How not to be obsessed with swimming

Apologies up front for my heresy, but swimming isn't important. Keep it all in perspective, and focus on what makes you happy. I swim because it keeps me healthy and I like my team mates and that makes me happy, but other than that, it's meaningless in the big sceme of things.

I like this concept of mastery. The fine line: when it becomes selfish or self-absorbed or overtakes other important aspects of life experience. Olympic swimmers inspire us because? Are their achievements meaningless? I'm thinking not. There are values underlying the amazing swims of both elite masters swimmers and Olympic swimmers that push me toward my own level of mastery, inspire me to work hard and give my all to achieve my swimming goals. But, as many posters have said, balance is key.

I find it hard not to be obsessed with swimming myself--swimming is never far from my thoughts, even though I have plenty of other interests, and also a family which I am obligated to give my best to: heart, mind, and soul. When I'm at the pool, I really love to work hard, and I know what you mean about feeling like a noodle all day. That makes it hard to give my best efforts to the other parts of my life. I have a few strategies that help me. Music is such a great motivator; there's a thread about great swimming motivator songs right now! Well, sure I play some "pick-me-up" music on the way to the pool to get cranked up for my workout, but I save the heavy duty stuff for the ride back! And any time I need a little more energy and enthusiasm, I turn on some music--even just for a few minutes. It can really help me shift gears and focus better. (Obviously, you probably can't listen to music while you are writing!). Also, I try to ride that post-workout endorphin wave as long as I can and use it to get whatever tasks I've got ahead all done. It helps sometimes to pace myself, to take each day's work like a long race. I have learned when to slow down or speed up a little so as to get my best overall performance in. Also, I NEVER just kick back and rest immediately after a hard workout. That seems to be a recipe for sluggishness all day.

The 5 Keys to Mastery according to George Leonard: 1. Instruction (from a masterly instructor) 2. Practice. "Deliberate practice that focuses on tasks beyond your current level of competence and comfort. When most people practice, they focus on the things they already know how to do. Deliberate practice is different. It entails considerable, specific, and sustained efforts to do something you can’t do well – or even at all. Research across domains shows that it is only by working at what you can’t do that you turn into the expert you want to become." --from the Harvard Business Review 3. Surrender (you can't learn if you already "know" everything) 4. Intentionality (use your mind to imagine what you want to do) 5. The Edge (take appropriate risks) www.scribd.com/.../-Ma...George-Leonard --mjm

Balance in all things, and decide what is important to you. Swimming has meaning to the extent you want or allow it to. It seemed Olympic swimming was more entertainment and spectacle to the general public with trash talk, 40 somethings, drug innuendo, suit controversy, French nudity, and the sad denouement of bong hits with a history of DUIs. I was inspired by the swims, but the incredible achievements of the swimmers were lost on the non swimmers I know.

Actually I think the Olympics inspired a lot of people to join masters swimming. Now as for the networks that went to commercial breaks during the distance freestyle events so that I couldn't see the whole race and watch what people were doing, that ticked me off, whereas most nonswimmers probably were not so interested in distance strategy. But the team I have coached, of all levels, was really excited when I proposed we swim all the Olympic events, in Olympic order, as our workout. And they did them all. So obsession version inspiration... I get very inspired by great swimming, then I get obsessed because I want to see how much I can improve. I think the earlier advice on this thread, to swim while you swim, then go on with the rest of your life, is key. There is plenty of wasted time in my life, that's for sure, that I could make better use of. Um, like I could be trying to sleep now, so I will do my laundry tomorrow. And other more important stuff too.

hi isobel, mission accomplished, that's what I was trying to do, but if you talk with masters swimmers, you'll probably talk about swimming & swimmers, thus furthering or deepening your obsession. Masters swimmers are some of my favorite people and best friends. isobel, now we know you: + speak spanish http://www.google.com/ig told me: ""a table" to reflect another curiosity that I love. There are many people in Boston who speaks Spanish, I speak with them when..." + like to sail, even though it took you 14 times to pass your helmsman test, + Love blizzards more than swimming & + have a trick where you fold a quarter in a dollar then toss it which by the way I need to see video of your dollar / quarter trick btw you inspired me to begin the Stupid human Trick Thread drop by and give us more details Do you (or anyone else) have any other Stupid Human Tricks you'd be willing to share with us, I know some folks here have skillz? Ande You make me laugh! Don't socialize with masters swimmers. ha ha ha ha. They are my favorite people, most of them. Boston is fine. Some other obsessive people are running 26.2 miles today (I think that's the conversion). You couldn't get me to run a block, or "uno cuadro," to reflect otra curiosidad que me gusta mucho. Hay mucha gente en Boston que habla espanol; hablo con ellos cuando they will let me. Not a good idea to talk about your "tricks" with Spanish-speaking strangers on the bus. (I have this great trick where I fold a quarter in a dollar bill and toss it over the tracks at Park Street T Station to the street musicians. One night I did it and suddenly all these tourists were handing me quarters and dollar bills to toss over over the tracks for them. Very difficult to describe in bad Spanish without giving wrong impression. "El truco" finally one guy said who had been pretending to look out the window but was actually listening.) I swam by myself yesterday and then went sailing. I need to learn my vectors. Kept going up and down the river not IN to the dock. The wind was blowing straight off the dock so the guy at the boathouse told me it would have been tough for anyone to get in. I managed to dock without crashing, an accomplishment. The teenagers at Community Boating love me; it took me 14 times to pass my helmsman test, kind of a record! And the windier it is, the more they encourage me to go out, then I think they time me and take bets as to when I will go over. Boston is chilly. I love Boston. I love how it looks. I love blizzards more than swimming. There: I love blizzards more than swimming! We haven't had a good blizzard in three winters. I may have to move to Calgary.

About a month ago I was at a new swimmers clinic and saw a coach who I see at most meets. She asked me how my week was and I replied "Pretty hard. I've gotten in over 20,000 yards already." She said "well, most people tell me about their family or work when I ask them how their week was!" So I think I may be obsessed. In my defense this was at a pool, so of course I was thinking about swimming :)

Kirk Yes you're definitely showing signs of S.O.D. Swimming Obsession Disorder Should it be SCOD swimming compulsive obsessive disorder? Wonder if there are any meds that will diminish it? Perhaps a Shock collar? About a month ago I was at a new swimmers clinic and saw a coach who I see at most meets. She asked me how my week was and I replied "Pretty hard. I've gotten in over 20,000 yards already." She said "well, most people tell me about their family or work when I ask them how their week was!" So I think I may be obsessed. In my defense this was at a pool, so of course I was thinking about swimming :)

Wonder if there are any meds that will diminish it? Perhaps a Shock collar? The drug companies could probably come up with something that would make you violently ill if you smelled chlorine. I think that would probably do the trick!