...to swim or not to swim?
As some of ya'll might remember, I wrote a small blog on my daily swimming activities as a college swimmer this past season. If not for my back injury, I'm sure it would have been much more exciting...but oh well.
Well the season ended a few months ago, and I've been largely a land lubber since. Now that I'm settled for the summer though, I'm getting back into the pool on a regular basis.
The question is... do I swim as a member of the varsity team next year?
I just can't really decide.
My coach quit at the end of the season to move with her husband to Rhode Island (where he became the new head soccer coach at the university of rhode island). The new coach of both the men's and women's program is the former assistant coach of the men's team, Jason.
He's a pretty nice guy, but since the men's and women's teams were seperate last year, I don't really know much about his coaching methods.
I've got it down to the pros and cons of swimming next year, but I still can't decide what would be best...
Pros: Great exercise - forces me to go swim even when I'm tired
Seeing my teammates again
A chance to actually compete
The ability to say I'm still a college swimmer...
Cons: Last year's practice schedule was brutal. If this year is the same...if it's the same this year it means:
Crunch on academics
No social life for 5-6 months
Constantly exhausted
..possible reinjury of my back (although unlikely)
I just don't know. I'm concerned about my academics. I really screwed up my spring quarter, for unrelated personal reasons, and as a result my GPA is in the toilet. Since I'm entering my junior year, pulling up my academics is of huge concern to me. Also, I'm going abroad in the spring...so if I had no time to spend with my real friends during the season I wouldn't see them at all during the year....
....But I don't want to be a quitter. I know I wouldn't abandon the sport...but....agh...
What do I do?
Originally posted by Rob Copeland
Didn’t your books get wet????
:D
But I see the basic point...
HMLee, I wasn't a swimmer in college (we didn't even have a swim team, but that aside...). In fact, I wasn't that much into any competitive sport until well into my 30s. I'm now in my 50s, trying to balance my running and swimming w/ the rest of my life. Here's what I've noticed: quality of life/work improves when I can stick w/ my training schedule. Granted, I'm not at your level, and my swimming doesn't comprise as much of my day as yours undoubtedly does... altho, swimming/running together seems to take a chunk of time...
One story as an example: I had a deadline for a paper I was presenting at a conference and on the same day a crucial running workout (was training for a track 1500 and very much wanted the pieces to fall into place). Was going to bag the workout, thinking there would be no time to do that and finish the paper. But that nagging little voice that I get every so often when thoughts like that come up was telling me to do the workout no matter. I was doubtful but went ahead w/ the workout. AND came back from it all energized to finish the paper--which, in fact, I finished in time.
Another time I wasn't sure if I had the time for a particular workout... but needed it psychologically so much! So I did it, wrote about it, and a friend read what I wrote, passed it along to another friend... and the piece of writing got published in a book!
Following your body's wisdom often ends up helping your mind in unexpected ways. I can understand your anxiety about whether you'll have time for it all. I've felt the same way lots of times. I can't pretend I'm the best manager of time around by any means, but it helps when I can listen to the whole person I am... not only to the person with the academic/career goals and to the runner/ swimmer/ dreamer, I end up in a better place.
If you're uncertain about the coach, as the others said, talk to him. He might have some ideas that will help you. Also, does your school have an academic support program for athletes? A lot of schools do, and sometimes they'll offer things like time management and other such workshops or counseling. Might be worth looking into.
Good luck no matter what you decide!
... off to my wet books... :)
Originally posted by Rob Copeland
Didn’t your books get wet????
:D
But I see the basic point...
HMLee, I wasn't a swimmer in college (we didn't even have a swim team, but that aside...). In fact, I wasn't that much into any competitive sport until well into my 30s. I'm now in my 50s, trying to balance my running and swimming w/ the rest of my life. Here's what I've noticed: quality of life/work improves when I can stick w/ my training schedule. Granted, I'm not at your level, and my swimming doesn't comprise as much of my day as yours undoubtedly does... altho, swimming/running together seems to take a chunk of time...
One story as an example: I had a deadline for a paper I was presenting at a conference and on the same day a crucial running workout (was training for a track 1500 and very much wanted the pieces to fall into place). Was going to bag the workout, thinking there would be no time to do that and finish the paper. But that nagging little voice that I get every so often when thoughts like that come up was telling me to do the workout no matter. I was doubtful but went ahead w/ the workout. AND came back from it all energized to finish the paper--which, in fact, I finished in time.
Another time I wasn't sure if I had the time for a particular workout... but needed it psychologically so much! So I did it, wrote about it, and a friend read what I wrote, passed it along to another friend... and the piece of writing got published in a book!
Following your body's wisdom often ends up helping your mind in unexpected ways. I can understand your anxiety about whether you'll have time for it all. I've felt the same way lots of times. I can't pretend I'm the best manager of time around by any means, but it helps when I can listen to the whole person I am... not only to the person with the academic/career goals and to the runner/ swimmer/ dreamer, I end up in a better place.
If you're uncertain about the coach, as the others said, talk to him. He might have some ideas that will help you. Also, does your school have an academic support program for athletes? A lot of schools do, and sometimes they'll offer things like time management and other such workshops or counseling. Might be worth looking into.
Good luck no matter what you decide!
... off to my wet books... :)
