I think the most common motivator for swimmers (but by no means the only) is the clock.
I obsessively check the clock. In a typical 3500M workout I probably get 30-50 data points.
For the first half of this year I am doing this set every week:
500 free hard
5 x 100ez
4 x 125 hard
2 x 250 ez
500 free hard.
My goal is to go under 6:00 on both 500's by April 1. Every single set I do every day (well every day I swim) is a little building block into achieving that goal. On these 50's I should go :36. On this long set I should do "this". On these hard 75's last week I went 53's, lets see if I can go 52 on half of them this week. I record everything, know exactly what I did on every 100, 150, 200 or whatever it is that I am swimming that day. I am recording the test results every week. Last week I was 6:04 / 6:12. Went out too hard on the last one. Thought I had another 6:04 in me but was probably only capable of a 6:08. The only motivation I need is that goal...
It works for me, at least...
I obsessively check the clock. In a typical 3500M workout I probably get 30-50 data points.
For the first half of this year I am doing this set every week:
500 free hard
5 x 100ez
4 x 125 hard
2 x 250 ez
500 free hard.
My goal is to go under 6:00 on both 500's by April 1. Every single set I do every day (well every day I swim) is a little building block into achieving that goal. On these 50's I should go :36. On this long set I should do "this". On these hard 75's last week I went 53's, lets see if I can go 52 on half of them this week. I record everything, know exactly what I did on every 100, 150, 200 or whatever it is that I am swimming that day. I am recording the test results every week. Last week I was 6:04 / 6:12. Went out too hard on the last one. Thought I had another 6:04 in me but was probably only capable of a 6:08. The only motivation I need is that goal...
It works for me, at least...