How not to get bored swimming lap after lap without stop?
Former Member
Some of you swim like 3km or 10km without stop. It's good feat, but even when I swim for 200m I get bored, so I wonder how come you don't get bored immersing yourself underwater doing the same basic thing repeatedly for an hour or more? If I walk long distance I can still have views to look, but swimming in a 25m pool??
Former Member
Some of you swim like 3km or 10km without stop. It's good feat, but even when I swim for 200m I get bored, so I wonder how come you don't get bored immersing yourself underwater doing the same basic thing repeatedly for an hour or more? If I walk long distance I can still have views to look, but swimming in a 25m pool??
What would possess you to "just swim laps"? Interval training will keep you engaged, challenge you, and likely get far more accomplished in a shorter time block as compared to metronomic, empty laps.
I watch the guys that do the mindless laps: they invariably do far less meters than I, swim far slower, and really appear to be miserable, bored and unchallenged.
If you want to train like this, would it not be more appropriate to take up treadmill running and develop a rich and fulfilling fantasy life? At least that way you have no chance of drowning.
What would possess you to "just swim laps"? Interval training will keep you engaged, challenge you, and likely get far more accomplished in a shorter time block as compared to metronomic, empty laps.
I watch the guys that do the mindless laps: they invariably do far less meters than I, swim far slower, and really appear to be miserable, bored and unchallenged.
I dunno. I routinely swim 5K at a time and don't consider the laps empty or mindless. I watched my 3K times in open water steadily drop as a result. In fact, it's a great mental challenge in my march for longer and longer distances. Being challenged and improving is not related to the distances swum.
Leaving aside different sets and drills, when I've swum long distance laps I've had two tracks. One track is trying to make each stroke and turn as technically good as possible, stroke after stroke, and counting the laps (which is also important of course if you are going to vary the pace at different points in the workout). The other track is just letting my mind go blank and notice what swims into view. This sometimes leads to useful insights about things unrelated to swimming.
My hardest swims are on days when I'm the only lap swimmer in the pool.
I do much better when there are other swimmers to talk to-though that can backfire when we end up standing at the wall for 15 minutes talking....never mind!:blush:
Thank you for the replies. Please note that the original question is about in the midst of continuous (nonstop) long-distance laps, so different sets and drills don't apply :cool:
I dunno. I routinely swim 5K at a time and don't consider the laps empty or mindless. I watched my 3K times in open water steadily drop as a result. In fact, it's a great mental challenge in my march for longer and longer distances. Being challenged and improving is not related to the distances swum.
OW swimming is so much better and can't be boring, with all the views, currents, and sea animals :D--but above all, a destination, which you don't have when swimming in a 25m pool ;)
If I'm just swimming laps solo without a plan I really like using a waterproof mp3 player. Instead of having just one song stuck in my head I get to cycle through a bunch of songs. Tonight I took my H2O Audio Interval (it's basically a waterproof case with headphones that you can keep an iPod shuffle in) and just zoned out and let the time zoom by while I swam.
