Active Community: Message List - Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

guest — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 20:32:31 GMT

Mix it up, keep it up, I get bored, too. This week I am so bored with the pull workout for my arms. My instructor says mix it up by breathing ever 5th instead of 3rd, or alternate up one way down the other. Or, slow up and fast back. I do 400 free, 400 pull, 400 kick, 450 mix up breast, butterfly, backstroke, free. I am just learning butterfly and breast. I like alternating to keep the boredom from setting in. I get through my set when others are there, but not always possible. Why not sit in the masters class?

Don't give up. I also agree that 3 times a week would be good with alternating days walking.

Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

guest — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:37:48 GMT

I would definitely suggest mixing up your workout. If I do the same thing too often I get very bored and I struggle to finish. Not every day has to be the same distance or same work. Do some speed drills to challenge yourself but to also see if you can beat your own time. If there are other swimmers, race them (they don't have to know). If they are much faster, see if you can get 25 yards in for their 50 etc. You can mix up sequence of the sets you already do while keeping essentially the same workout. I'm not sure what your end goal is here (simply fitness, a swim event, a triathlon?) but you have to have variety in order to keep interest and to keep progressing. Your body gets bored with the same workout too, not just your mind.

Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

guest — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:53:43 GMT

4-6 days a week is a lot. Maybe 3-4 days with something else on the others? Walking, weights, etc. Otherwise, yeah, mix it up. Doing different stuff helps.

Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

guest — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:49:57 GMT

It happens to me ALL the time, and I've been a Masters swimmer since 1988! How I slept the night before, what workout I did the day before and generally how I'm feeling mentally about work or family stuff in the morning all color my swims. Sometimes it just plain sucks getting in the pool at 6am but usually it doesn't take more than a few sets for me to snap out of it if I'm having a bad morning in the pool. I do know that I ALWAYS feel better AFTER the workout, even if it was the best workout. I LIVE for the endorphins...any way I can get them!

It may be the workout that's bumming you out on those days, so if going long is not doing it for you, change it up witha set of 20 x 25's or 10 x 50's drill-swim so at least you feel like you're being productive. Believe me, doing sprint sets in the pool did make my mile swim time faster by at least 2 minutes!

Re: Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

guest — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:55:23 GMT

I've had some similar challenges and bought a waterproofed ipod shuffle. I have found it to be a good way to fight the boredom, the source of my MOJO issues, and the right music helps me keep the tempo up.

Fighting Bad MoJo in The Pool

guest — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 12:48:30 GMT

I'm an overweight 52 year old man who has made a somewhat miraculous return to swimming. I've been swimming 4 to 6 times a week for about 12 weeks now. My workouts began with 9 x 50's the first week and have progressed to about 1800 yards in about 50 minutes (typically 2x450's, 200 kick with fins, 5x100's free, pull or paddles, and 4x 50's). I had a swim buddy but he finally decided that he just hated getting in the pool so he quit on me. So I found a small group of Masters swimmers at my club who swim early morning at 5:15 AM and I joined them this week because I find it very difficult to stay motivated swimming solo.

When I showed up this morning no one was there, so I jumped in and started swimming. I had ZERO MOJO, didn't want to be there, the voice in my head was screaming quit, quit already. I felt tired and lazy and barely managed to finish a sloppy 1500 yards. I've felt this way in the pool before and I think it's how my buddy felt and why he quit. Does anyone have suggestions as to how to fight this feeling some days and how to stay motivated and determined everyday you go to swim? I mean it's 5:00 AM and you're already there, why not just bust it out and finish your workout. Thanks for listening to my personal appeal for help.