Ande has done a great job of having all the various physical aspects of swimming covered but I need help with the mental aspects.
I'm really struggling with negative self-talk while I'm swimming. It feels like there's a huge jumbo-tron in my brain and messages are just running accross it non-stop while I'm swimming:
'Give up'
'ease up'
'quit'
'breaststroke's coming up, why not stop?'
'you suck'
I'm having trouble getting this stream of consciousness to stop. Not only that but I feel like such a fraud with my kids when I'm coaching. I stand there and tell them to get tough mentally but I seem to have the mental fortitude of a Krispy Kreme.
Not being able to 'get out of my head' seems to only happen when I swim.
Help?
Parents
Former Member
I struggle with this too. Motivation is going to depend on what your goals are, and what there is about swimming that brings you the most satisfaction.
I get that late afternoon slump a lot but unless I'm actually sick, I almost always perk up during the workout. I think it's from having a desk job where I sit around all day and go into hibernation. I try to get a light 4PM snack too.
I haven't been swimming so much, have been bicycling more. I'll convince myself that all I need to do is just get on the bike and do a "recovery" workout and quit when I want; usually I'll end up going as long and as hard as a regular workout.
Make some "process" goals and focus on them rather than "performance" goals.
Make sure you do some "fun" stuff in your workouts. Easier if you work out on your own but you may be able to incorporate it into a group workout. Get some new toys. Strap on a heart rate monitor and look at pulse not your times. Talk with your coach.
My team has a Saturday post-workout breakfast. Sometimes that's enough to look forward to that I'll drag out of bed to swim just so I can socialize afterwards.
For morning pre-work workouts, my usual con job is to promise that I can go back home and snooze as long as I finish my workout. (I only ditched work once.)
I struggle with this too. Motivation is going to depend on what your goals are, and what there is about swimming that brings you the most satisfaction.
I get that late afternoon slump a lot but unless I'm actually sick, I almost always perk up during the workout. I think it's from having a desk job where I sit around all day and go into hibernation. I try to get a light 4PM snack too.
I haven't been swimming so much, have been bicycling more. I'll convince myself that all I need to do is just get on the bike and do a "recovery" workout and quit when I want; usually I'll end up going as long and as hard as a regular workout.
Make some "process" goals and focus on them rather than "performance" goals.
Make sure you do some "fun" stuff in your workouts. Easier if you work out on your own but you may be able to incorporate it into a group workout. Get some new toys. Strap on a heart rate monitor and look at pulse not your times. Talk with your coach.
My team has a Saturday post-workout breakfast. Sometimes that's enough to look forward to that I'll drag out of bed to swim just so I can socialize afterwards.
For morning pre-work workouts, my usual con job is to promise that I can go back home and snooze as long as I finish my workout. (I only ditched work once.)
