The swim training for a triathlon is BORING! When I run or ride my bike I can look around at the scenery (rarely), get a drink or food, stretch, and even daydream. When I swim I get none of that. I stare at the black line, turn, and repeat, many many times over. The big difference between swimming and the other two events is that I have to count to keep track of my workout. If I daydream I forget where I am, and then get frustrated because I feel like I’m cheating my workout.
So I count. I count laps within my intervals, and the intervals. “Is this the second lap on my third interval or my third lap on my second interval.
In addition to counting, I must focus on the actual swim itself. How fast am I supposed to be swimming? Is this a drill lap, speed, or focus on distance?
Finally I have to think about breathing. You might think this is a silly requirement, but I’m not comfortable enough that if I were to stop thinking about breathing I might miss my breath stroke. Perhaps some work on breathing other than every three strokes would be helpful.
With my workouts now lasting over an hour, during which time I am constantly counting, I get absolutely bored. Every now and then I think briefly about how sore or tired my shoulders are, but those thoughts are very brief (I don’t want to lose count).
I wish I lived near a lake where I could train some in the open water. At least then I would have time to think about whatever I wanted!
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