To swim, or not to swim?

[Machine Head]

For the past year or so, I have been swimming up and down the local pool without any reason. I've completely lost interest in all galas. I don't even care about club galas anymore, and didn't bother to enter the club champs this year. At the moment, I attend every training session, but I don't have a good enough reason to be there anymore. I want to keep fit, which I guess would be the best reason or excuse I can come up with, but no one seems to understand that, not even my coach. I'm quite happy to plod along up and down at normal pace, without the need for "hard" training, but no ones seems to understand that either. And the thing is that when I swim, I don't don't to do anything other than Frontcrawl. I have never been able to do Breastroke, although I can do the other strokes quite well. But I don't want to do anything other than Frontcrawl, which I know I can't do at a training session. If I gave up swimming, I would really miss the people there. I've had more than my faor share of "ups and downs" with most of them, but we always manage to forget about them by the next day, and get on well otherwise.

I don't want to give up swimming, but I don't want to swim how everyone wants me to swim. What should I do?

Thank You

[Conrad Cawley]

Sounds to me like you need to take a break. Over-training is normally associated with swimmers training too hard. In your case I think you may have been training too long. You say you want to keep fit..…fit for what? There are other ways of keeping fit. Swimming training keeps you fit for swimming (competition) which you say doesn't interest you.
Here's what you should do:
1) Take 2 days off (training) every week for the next 6-7 weeks.
2) Spend one day "keeping fit" for another sport. Spend the other day doing something you really like to do. Switch off from swimming, and if possible do not talk to anyone from your swim team.
3) Over Christmas and New Year take 2 weeks complete break from swimming.
4) Make a New Year resolution that you are going to improve your 50m, 100m and 200m Breaststroke times.
5) Get some "One to One" technique sessions with me cawley.fimm@virgin.net or another coach in your area.
6) Enter the 2001 County Championships and give yourself something to aim for. This will help motivate you while training.
7) Continue to miss 2 training sessions each week until the end of January 2001. After this time you have to make a choice whether to go back full time, miss one session or continue missing 2 sessions.
8) When you do go training make sure you give 100% effort or stay at home.
9) Tell yourself that you are part of a swim team. Do not feel sorry for yourself.
10) Tell your coach what you plan to do to try to get yourself back in the swim again.

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Conrad

[This message has been edited by conrad cawley (edited 04 November 2000).]

[This message has been edited by conrad cawley (edited 04 November 2000).]

[Pete]

As long as you do not interupt what is going on in the squad training and are not seen to be disrupting what is going on, that is fine. Talk to your coach after a session, tell him what is going on. Look for a change of direction in swimming, maybe look at Water Polo. (You need to be fit to play),you get teamwork and maybe you will get back to enjoying you training again and getting back to competing in swimming without pressure.
Good luck

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Looking forward to hearing from fellow coaches and keen swimmers needing help.

[Machine Head]

Thank you for the advice. It's been a great help in making my decision.

[Coach]

Please tell us what you decide!!!

[Machine Head]

I've decided to cut down on the training sessions like you suggested Conrad. I'm trying to get access to the fitness room at college, and also I've taken up trampolining, also at college. It may be hard to not speak to anyone from the team because I see some of them everyday.

Pete, is there any other watersports than Polo which I could think about taking up. I played it at training a couple of times, and never really got the hang of it.

Thanks Coaches

[Steve]

Triathlon? depends if you are any good at running/cycling.

Otherwise how about octopush (or underwater hockey)- great fun if you can find a club in your area. I have no idea unfortunately where you can get details.

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http://www.pullbuoy.co.uk (http://www.pullbuoy.co.uk/)
the UK swimming site

[Kayley Higgins]

hi i am feeling the same now as machine head and i really dont know what to do!!
I handed in my notice the other day and did my last gala ( i thought ) the day after!
I have been training twice this week and i don't know what to do!
I dont really enjoy the training but i like doing the galas and seeing my friends. i am really getting bored of just swimming up + down all the time!
What should i do??
Kayley


[This message has been edited by Kayley Higgins (edited 13 December 2000).]

[Machine Head]

I guess you must feel the same, but are looking for different answers.

Good Luck in finding them, if you can.

[tab]

Kayley am i to assume you feel the same way as Machine Head. The club you belong to has a committee that does not want to lose any of its swimmers, Its they that make the decisions on how the club is run. please let them know how you feel then they may be able to help in some way Try talking to the Chairman or Vice Chairman in confidence then i am sure you will get results. As soon as they realise that some of their swimmers are unhappy they will do their up-most to change things.






[This message has been edited by tab (edited 11 November 2000).]

[kicky]

i dont really feel like swimming anymore either competively, i know really only like swimming for myself, eg to win medals, but i still go to galas, and when i'm there i enjoy them, i dont always do my fave strokes so i get times on them and i know where i need to push harder in training, and training i also get to see my friends aswell i think it is good to mess around in the water, it my make u consentrate less, but u enjoy it more,

[Pete]

Talk to your coach! He needs to know not to be left wondering why you don't train as he would like.

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Looking forward to hearing from fellow coaches and keen swimmers needing help.

[Machine Head]

Ok, so I haven't swum for about two weeks until the other night, in which I didn't do much swimming. I don't have the erge to swim anymore, and I don't really enjoy swimming up and down, which is all we ever seem to do.

I tried to talk to my coach, but I don't think he took me seriously.

I am very close to giving up swimming, and probably will before I age another year. I won't be swimming again until well into January, then I might carry on till my birthday, and hang up the trunks.

Well, you asked me to tell you what I had decided to do. So I did.

Take Care,
...



[This message has been edited by Machine Head (edited 13 December 2000).]

[Guru]

Hello everyone,
To cut along story short. I think you swimmers need change, as you seemed to have lost your buzz that you used to have.
For this i recommend either holiday programs, one 2 one training or becoming 2nd claimed to another club. "it brings change to it all". It interupts the routine training becaue you have two coaches opinions. It makes training more intersting.
What i found was that the two clubs provided everything i needed, they both distorted the chance of either of the training sessions becoming routine and boring.
I had my friends, fun, intense training, competitions, and made more friends.
If you do start training in another club, your coach will gradually change you training stlye, so go with the flow. Every club is different, so that will bring change!!!

I hope i helped, if not: Sorry!!!
Take Care...

p:s: I recommend Conrad Cawley for the holdiay programmes etc. if he still does them...? his email address is mentioned above in a previous message, from him.

[This message has been edited by conrad cawley (edited 14 December 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Guru (edited 14 January 2001).]

[Conrad Cawley]

Sorry I edited your message. It was just to change my surname from Crawley to Cawley. It's a common error.

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Conrad

[Kayley Higgins]

i am very close to giving up aswell now as i havent been since we broke up for christmas and i dont have the energy to go back so should i or not?what else could i do?

[Guru]

Hi Kayley
As i know your situation at the moment... i suggest leaving the club and not paying the next subs, is an idea. Keep in touch from those in the club and wait for the club to sort its self out; as i am sure it will. If you leave does not mean you cannot go back, any way everyone needs a rest to get revitalised every now and then.

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Take Care

[Guru]

............
sorry what i mean by next paying the next lot of subs... is to pay the subs owing but do not belong to the club for a further subs... until iyou are satisfied with the clubs changes!
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