So I return to school from my christmas break on Monday, and I have around 4-5 weeks of the season left.
I'm depressed.
As a lot of you know, I had a bad injury this year...and while I've been slowly and steadily healing, I'm still not 100%. I'm able to manage a few flip turns now, but can't do them on a constant basis. My speed and technique are still way off what they should be...due to my being out of the water for a while.
And I don't know how I'm going to get through the end of the season.
I mean all the rest of the girls on the team will be back from training trip, stronger and faster....they'll swim lots and then taper for our conference meet.
I don't even know if I'll swim in a meet.
Part of me wants to, of course, but another part of me doesn't ...because at this point I'm so far off what I should be that I...well I don't want to embarass myself.
Basically, this season has been a loss and I'm training for next year. How do I drag myself through the end of the season? Sigh....
Parents
Former Member
I like the idea of thinking of this as training for meets in Fall 2006. Saying 'next year' makes it sound so far off. Put the upcoming spring meets out of your mind as if they don't exist and focus on the meets you will be able to swim in. You can really turn this to your advantage if you focus on improving technique now and seeing this as an opportunity no one else will have. Make it a good experience, by discovering the positive aspects. Geeze, how many swimmers get the opportunity to train as much as you will be able to train for future meets? How many swimmers can train, more or less at their lesiure, without pressure of an upcoming meet?
Don't focus on the negative. Now, folks, I can't remember the citation so don't ask and don't jump on me, but I remember reading some research (a long time ago) that demonstrated that a person is physically stronger when he or she is thinking positive thoughts than when thinking negative thoughts. It is possible you could slow your training down by thinking about, or dwelling on all that you have missed, or will miss because those thoughts might drain some of your strength. Think about the beautiful technique you will be able to bring to your regular training and how that will help you turn on the speed in the future. Think about how strong you are getting. Think about how damn good it feels to be in the pool. Think positive.
Lainey
I like the idea of thinking of this as training for meets in Fall 2006. Saying 'next year' makes it sound so far off. Put the upcoming spring meets out of your mind as if they don't exist and focus on the meets you will be able to swim in. You can really turn this to your advantage if you focus on improving technique now and seeing this as an opportunity no one else will have. Make it a good experience, by discovering the positive aspects. Geeze, how many swimmers get the opportunity to train as much as you will be able to train for future meets? How many swimmers can train, more or less at their lesiure, without pressure of an upcoming meet?
Don't focus on the negative. Now, folks, I can't remember the citation so don't ask and don't jump on me, but I remember reading some research (a long time ago) that demonstrated that a person is physically stronger when he or she is thinking positive thoughts than when thinking negative thoughts. It is possible you could slow your training down by thinking about, or dwelling on all that you have missed, or will miss because those thoughts might drain some of your strength. Think about the beautiful technique you will be able to bring to your regular training and how that will help you turn on the speed in the future. Think about how strong you are getting. Think about how damn good it feels to be in the pool. Think positive.
Lainey
