Hello All,
It's been awhile since I've been at the forums; about 4 months actually! AND... about that long since i've swum regularly as well!
This, for the last few years, has been my pattern. I will get into a groove and get into decent shape, then something will happen, i.e. I'll get sick, go on vacation, have a really busy week or two and not be able to go workout, holidays, etc.. and I'll lose it completely for about 2-4 months.. then it starts all over again.
Regardless, I ALWAYS find the pool calling my name after awhile until I absolutely have to get in it again, then of course remember how good it feels to be swimming..
My question is if anyone else has had similar issues with working out regularly, and what they have done, if anything, to overcome this?
Any hints or tricks to help get myself over the little hump and back into the pool quickly before I backslide would be GREATLY appreciated. (I am currently working on self discipline), and any hints on that would be great as well! ;)
Jeanette.
Former Member
To help with motivation, periodize your training. By that, I mean don't train the same way all the time.
For example, I usually break up my year (macrocycle) into:
1) General build-up (November-March)
2) Sharpen (April-May/early June)
3) Racing (June-Sept, i.e. the open water season)
4) Recovery - October
Within each of those larger periods, I break my training up into small periods of several weeks (mesocycles) of hard training/1 week easy training (usually 3-5 weeks hard, depending on volume, intensity, etc). Each of the weeks (a microcycle) has easy/hard days. (Typically: Monday & Friday: easy, Tues/Thurs/Sat/Sun: hard, Weds: depends on how I feel).
Each period (of all levels) has a realistic goal and the goals flow between the other periods that it is next to.
Too often, I see people who do the same volume, intensity and type of work, week in and week out. Having constantly changing volumes/intensities/types of work helps keep the mind engaged and helps prevent the type of barrier-building that doing the same thing over and over can bring (to wit: "I did 10x100 on 1:30 last week; if I don't do 10X100 on 1:25 this week, I'm a failure. Oh my God, I'll never make it! I'm a failure.")
Also, remember: Training does NOT improve your physical conditioning - it is the rest AFTER the training that does this. Adequate physical rest also helps the mental aspects of your training and the ability to keep going.
Good luck,
LBJ
Was it Woody Allen that said 50% of being successful is simply showing up?
I have always struggled with maintaining motivation. I wouldn't show up because everything seemed to be getting in the way of my workout time - job, health, family, etc.
But in the last year or so, I have found a lot of inspiration in the idea of not letting perfect be the enemy of good. In the past, I have fallen off the workout wagon when I didn't feel perfect or didn't have the perfect amount of time or didn't have the perfect blah blah blah. So I just didn't show up. Now I try to show up and do something, anything. Often it turns out I have a better workout on those days than days when everything seems, well, perfect.
Motivation is a tricky thing. True motivation must come from within. That being said ... The more workouts you miss the harder it is to come back. I know if I take three days off in a row I feel like poop. I haven't swam since Saturday afternoon and I was itching to get back into the water by Sunday afternoon. I think it's easier to keep motivated if you have people you swim with. There's the fun of seeing them, not wanting to let them down and all that.
Also, I find I'm most successful when I schedule in my workouts like I schedule in an appointment. Swimming after work is my rouinte now. I don't like deviating from my routine either. If I miss a day no big, but then I KNOW I have to get there the next day.
I also love how I feel after I swim, I'm addicted to the endorphins.
Also, don't forget that it's ok to take breaks and rest every once in awhile.
Good luck!
Thanks everyone for the great posts!
I have learned much through reading these posts and finding bits and pieces of realities that I know I need to face in myself..
I "fool myself" all the time, that was a great post Guvnah, thanks!
Also, Kae,
I used to swim at the Norman Pool, but I commute to OKC from Noble everyday, so the hours the pool is open compared to the hours I can get there, are very limited. I've resigned to going to the downtown YMCA in OKC. There are quite a few swimmers there that I see regularly, and swimmers from my building as well.. I've noticed we all (here in the building), seem to have the same cyclical workout issues, buy I will see about trying to get some sort of workout group going as well as someone mentioned. :)
I'll keep going and fight the urges to kid myself into excuses next time I feel it coming on. Also the ideas about just going and not doing a workout if I don't feel like it.. or doing a short workout just to get myself into the pool and link to the next workout are fabulous!
Thanks again everyone for your input,
it's greatly appreciated!
Jeanette.
wow-did this topic come up at a great time for me! I got a nasty case of bronchitis last month, which stirred up my asthma and kept me from exercising for some time. Getting back into it has been really difficult!
However, after reading all these posts over the weekend, I got my butt up this morning and was in the pool at 5:30, and it was just great. I smelled like chlorine all day. I have to remember how great I felt this morning when the alarm goes off tomorrow..
