Hi Gang,
So here it is--Fall is upon us, and winter is around the corner. This time of year, when it is dark and gray--and so very cold, I find it difficult to go swim.
Maybe it's the getting wet or the getting cold, but I just lack the motivation to get myself going.
So, if/when you all have days (God forbid weeks) like this, how do you manage to overcome it, and get yourself swimming?
:D Jerrycat
I have just the opposite reaction. I think it's easier to swim when the weather's dreary. When the weather starts getting nice and the sun stays up later in the spring and summer is when it's tough to get into a pool--especially in indoor pool.
Originally posted by knelson
I think it's easier to swim when the weather's dreary. When the weather starts getting nice and the sun stays up later in the spring and summer is when it's tough to get into a pool--especially in indoor pool.
Yeah... but Kirk... you live in Seattle. When does the sun come out? :D
(When I used to live in Rochester, NY, one of our claim-to-fames was that we had the second cloudiest city, behind Seattle.)
I know everyone thinks Seattle is cloudy all the time, but it's actually sunny in the summer. We get very little rain here in the summer, and high temps are typically in the mid 70s.
i find it the other way round too,i'm from uk and cold it is!!!so it's great to simulate tropical weather down at the pool,i sometimes relax in the jaccuzi afterwards and think of my hols abroad in corfu,florida,california.....wait i'm back to dark,cold selby in yorkshire uk..dratt..also i'm usually too hot after 3000m so i love to cool down with our naturally air conditioned weather(wind ice cold )
For those of us who swim indoors, it's a known fact that most pool environments are maintained to feel somewhat tropical. And the contrast between warm and cold during the winter months tends to exaggerate the warmth of the building. Nothing like hot humid air when you've walked in from a ten below zero wind chill factor.
Summertime is also a state of mind. Put on those Raybans, fire up the car, and remind yourself that it's gonna feel like Cancun on the pool deck. Just don't let the secret out.:cool:
I think about afterwards. After an hour of pushing hard, I always feel like I'm radiating heat. To me, the shock of that cold air outside after a good sweat always feels good. I usually leave the building carrying my jacket instead of wearing it, then put it on a few blocks down the road.
Also, my pool is a more enjoyable place when the weather's cold simply because of the lack of motivation you mentioned. The cold weather tends to get rid of some of the morons, so my pool isn't as crowded. That lasts until January, when the resolution posers come in to swim their 500 meters spread over half an hour. At least 'til then, I'm motivated to get to the pool because I know I won't have to share a lane with five other people.
When it is cold I just get up and go to the pool. Once you get in, it isn't so bad, but the pool deck can be mighty cold when the temperature is in the 30s - I swim in an outdoor pool (heated) year round. My record cold day was 29F, which is about as low as it gets in Central Florida.
I think it is important to realize your own "resistance" (i.e. those things or times that make you not want to swim) and find ways to manage it. For example, I find the time when I am most reluctant to go swim is the hour right before workout. This is true whether the alarm goes off at 4:15 am for morning workout, or tearing myself away from the office around noon (in fact, the latter is usually harder than the former). I often remind myself of this when I come up against that particular wall, and once I get over it, everything gets much easier. Other things I have noticed is that I prefer to keep breaks from swimming down to a minimum (say one week after the season's "destination swim" rather than a month or two). Maintain a level of condition that lets me keep good mechanics, and occasionally back off of the most challenging interval, and simply play with my stroke. Constantly pushing the aerobic bubble makes me feel like I am pounding my head against a wall, and can burn me out.
Everyone is different, and learning what motivates (or demotivates) you personally is important. For many people, working out with a group of friends at a set time greatly increases the chance they willl stick with an exercise routine. I probably sound like a broken record, but most of us are in this sport for the long term health benefits. Boredom and burn-out are the enemy. Recognize the signs of these in yourself, and act to counter them. I'm willing to trade that last tenth of a second in practice if it keeps me fresh and motivated for tomorrow.
Matt
i have to add my 2 cents, only 'cause i'm not just hitting a wall right now, i'm slamming into it! but i remember that even though it does get chilly here in key west (yeah, it gets down to about 70, that's cold at 6:00 in the morning! :p ), there are the rare days year 'round to go to the beach--so i still have to look good in a bikini! :D
