Ok, picture this. You get to the pool and it's empty. You think to yourself, this is gonna be a great swim, especially since the rest of my day as been not so great. Then when you finally get into the water, you push off and begin swimming when something amazing happens. Now picture this. This amazing thing is comparable only to you first day in the pool.....every! You realize that you are going to have an off day. This is what happened to me today. My breastroke was making waves so big you could body surf...My fly was like trying to watch a chipmunk do an IM (not that my fly has ever been good, but today was especially bad meaning it was the thing of nightmares), my free was horrible! The only thing that seemed to be going right was my backstroke. So anyways, I was looking for what people do to get over their bad days? I just reverted back to very elementary drills and tried to float (yes it was that bad I was sinking like I was made of lead). What do you do on your off days? Do you finish your workout, leave immediatly and hope that no one noticed, or stay extra and try to make the best of it? Hopefully tomorrow will be better!!
~Kyra
I had one of those today! I tired very quickly for some reason. I got out a few minutes early. I've learned the hard way that you have to listen to your body! I just shrug my shoulders and tell myself I'll feel better tomorrow. You can't be "on" every day. It is very frustrating that day but you can't let it get you down. Consistency is the key!
I just get through the off days, and hope the next one is better. I figure swimming through them at least burns some calories and is better then sitting on my behind eating chocolate!
We all have days like this, don't worry about it, next time may be awesome!
I view my off days as my best days, the biggest challenges. I figured making it through the off days makes the good days even better. You stick with those off days, they will make you better.
Actually, when I have an off day, I make my workout even harder, reduce the intervals, swim longer.
I just plow through the sets trying to hold it together the best I can. There is something to making it through those bad days, often you do feel better at the end. If fly is too awful, I may switch to drilling it, but most times, I just muddle through.
I had an "off" day last night....It was weird, my butterfly finally felt good after feeling horrid for almost 2 weeks....but my freestlyle felt horrid this time....In fact when I was only coasting 100 butterflies, I was almost swimming the same times as when I was struggling and pushing myself in a set of 100 freestyles.....How in the world could that be I thought??.....I just try to forget about those days and hope that next time I will feel better...(but I go ahead and make do the best I can in those situations anyway).
newmastersswimmer
Oh...those terrible off days! Boy, have I had my share...
One of the most important things that I do when I have an off day is I remind myself of those really great "on" days where I feel like I could swim for hours, my stroke is so ON, and in general I'm just kicking ass in the water. Awsome!
Rarely will I get out of the pool. I tell myself to just slow down and concentrate on my stroke; I do drills or a kick or scull set to try to get a feel for the water and just ride it out. I also keep a swim journal, where I write down how I felt during the workout, what my times were if we have a timed set, and what the main set was. I also chart my stroke rate and any improvements I make on a particular stroke, i.e., "...today my breastroke kick felt a lot more fluid and consistant, especially since I've been working on my quad flexibility..."
Sometimes, if I'm just bored and the workout is not going well, I will put on my fins just for fun.
What's odd is sometimes I'll go to a workout feeling crummy and have a great workout; other times I'm ready to tear up the water and I feel crummy and "off." Go figure. Swimming has it's ebbs and flows, that's for sure.
I wouldn't know, I don't have off days!:D
Or maybe all of may days are off, so they all feel right!:D
Seriously though, when I am off, I tend to just plow right through my intended workout. Kind of the bull in a china shop approach. I force myself to complete the set. Many times I feel better at the end of the workout. I don't look at my times though - it might depress me. I don't cut it short though - that already happens too much with the realities of life.
Ok one question. When you do plow through the off days what about the strokes that are you giving you the most trouble. Do you struggle to finish whatever distance your workout calls for or do you break that distance down into drills?
~Kyra
Kinda hard to let much get you down these days eh? ... With the way the Steelers are playing this year and all....Everything is beautiful when your team is kicking butt!!
newmastersswimmer
p.s. I'm a poor Tennessee Volunteers fan....so life is not so peachy right now for me unfortunately.
