Winter Motivation

RE: Winter Motivation

Former Member — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:59:04 GMT

Do you guys go swimming when it's time but you are very sleepy (not necessarily in the morning)? I didn't have enough sleep last night and nearly fell in asleep in the afternoon, hesitated whether to go swimming (it's also raining hard), then off I went, 'cause I knew I wouldn't be sleepy in the pool.

RE: Winter Motivation

Former Member — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:12:06 GMT

Exactly how cold is the air temperature inside that indoor pool in Calgary? I'm in Calgary/Alberta once or twice a year as my wife's family all lives there. I'll be there in December and trust me, it'll be easier to get my butt out of bed to head over to a brightly lit indoor pool than it would be to schlep over in low-to-mid 30 degree weather to swim outdoors at 5:30am in Arizona. Like hoffam, we do have days when the blocks/deck freeze over. True. Once you actually get there, it's probably a lot easier than swimming outdoors with the air temps at freezing point. The hardest parts are putting on all those clothes for -25º C, chiselling the frost off the car windows (or trudging down the hill to the train station), stuffing all those clothes into the usually undersized lockers, and fingertip cracks. Have to slather on the hand lotion as soon as possible afterwards or go through the rest of the week with painful cracks and splits in the fingertips. Apparently the air here is dryer than the Sahara on the coldest winter days.

RE: Winter Motivation

Former Member — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:51:03 GMT

I like to start January in a bright swimsuit in hot tropical colors. No black or navy, there's enough of that outside. (Besides, dark somber colors make pasty white winter skin look even more anemic.) :laugh2:

RE: Winter Motivation

knelson — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:25:15 GMT

We've got people from Texas and Arizona chiming in. I think we should listen to the Calgarian! :canada: Most of the rest of you don't know what cold really is!

RE: Winter Motivation

Patrick W. Brundage — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:01:34 GMT

I wonder if anyone else has trouble getting up ... to make practice? Any good ways to trick yourself out of bed? It's a year round challenge for me. Here's my recipe for success: Get two dogs, preferably one quite young with loads of energy Give them their walk in the morning ... 4:30ish am seems to work for me so I can give them a decent walk and still make the 5:30am workout Feed them after their walk It'll take about ... oh ... two, maybe three days before your dogs are licking your face at PRECISELY 4:30 eager for their walk and meal. Two other tricks to make it tolerable: Make your double espresso the night before and sit it on your nightstand Don't even think of letting your feet touch the floor before you've downed it Sweet dreams.

RE: Winter Motivation

knelson — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:41:29 GMT

trust me, it'll be easier to get my butt out of bed to head over to a brightly lit indoor pool than it would be to schlep over in low-to-mid 30 degree weather to swim outdoors at 5:30am in Arizona. I've done my share of swimming in an outdoor pool in freezing weather. Once you get in it's fine. I guess you could say the same thing about an inside pool--once you get inside the building it's fine. However, if you've got to walk to the pool in sometimes sub-zero (Fahrenheit) weather I think that's worse than walking across a cold pool deck.

RE: Winter Motivation

Patrick W. Brundage — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 08:28:38 GMT

We've got people from Texas and Arizona chiming in. I think we should listen to the Calgarian! :canada: Most of the rest of you don't know what cold really is! Exactly how cold is the air temperature inside that indoor pool in Calgary? I'm in Calgary/Alberta once or twice a year as my wife's family all lives there. I'll be there in December and trust me, it'll be easier to get my butt out of bed to head over to a brightly lit indoor pool than it would be to schlep over in low-to-mid 30 degree weather to swim outdoors at 5:30am in Arizona. Like hoffam, we do have days when the blocks/deck freeze over.

RE: Winter Motivation

RachaelM — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 05:23:15 GMT

If you swim for TXLA - at least you are swimming indoors. I swim in Austin outdoors and the forecast is sub-30 tomorrow morning. I plan to swim tomorrow morning. I admit it isn't something I look forward to though. I use my parka on those days. Put my goggles on, then quickly shed my parka and shoes before I jump in the pool. There have been days before when the water on the deck ices up. I suppose one good thing is that I get a perverse satisfaction of saying Yes when people ask me if I swam on a particularly cold morning. Yes, I am a real wimp. I do swim for TXLA. Perhaps the best movitation yet came yesterday when a team mate called me at work (I didn't know she had my work number) and chastized me for missing. I promised I would be there Monday morning. Actually she wanted me to go Saturday at *** Nichols, but as Friday is my birthday and I'm going out, its highly unlikely that I'll be up early enough. :chug:

RE: Winter Motivation

Midas — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 01:30:48 GMT

I've done my share of swimming in an outdoor pool in freezing weather. Once you get in it's fine. I guess you could say the same thing about an inside pool--once you get inside the building it's fine. However, if you've got to walk to the pool in sometimes sub-zero (Fahrenheit) weather I think that's worse than walking across a cold pool deck. But it gets you into the pool quickly! Last year was my first year in a year-round outdoor pool and I really liked it. Yeah, you have to sprint from the lockers into the pool, but the pool is 78-80 degrees so it feels great. Getting out isn't a problem because you're running warm after your workout. I love the days where everybody is barely poking their heads above the water between sets. Keeps the blood flowing. Plus, the fresh crisp air beats the heck out of the warm, stagnant, chlorinated air of many indoor pools.

RE: Winter Motivation

Former Member — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:19:17 GMT

Tis the season to treat yourself... buy a new cap, goggles, new suit - or in your case, maybe spring for a parka... keeps you warm and snuggly before you jump in. Periodically, I buy a new cap or whatever just to psych myself up... I like to start January in a bright swimsuit in hot tropical colors. No black or navy, there's enough of that outside. (Besides, dark somber colors make pasty white winter skin look even more anemic.)

RE: Winter Motivation

That Guy — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:23:19 GMT

Swim weird events! In November I swam PB's in the distance backstroke events. (This is just me swimming alone in practice, not in competition. And to be clear, these were all done on different days.) 500 SCY Backstroke 6:15 1000 SCY Backstroke 12:52 1650 SCY Backstroke 21:24 On the 1000 and the 1650, I did at least 7 SDK off every wall and never exceeded 11 strokes per length. I still have lots of room for improvement but those times are a big drop from April, the last time I attempted these odd events. This month I might go for the 500 fly... I haven't done it since my Butternut induction swim last December... What odd events do you swim? Post your weird results here!

RE: Winter Motivation

Former Member — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:08:24 GMT

Now that we've had our first cold snap here in Austin, I wonder if anyone else has trouble getting up in the cold wee hours to make practice? Any good ways to trick yourself out of bed? I keep an alarm clock in another room and often think of the answer I'd have to give when coach inevitably says, "So I didn't see you yesterday..." But sometimes, those things just aren't enough. I post this knowing we really don't have much to complain about in the way of cold weather, but I'm a native Texan and just have never liked being cold at all (cold being 55 degrees or so). Rachael If you swim for TXLA - at least you are swimming indoors. I swim in Austin outdoors and the forecast is sub-30 tomorrow morning. I plan to swim tomorrow morning. I admit it isn't something I look forward to though. I use my parka on those days. Put my goggles on, then quickly shed my parka and shoes before I jump in the pool. There have been days before when the water on the deck ices up. I suppose one good thing is that I get a perverse satisfaction of saying Yes when people ask me if I swam on a particularly cold morning.

RE: Winter Motivation

Former Member — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:15:27 GMT

Sorry you have a problem getting up when the weather turns cold. First thing in the morning, I am just too dumb to think of something smart, like crawling back in a nice warm bed. Habit gets me to practice year round. But evening intelligence leaves nice warm clothes within arm reach of the bed, so I don't have to experience the cold cruel world without protection.

RE: Winter Motivation

Former Member — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:08:09 GMT

I have the hardest time waking up and being creative for my practices during the winter time! It's cold up here in Connecticut (though much warmer than Upstate NY...where I grew up), and that makes it so much harder to pull off the blankets in the morning and roll out of bed!

RE: Winter Motivation

Former Member — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:37:21 GMT

Tis the season to treat yourself... buy a new cap, goggles, new suit - or in your case, maybe spring for a parka... keeps you warm and snuggly before you jump in. Periodically, I buy a new cap or whatever just to psych myself up. Or, you could treat yourself to a cup of coffee or hot cocoa after practice. :coffee: As mentioned above, I also try to remember how I feel after a workout and look forward to that.

RE: Winter Motivation

Former Member — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:37:06 GMT

The two things that work for me in winter (which also means its darker longer) are to get to bed earlier with a nice book and using a little sense memory when the alarm goes off. I picture and feel how it is when I complete the work out. That feeling of accomplishment is usually enough to get me going. Yes this is good ... I think I'll try this myself.

RE: Winter Motivation

Former Member — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:26:39 GMT

Try not to look at the cold as a negative, try to make it positive ... maybe use it as an excuse to swim faster to keep warm, less breaks between sets, whatever ... try to use it as motivation rather than a deterrant. Like swim25 said: "I look at swimming in the cold as a sign of strength, those who can't do it I view as weak and it makes me feel good." He's making it a positive reinforcement. As for getting out of bed, Coffee works best for me, getting everything ready the night before, and getting restful sleep ... setting the alarm in the other room would just frustrates me but, if it works for you then cool. Also it helps to carpool if you can ... it's hard to call someone up in the morning and cancel on their ride. and...warm clothes...

RE: Winter Motivation

Former Member — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:07:11 GMT

I just pretend its like any other day. I throw my parka on have a cup of espresso and I'm ready to go. This morning it was 36 degrees and we swim outside. The best part was the pool was 76 degrees. That was not fun to jump into. After about 20 100s I started to warm, then coach talked to us for awhile about technique and it got cold again. I look at swimming in the cold as a sign of strength, those who can't do it I view as weak and it makes me feel good :). (It's the competitiveness in me)

RE: Winter Motivation

norascats — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:59:47 GMT

The short days affect me more than the cold does. I swam in High school, and we had to go out ing the dark to wait for the bus after swimming. Boy was that cold, especially with long wet hair. I have trouble getting going in the mornings. This will ease up in Feb when the days get noticably longer.

RE: Winter Motivation

srcoyote — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 01:30:50 GMT

I train alone which may even be better for me. A coach saying something to me would have little effect and even that would be more disincentive than incentive. The two things that work for me in winter (which also means its darker longer) are to get to bed earlier with a nice book and using a little sense memory when the alarm goes off. I picture and feel how it is when I complete the work out. That feeling of accomplishment is usually enough to get me going.