Hi. :help:
Was just wondering how you handle practicing by yourself. My team only practices two times a week and that is obviously not enough time in the water to improve. At practice, we do anywhere between 3,200 and 3,800... and I usually do the same when I swim by myself (right now I'm getting in two solo practices, but I'd like to do more). Usually the USS team or High School is practicing at the same time and that sorta helps get me moving. But how do you guys motivate yourself to keep going - because weekly I am starting to ask myself - "why am I doing this"... when I'm trudging along solo. I do compete and love it... but I just get down and in the gutters once in a while. I usually get my workouts from the "workout forum" here on the site... but do you have any thoughts on how to get more motivated? I hope I don't sound desperate, but just need some feedback from those who are going thru the same thing.
Morgan,the relationship with the coach may be broken beyond repair,but if it's not I have an idea that may help. Offer to design the workouts for the sprint lane(I suspect you could get a lot of help from us in this.)If you need to be diplomatic you could say your were doing research on what the top sprinters were doing(something else we could help you with)and wanted to try some new things. You could offer to run the workouts by him before hand. If he is at all open minded it would be worth a try.
Now, I understand why you chose your profession! Great advice, if it works. Give it a shot Morgan -- maybe you already have?
I am generally very resourceful and determined, so I tried to do exactly what Allen suggested (probably not so diplomatically), and my coach blew me off. I tried to do what M2tall2 suggested as well, but it's difficult to turn junk yardage into quality stuff when your coach refuses to modify the workout. My coach refused to let me train with the men's team either, another possible option for you, which had a better, more experienced coach. I didn't take retirement lightly. I held many college records and liked my teammates, but it was a bad training environment for me. Although it was probably unconnected as I had always done a lot of yardage in my youth (while training in the stroker lane), I still link the bad training with my shoulder injury in my mind, perhaps unfairly -- all that yucky distance free. :( Probably why I won't touch the stuff now. It was very hard for awhile to retire, but, looking back, I still feel like I had a good swimming career and would be happy if my kid could replicate the joy and comraderie I felt throughout it. I hope to have a good late bloomin' masters career too, assuming the past shoulder trauma and dessication doesn't hold me down too much. ;) :) :lolup:
M2tall2 is right as well. Seeking outside advice and carefully weighing your options is smart. And it sounds like you're doing that. So, when you decide, it will be a well-informed decision.
Kristina:
I'm sorry about your AG problem. I had two of the best AG coaches a kid could hope for and I was very grateful for them, despite all the mega-yardage that was in vogue then. (And I was never injured as a kid.) At least you were only out 12 years, not 24 like me. Aside from the fast track, I took up LSD running like FlyQueen. LOL.
Morgan,the relationship with the coach may be broken beyond repair,but if it's not I have an idea that may help. Offer to design the workouts for the sprint lane(I suspect you could get a lot of help from us in this.)If you need to be diplomatic you could say your were doing research on what the top sprinters were doing(something else we could help you with)and wanted to try some new things. You could offer to run the workouts by him before hand. If he is at all open minded it would be worth a try.
Now, I understand why you chose your profession! Great advice, if it works. Give it a shot Morgan -- maybe you already have?
I am generally very resourceful and determined, so I tried to do exactly what Allen suggested (probably not so diplomatically), and my coach blew me off. I tried to do what M2tall2 suggested as well, but it's difficult to turn junk yardage into quality stuff when your coach refuses to modify the workout. My coach refused to let me train with the men's team either, another possible option for you, which had a better, more experienced coach. I didn't take retirement lightly. I held many college records and liked my teammates, but it was a bad training environment for me. Although it was probably unconnected as I had always done a lot of yardage in my youth (while training in the stroker lane), I still link the bad training with my shoulder injury in my mind, perhaps unfairly -- all that yucky distance free. :( Probably why I won't touch the stuff now. It was very hard for awhile to retire, but, looking back, I still feel like I had a good swimming career and would be happy if my kid could replicate the joy and comraderie I felt throughout it. I hope to have a good late bloomin' masters career too, assuming the past shoulder trauma and dessication doesn't hold me down too much. ;) :) :lolup:
M2tall2 is right as well. Seeking outside advice and carefully weighing your options is smart. And it sounds like you're doing that. So, when you decide, it will be a well-informed decision.
Kristina:
I'm sorry about your AG problem. I had two of the best AG coaches a kid could hope for and I was very grateful for them, despite all the mega-yardage that was in vogue then. (And I was never injured as a kid.) At least you were only out 12 years, not 24 like me. Aside from the fast track, I took up LSD running like FlyQueen. LOL.
