Those who practice solo...

There are currently no Masters teams in my city (I am currently one of 3 USMS swimmers at the pool, the other 2 being tri swimmers) so I swim alone all the time. If I want to make any progress I have to concentrate on short high intensity sets and I have to go in with the objective of feeling some pain before I leave. Without specific goals it is far too easy to swim easy 100's for 45 minutes to an hour and then go home.

I swim a lot of solo workouts in the Community Center pool. I've been at it the better part of three years. I actually invested in a small poolside pace clock once I started being regular about practice, and when I'm struggling to keep at it, I bring a pre-written workout in a page protector and lay it deckside in front of the clock. I go about 2800 to 3500 in an hour about three to four times a week, and get up to 4500 to 5000 when I have more time. Off days I try to do treadmill, core, and weights. I've been surprised at the number of folks that sometimes swim with me (although no-one has ever hung around more than a few times). The guards have been pretty good about it. Several of the regular "bobbers" often stop to talk before and after my sets. One thing that surprises me is how many little kids stop to ask questions (including how old I am).

Originally posted by Leonard Jansen ....Of course, no matter how you slice it there will always be days when you want to, as a friend of mine used to say, "Take two weeks off and then quit." This is funny. It reminds me of what a running partner of mine used to say at the beginning of a long run. "Let's start easy and then taper." Originally Posted by blainesapprentice ...doesnt hurt when theres a cute guy lifeguarding that I want to impress either...that does tons to help keep the speed and HR up; We get a new crop of lifeguards each spring and it's fun to listen to them talk about the "old guy who is so fast". They must not know that one can hear everything they say from the dressing room. I've been working out alone for 7 years now and it's very hard to stay focused and motivated all the time. I write my workouts in advance, using those posted on this site and elsewhere. I also notice that sometimes I'm not swimming as hard as I think I am. It really helps to occassionally swim with someone and if a good, fast swimmer shows up at my pool, I'll ask them if they want to swim with me or I'll change my workout to swim a set with them. Last night I did a set of 50's with another swimmer and chasing him made my times 2-3 sec faster than if I had been doing it alone. And it seemed easier.

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. Write it out before you go. Get a waterproof stop watch so you can keep a better handle on the time at your fingertips. Brag about your workout to others...that way you'll be accountable to people who will make un of easy work outs. I swim alone all the time at present.

Sarah - I am pretty much in the same boat - 2 or 3 times a week (~4000 yards) with others and then on my own the rest of the time. In the last two years I did up to 55,000 yards/week in preparation for MIMs, so I had lots of time by myself. What really helped/helps me is to have a very targeted and specific goal (e.g. MIMS) and then to periodize my training towards that goal. By periodizing, each workout was part of a larger goal and had a specific purpose within that goal. This meant that even things that might be considered by most to be "junk yardage" actually had a purpose such as recovery and/or technique refinement and was planned for within a training cycle. Of course, no matter how you slice it there will always be days when you want to, as a friend of mine used to say, "Take two weeks off and then quit." So, pick a goal and then carefully work backwards to now, defining what you need to do in small steps to reach that goal. In the middle of those long, lonely workouts you at least will have a sense of purpose to keep you going. -LBJ

This is actually a kinda funny thread...for me at least, because I have typically over the years swam 6 days a week with a team...and over those years I have lost a lot of mojo and motivation, because a lot of time team practices are repetitive, long, yarbage-garbage yardage, and not stroke/event specific. My first USS team, and my college team are perfect examples. So I have found that when the season ends, or when I have the time and write my own workouts and head to the pool to swim solo I am much more motivated..because I am doing workouts that I have written, that I want to do, and that I feel are helping me to reach my goals. Maybe if you were to pick a goal your most focused on and then cut and paste from various workouts on here or make you own, you would be more motivated? I figure you can't slack off at a practice you wrote! haha ...doesnt hurt when theres a cute guy lifeguarding that I want to impress either...that does tons to help keep the speed and HR up;-p

Thanks for the comments, guys! From what you have mentioned, I probably just have to push myself to do my best and just get thru it. I do pre-write my practices, never doing the same stuff - I get them off of this site... which is a HUGE help. I find myself not being very creative. I periodically give myself goals... like doing my 100's on a faster interval, things like that. Fortress, I have been contemplating getting a monofin... it's funny that you mentioned that. It would be another way to make things interesting. I work for a swim shop, so maybe I should go and buy more "goodies" to keep me moving! Ha ha!

Of course, no matter how you slice it there will always be days when you want to, as a friend of mine used to say, "Take two weeks off and then quit." That's hilarious! Thanks for the good laugh!

...doesnt hurt when theres a cute guy lifeguarding that I want to impress either...that does tons to help keep the speed and HR up;-p That reminds me of the good ol' days. However now I'm married!

Sarah, I always train alone, going 4000-5000 yards per day 4 times a week in the down season and more when important meets loom. I love training alone because it gives me a chance to work on technical issues (which I do about 3/4 of the time) without the distraction of lane mates who want to push each other and train with the clock. I do use the clock but I adjust it each practice for how well I'm feeling and whether or not I am doing stroke or free work. Try to detach yourself from the need for the social contact and remember that, if you are really serious about improvement, training is really a lonely matter. Revel in it. Enjoy it. Get to the pool early and stay late! Also remember that if you are a technical stroke geek, doing the technical work gives you just as much fitness as hammering each day (with the exception of the specific high intensity work needed for meets) and you will become more efficient. -- mel