Does anyone else think this time of the year is the hardest to train? (holidays, middle of the season, cold, etc..) If so, what do you do that helps? I'm exhausted and having a hard time keeping my motivation up. Any suggestions?
The weather in Seattle this month has been my biggest training obstacle! All the rain has caused quite a bit of traffic gridlock making it difficult for me to get to practice after work. Yesterday we got quite a bit of snow right during the evening commute. I actually started to the pool, but aborted after realizing it would take forever. The city does not do well when it snows. Kind of interesting when you consider the Cascade mountains get the most snow of anywhere in the U.S. We just don't get much snow at sea level.
The cold weather certainly has an impact on my desire to swim in our outdoor pool at night. It's fine once you get going but from the time you disrobe until your first few laps are complete, it's downright frigid.
Wow! I feel like such a whiner now. I swim INDOORS and it is cold for me the first 800-100 yds of practice! :notworthy:
Beth:
It is hard for me to train now too. I'm distracted. Also, since we both have sore shoulders, swim meets are not ideal and it's not real fun (or maybe advisable) to train hard with pain. I'm looking forward to scapular stabilization and a lot of drills in December and then, hopefully, "tearing my body down until May" in the pool when then another mental/physical break will be needed. Hang in there! :)
Thanks for the encouragement. I am trying to keep swimming despite my achy shoulder, neck, back! I swam today and did my shoulder exercises like a good girl. I'm heading for the ice and Advil. I have a meet next weekend and I'm trying to get excited about it...I'm very nervous! It's my first big meet in a year and a half. I haven't been able to compete due to my mom's illnesses/operations. We'll see how I do. I'm just going to do the best I can and try to look at it as a starting point to measure from. Easier said than done......I'm kind of competitive! :cool:
. I have a meet next weekend and I'm trying to get excited about it...I'm very nervous! It's my first big meet in a year and a half. I'm just going to do the best I can and try to look at it as a starting point to measure from. Easier said than done......I'm kind of competitive! :cool:
Beth:
You'll do great. Everyone needs a starting point. Remember, IslandSox says you can't taper enough. So maybe you'll be well rested. Good luck!!! :) P.S. Try not to worry too much about being tired or getting enough sleep. I never get enough before meets. With a good warm up and a little nervousness, you'll still do fine.
.... in January I go to the beach for two weeks and miss my regular swimming schedule. I can only swim in the crystal clear warm waters of the ocean, but all that water keeping me floating, makes it take longer for me to tire out. Walking ten miles barefoot on the beach isn't that bad either. Well, so long from the Southern Hemisphere. Warmest regards, billy fanstone
You are making me jealous. My dryland today was shoveling my driveway and walks of about 2" of snow before going to work.
The cold weather certainly has an impact on my desire to swim in our outdoor pool at night. It's fine once you get going but from the time you disrobe until your first few laps are complete, it's downright frigid.
Plus, my company gives a long holiday break between Christmas and New Years.
posted by nkfrench
I also have a lot of free time over the holidays because I am in the academic field and we get over a month of vacation time over the holidays. I do have trouble controlling my food intake though!! I am going to have to try and really focus on controlling my urge to scarf down everything in sight. I felt like I did a pretty good job over Thanksgiving (compared to previous years).....I need to stay away from the egg nog as well!
Newmastersswimmer
p.s. BTW: I really like your avatar nkfrench! Is that a traffic sign you came across while driving?....Or did you find it somewhere else?
I need to stay away from the egg nog as well!
quote]
WHAT? Egg-nog is the true swimmer's holiday beverage of choice. Great for that pre-workout snack...and for a more nautical theme.. add some Captain Morgan... or if you can find it...Lamb's Navy Rum...:groovy:
Wow! I feel like such a whiner now. I swim INDOORS and it is cold for me the first 800-100 yds of practice! :notworthy:
Well, cold is relative to the climate in which you live. Cold around here has been in the 40's and 50's when the sun goes down...in the 30's in the pre-sunrise hours but nobody is swimming here then. To me, it's tough to get into the pool when it's 48 degrees and I'm shivering. Having said that, I never make a scene about it. I just walk straight from the locker room or the bleachers and jump right in. During the summer I will hang on the gutter for a moment and adjust my goggles, check out the scenery, etc.. but now that it's cold I don't even push off the wall. I jump in, surface, and start stroking away trying to build some heat from within!
