Help please

I'm too new to swimming to comment on that aspect of what you're doing (and actually envy your times!). But I've gone through something like this as a runner. Maybe you do, in fact, need a break: "I'm beginning to dislike the water now": could it be time to step back a bit. What the folks who come in after a break might have that you don't isn't necessarily talent; it's rest. Might it be time to take maybe one or two days off per week? You could have them just be rest days or if you need to do something, do some weights or other dry land stuff. And maybe on some of your workouts, just play, don't worry about times. My running coach told me one day not to take a watch with me to do an interval workout, and it felt weird at first... I'd glance at my wrist and ... nothing. But after a while I found I was really having fun with the workout, no standards to hold myself to, just pushing the effort and enjoying it. Also I've found that if I start beating myself up over whatever it is I"m trying to do successfully, I tense up and it goes less well, and then I lose more confidence... a vicious circle, as you can guess. And that sounds like what you're doing to yourself. Ask yourself this: would say to someone else, "are you just untalented?" I bet not. I bet you'd be more generous and encouraging to others. But many of us don't learn to turn that encouragement around and give it to ourselves. You might even try changing the setting where you swim.... if you're near open water, do some open water swimming or enter a different kind of race than normal. If you normally do short distances, do something longer, something where you won't have any expectations. One sport psychologist I heard speak said that if we're getting burned out, turn "outcome oriented goals" (improve time in such and such event) to "process goals" such as focusing on form and such and put these in present tense, visualize that we're doing what we aim to do. One other point: are there other stresses in your life now w/ family or work, etc.? Sometimes these can cut into our performance. I've noticed that with running (also w/ swimming since I'm still pretty new at the sport), I worry less about times and enjoy the experience more. Sometimes the times are there, sometimes not, and there are faster runners and swimmers than I will ever be, but it's okay b/c I'm doing this for myself, and I'm totally digging the resting heart rate in the 30s and not having to worry too much about calories (altho trying to make sure I have some good quality food to help performance). Good luck!

I'm too new to swimming to comment on that aspect of what you're doing (and actually envy your times!). But I've gone through something like this as a runner. Maybe you do, in fact, need a break: "I'm beginning to dislike the water now": could it be time to step back a bit. What the folks who come in after a break might have that you don't isn't necessarily talent; it's rest. Might it be time to take maybe one or two days off per week? You could have them just be rest days or if you need to do something, do some weights or other dry land stuff. And maybe on some of your workouts, just play, don't worry about times. My running coach told me one day not to take a watch with me to do an interval workout, and it felt weird at first... I'd glance at my wrist and ... nothing. But after a while I found I was really having fun with the workout, no standards to hold myself to, just pushing the effort and enjoying it. Also I've found that if I start beating myself up over whatever it is I"m trying to do successfully, I tense up and it goes less well, and then I lose more confidence... a vicious circle, as you can guess. And that sounds like what you're doing to yourself. Ask yourself this: would say to someone else, "are you just untalented?" I bet not. I bet you'd be more generous and encouraging to others. But many of us don't learn to turn that encouragement around and give it to ourselves. You might even try changing the setting where you swim.... if you're near open water, do some open water swimming or enter a different kind of race than normal. If you normally do short distances, do something longer, something where you won't have any expectations. One sport psychologist I heard speak said that if we're getting burned out, turn "outcome oriented goals" (improve time in such and such event) to "process goals" such as focusing on form and such and put these in present tense, visualize that we're doing what we aim to do. One other point: are there other stresses in your life now w/ family or work, etc.? Sometimes these can cut into our performance. I've noticed that with running (also w/ swimming since I'm still pretty new at the sport), I worry less about times and enjoy the experience more. Sometimes the times are there, sometimes not, and there are faster runners and swimmers than I will ever be, but it's okay b/c I'm doing this for myself, and I'm totally digging the resting heart rate in the 30s and not having to worry too much about calories (altho trying to make sure I have some good quality food to help performance). Good luck!