Hi everyone, any advice is appreciated... I'm signed up for a few open water swims this summer, but I haven't been able to get my motivation up to swim lately. It's been months, really...and I LOVE open water. I want to do well! What's wrong with me? How do I bust out of this swimming funk?? :badday:
I think we all go get into a funk now and then. What really helps me is to swim with other people. If you're not part of a Masters group, find one near you and join them. Working out with other like-minded folks who love swimming is highly motivating and fun.
I also swim open water and have a buddy who goes with me to swim on a regular basis. If he isn't available, my oldest daughter comes along and follows me in a kayak. Just having company can make such a huge difference.
Hi everyone, any advice is appreciated... I'm signed up for a few open water swims this summer, but I haven't been able to get my motivation up to swim lately. It's been months, really...and I LOVE open water. I want to do well! What's wrong with me? How do I bust out of this swimming funk?? :badday:
I hear you, I haven't been to the pool in over a month. My boyfriend asked me recently why I don't like swimming anymore. I love swimming! I had a lot going on and needed a break from pretty much everything and I needed to let myself be ok with it. Now that I am rested and ready to get back into it, motivation is lacking. As much as I am excited to be getting back to the pool, I'm not feeling it like I want to. I think it is just having fallen out of the habit of it and getting the inertia started. The first couple workouts I may have to "force" myself to go but I am sure once I am there I will be happy I went and before I know it my motivation will be back.
Not sure if this'll help, but try making yourself go. Don't have any goals in mind other than just getting there and getting in the water. Once you are there just enjoy being in the water. I think you'll find that you'll start to look forward to going more and want to do more while you are there.
Good luck!
It's getting there that's tough. Tell yourself you will only do drills, stroke work, IM 25s, ect. Don't psyche yourself out with longer cardio sets with little rest. You are better off doing the former than nothing at all. Once you are there, you might feel like doing the conditioning sets.
I agree. This is a trick I do sometimes. Tell yourself "OK, if I'm not feeling it I'll get out early." 90% of the time when I do this I end up finishing the workout. I get to the point where I figure if I've gone this far, I might as well keep going! The hardest thing is definitely getting there.
It's getting there that's tough. Tell yourself you will only do drills, stroke work, IM 25s, ect. Don't psyche yourself out with longer cardio sets with little rest. You are better off doing the former than nothing at all. Once you are there, you might feel like doing the conditioning sets.
Once you hit the open water, you'll wish you had conditioned more, regardless of whether you need it or not.
Thanks for the input everyone...I think it might partly be inertia and partly residual swimming burn out from college. College was a long while ago, but it seems to have stuck with me. I get that same feeling of dread about having to attend the morning workouts as I did in college, then I remember that I don't have to go to the pool if I don't want to. So I don't. This is despite the fact that I've never been unhappy about having gone to a masters workout.
I'm going to try breaking the inertia tomorrow morning by using the "swim until I want to get out" technique...wish me luck!
change your attitude
act like preparing for those events matter
Act as if you are excited about it
follow through on your goal after then enthusiasm has faded
keep taking action
make a plan & do it
hold yourself accountable
what are your goals?
what are your plans?
make a public declaration
right here
right now
then start a blog & report your training
we'll hold your feet to the fire
Ande
Hi everyone, any advice is appreciated... I'm signed up for a few open water swims this summer, but I haven't been able to get my motivation up to swim lately. It's been months, really...and I LOVE open water. I want to do well! What's wrong with me? How do I bust out of this swimming funk?? :badday:
Listen to Ande... Just get out and DO IT. The swimming bug will bite- hard. :D It had been 31 years since I competed high school swimming, then I checked out the USMS website. I had been swimming since last June just for fitness, but decided to join Masters on a whim. I thought I would read Swimmer Magazine, check out the forums, and see how I felt about competing again. Then, I got hooked... :bliss:
Read Ande's Tips, stay tuned into the forums; engage. You will get hooked and you won't look back. The "forumites" are a great motivator and support system; especially if you don't have access to a team. I work out on my own, but I consider these guys and gals MY team! :D
Good luck!!! :cheerleader:
Just make yourself go "do it!"
I remind myself how great swimming is for my health and how energized I feel when I'm done. I promise myself permission to "take it easy" if I need to.
Good Luck with this situation. Try not to think about it much and just let your physical side take over. :bouncing:
Just some additional reinforcement for the "I'll just do a few laps" argument. It always works for me. And, as with others, invariably when I get to the number of laps I'd set as a minimum, I keep going.
But, you need to be OK with only doing those laps, too, on the theory that something (some laps) is far better than nothing, i.e. not getting in the pool at all. At least once (some of us tell ourselves this sort of thing frequently), you need to stop at that predetermined point, otherwise this ruse won't work for long.
Set some goals! Plus I always find that if I have people that expect me to be there, I will show so let a team mate know that you are going and I bet you won't miss the next practice.
