission. Having said that, I believe we can neither win nor lose…unless we walk into the Arena and give it a whack. Winning is a subjective thing….I think the people I swim with every morning are serious winners…yet, many of them will never stand on a gold medal box. They are winners because they are out there in the mornings banging away at keeping fit.
It is ok to feel like it is a grind…because it is a grind sometimes. When this happens, I simply keep focused on the real mission. Keeping fit and enjoying the company of the great people around me...and... helping them do the same.
