So I had my longest swim session today and I am a terrible swimmer, especially in the pool. To be honest it looks more like a drowning accident than actual swimming. No fins or wetsuit to aid me, but 200m KB and 1200m arm + paddles towards the end. During the warm up my shoulders screamed in agony from last session and mentally it was challenging just to keep going. I started to wonder if I would be able to complete the set, but pushed through each length after the other.
Eventually I got through it but I didn’t feel happiness afterwards; rather I felt really sorry for myself. I gathered my belongs and got in some calories before I decided to lay down in the sauna and sob like a 4-year old. Unfortunately the sauna was occupied by a family, so I had to put on a brave face.
Got home and the need to cry like a little bitch disappeared. Started to think a bit about it and realized that the only 2 times that has ever happened before was during a really tough best average session on the bike and during my first IM. It felt like a mental thing. Like the task was too big of an ask, that I wouldn’t be able to complete it.
Anyone else out there having as much spine as a jellyfish? If so, how do you cope with it?
I remember I am not a professional athlete and go have a beer. That may sound harsh but its important to keep everything in perspective.
The fact that I am miles away from being truly fit is on occasion difficult to swallow. I have attempted a marathon twice and had to throw in the towel on both occasions (and this is with 20+ years of completive running experience). I also had to give up during my most recent attempt on a half-marathon in spite of a very very strong training plan. On all occasions I did not have the mental capacity to physically continue but I was also physically at my limit. I don’t get paid to race and there comes a point where trying to avoid being weak does not justify the physical damage/injuries.
I am not envious of those who have to race and perform for a living. The pressure must be immense and post-workout tears are justified. For the rest of we can just re-calibrate and move on.
I’ve only ever had the opposite. I’ve welled up with pride during a hard bike workout knowing I wouldn’t have been able to get through it x amount of months ago. Appreciate the fitness you’ve earned and keep getting better.
Do you get upset because you physically feel bad, you’re unhappy with your performance, or the effort has had some hormonal impact or something?
If it’s one of the first two, I think you should consider taking yourself a bit less seriously.
Physical pain: - Don’t push so hard that you’re in excruciating pain afterwards (pretty certain it’s not beneficial at that point anyway), or if you just hate normal training discomfort that much, why are you doing it?Performance disillusionment: - Learn to accept reality. If you can’t, then perhaps find something you’ve got more natural ability for, where your expectations of yourself might be met. Although, accepting reality is the correct answer…Hormonal: - I dunno. I feel good after really tough training, unless I end up injured. Even then, unless I suffered a serious loss, like losing a limb, eyesight, brain damage, heart damage… I can’t imagine being unable to accept it and move on. If you can laugh it off afterwards, who cares. If it’s something truly traumatising then perhaps you should consider not putting yourself in these circumstances.
yeah there’s pain, like, i’m deep in a very hard workout, and then there’s pain like, something is wrong with my body.
both hurt, one is good, one is bad. are you keenly attentive to the distinction?
embracing, and then finishing workouts with the good hurt generally feels positive.
the bad hurt is often emotionally difficult. it means injury, having to reduce training, skip races, etc. often not what we want.
i recently had to have a chat with myself because i was making all kinds of desperate plans to salvage racing in the face of an injury. im just a guy with a hobby. gotta let it wax and wane, and go with the flow. to fight it is to risk injury, and a narrow and unhappy life.
Anyone else out there having as much spine as a jellyfish? If so, how do you cope with it?
The best way to cope is this: you have GOT to get some swim help. Swim training should never be like a drowning accident. (If you want a tip as to how/where to get help, a quick read available here: https://www.darkspeedworks.com/blog-swimcoach.htm )
Take control of the situation. If it’s painful and not your day, just walk out, go home or eat something delicious. No need to feel the pain and cry. Don’t let your hobby take over your emotion and make you cry. You are better than that. After all, it’s just a hobby. If you are a professional making money out of it, that’s a different story. SUck it up and keep going until your battle is over.
No fins or wetsuit to aid me, but 200m KB and 1200m arm + paddles towards the end. During the warm up my shoulders screamed in agony from last session and mentally it was challenging just to keep going. I started to wonder if I would be able to complete the set, but pushed through each length after the other.
I can only think of the article below that someone linked on another thread, if you don’t like swimming without toys, don’t. If toys get you to swim more, then use them. My wife is employing this strategy now and she is enjoying her swimming much, much more than she has ever had before. She will never choose a race that has any chance at being non-wetsuit so it won’t hurt her much but according to the article below, even that doesn’t matter.
Just for some perspective; I mean, wait - I’m not a triathlete, yet. I am new to endurance sports. But, I’m not new to grueling physical endeavors, figuring out hard things, and/or sports/fitness related effort in general. Take that disclaimer for what it is.
I think whatever coping mechanism you have, as long as it’s not destructive, is just that - coping mechanism. There’s a certain psychology to the perception of crying or whatever, but in truth I don’t know that it’s any different than needing to do something else - have an extra long trip to the restroom, binge on your iPad, call your mom - whatever. I think everyone needs a particular ‘retreat’ once the effort meter starts getting up into the red for an extended period of time. Maybe you’ll have to deal with people telling you that it’s weak, or lame, or whatever. But, if you get up, do it again, have another cry - what’s more important, the crying or the finish? Just a thought.
And, don’t get me wrong; I’m not the person to pat you on the back and tell you everything is ok and that it’s totally normal. I don’t know if it is. I’m saying that you can view this through the lens of ‘maybe this is how I cope.’ If it is, it can be changed if you aren’t comfortable with it.
It usually takes a bad crash and departure from the race or something like Fignon losing in the TT the last day for those guys to break.
Same for this average joe. I crashed the bike pretty bad last summer. People who saw were about to call an ambulance but I made sure the gears turned and asked to be put back on. They steadied me as I climbed back on and I rode it home the few miles getting blood all over the bike and pretty newish white bar tape and sat in the shower scrubbing road rash clean. That’s when it was time for a pout.
Yours sounds like that, physical injury. Not training pain from the body’s reaction to training stimuli.
You may have disappointment in failing at a workout by not hitting your sets, speed, or power. But, it’s a data point and you get your recovery water/fluids/food and move on.
If it’s a really demanding workout and you nail it, that’s euphoria.
I’ve been trying for about 2 weeks to successfully hit power on all reps of both sets of some 2 x 3x3min power intervals. Balls out for 3 min six times. I kept failing during the last rep on the second set. Yesterday, nailed it. Even had a 7th rep worked into the workout. It felt amazing afterwards.
So I had my longest swim session today and I am a terrible swimmer, especially in the pool. To be honest it looks more like a drowning accident than actual swimming. No fins or wetsuit to aid me, but 200m KB and 1200m arm + paddles towards the end. During the warm up my shoulders screamed in agony from last session and mentally it was challenging just to keep going. I started to wonder if I would be able to complete the set, but pushed through each length after the other.
Eventually I got through it but I didn’t feel happiness afterwards; rather I felt really sorry for myself. I gathered my belongs and got in some calories before I decided to lay down in the sauna and sob like a 4-year old. Unfortunately the sauna was occupied by a family, so I had to put on a brave face.
Got home and the need to cry like a little bitch disappeared. Started to think a bit about it and realized that the only 2 times that has ever happened before was during a really tough best average session on the bike and during my first IM. It felt like a mental thing. Like the task was too big of an ask, that I wouldn’t be able to complete it.
Anyone else out there having as much spine as a jellyfish? If so, how do you cope with it?
I’ve never cried, but there have been more than a handful of times that I’ve gotten to the pool and have been so afraid of my swim sets that I’ve just stood in front of my lane, goggles on, ready to jump in, for like 15 minutes. I mostly did a lot of whining to myself and consider changing to duathlon. Mixed results, whether I went through with the workout or packed it up and went home. I have no advice for these and similar situations
