The Mental Training Lane

The strange thing is I'm always glad I swam after the workout is done, but after work I usually feel like I just want to take a nap rather than swimming. Any suggestions? Swimming before work is problematic because I like to be at the office (~30 minute drive) before 7:00 a.m. and I really don't want to get up any earlier than I already am. Have you tried eating a light snack an hour or so before the end of your work day? That works well for me. I also do some jumping jacks and ballistic stretching before my drive. YMMV.

Have you tried eating a light snack an hour or so before the end of your work day? Sometimes, but usually I don't eat anything in the afternoon. This is probably worth a shot. Having a little kick start at the end of the day could help, but I don't think this is all about being tired.

In the over all run - I am in the pool because I really like it !! On days that the outside world dumps on me or family, the pool brings me to a calming place.:cool:

The voices get pretty loud sometimes. On our team we like to talk about befriending Mr. Pain. Get to know him during practice so that he is not a stranger during a race. Then, invite him in like an old friend. Make him feel welcome. But whatever you do, don't piss him off.

Paul - some ideas: 1. Try running. Or some other non-swim endurance activity. Cycling, elliptical, stairmaster, whatever. Work hard, do intervals, ladders, etc. Alternate with swimming. You'll need mental toughness to push hard at an unfamiliar activity. Getting back in the pool will feel like coming home. 2. Get a SwiMP3 or something similar. Music may give you some added motivation and distraction from random thoughts. 3. Mix it up. Pick some new stroke or distance that you've never done and work on that. It's likely you'll show steady improvement, and the motivation may spill over to your other training. Kirk - whenever I am forced to work out after work due to schedule or just plain laziness in the morning, I find that a snack and some caffeine about an hour before the workout helps to keep my energy up. Like you said, I always feel better after a workout even if I didn't want to do it beforehand. I try to remember that and use it to convince myself that it's worth doing.

:applaud: Exactly!!! QUOTE=thewookiee;230986]Wolf, To a point, I can relate. I love to swim. I love to go to practice with my teammates or swim on my own. Since beginning of Sept., I have had zero desire to go to meets. I use to hate it when I would miss a chance to swim during the week. Since sept., if I missed a swim, it didn't bother me one bit. I have made goals for my favorite events and goals for events that I don't normally swim as away of getting more motivated. Yet, they don't seem to be working as well. I don't know if it is the nagging issue with my left arm/upper back or if I am just don't care right now. I think a large part is the issue with my left arm/back(wondering if I have pinched a nerve) The best I can offer you is exactly what I do. Each day that you want to swim, go swim. Swim has hard or as easy as you want too. Just enjoy the time in the water. Be 30 minutes or 90 minutes. This is what I do. I try to swim 5-6 times/week because I love swimming and being in the pool. Somedays I push myself. Somedays I just float my way through practices. Don't get too worked-up either way about your preformances and just enjoy being in the pool.

Like anything, the mental aspect of swimming has its ups and downs. Don't beat yourself up over some negative thoughts, just don't let them get out of control. There's nothing wrong with saying I don't have it today so I'm cutting my workout short. The next day you just tell yourself you got the much needed break and now you're ready to hit it hard. Set smaller goals or goals within your goals. Picture other swimmers you know going stroke for stroke next to you and use that as motivation to get you through. Nothing major here but Good Luck.

Jeff, I wish it was just an occasional thing but it's every time I hit the water. One thing I've noticed is that when I do a solo workout (doesn't happen very often), I can push myself but when I'm with my Masters team, I just want to fold like a house of cards.

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 think this is an excellent idea for a thread. There are more "emotional" aspects (such as waxing and waning of desire) and more technical aspects (such as do you actually think your way through your swim techniques during practice or in a swim meet). So, desire aside for a moment, does anyone use technique thinking during a race, or must one get to a point where the race-day must be an autopilot? Is it different for sprints vs. distance?