I have been riding my bike quite a bit and have done a decent amount of running, but for some reason I have a tough time to motivate myself to swim. I have been swimming here and there, but nothing that would constitute serious tri swim training. Additionally I have not even signed up for any triathlon this year. HELP, I need motivation.
Herbert
Litespeed / Quintana Roo
Herbert,
Pick a race, sign up and that will force you to get motivated!
Or you could go the other route and just step away from training full on for a couple of months and refresh in time for a fall race!
swim so that you’re not behind me at the DAM triathlon coming out of the water. You are going to sign up for your hometown race, right?
Find a master’s swim class with cute chicks and sign up for some fun races. It’s just that simple! Maybe try an off road tri or a short/hard race you’ve never done before. If you are healthy and can race then NO COMPLAINING! You could be laid up with an injury.
H:
Think back to a tri you were really happy with the results, especially the swim portion. Find a race that fits into your schedule (you can stay at my house for IMWI), then implement the past swim plan into your current schedule. It’s a proven method for you and the results speak for themselves. Your hard work on the bike and run will turn the race into one of your best ever.
Tom
Become a duathlete.
You need some motivation?! What is wrong with you?? I think you have become a sitzpinkler. I bet you are not even really swimming; you are just a beckenrandschwimmer. I think you have spent too much time with female roommates, and you’ve become a frauenversteher. You need to stop this nonsense. You need to focus on one word – SCHNELL. That’s it. That is your new mantra… 
there are a few people racing that you know. =)
What’s the problem?
I’m racing both MIM events next weekend and haven’t swam since Ironman Wisconsin…
Don’t plan on it until warm-up Sat AM either…
More concerned about my MTB set-up than anything else.
;o)
You going to Memphis?
Herbert,
Sorry to hear that you are lacking motivation to swim. Motivation is a funny thing. Nobody can give you or take your motivation. That’s right, it’s how YOU perceive various stimuli that cause you to feel motivated or feel lack thereof. One person might perceive hardass comments of a coach as motivational, whereas another athlete might perceive them as complete the opposite.
Whenever I’m not motivated I try to analyze which factors I perceive as negative motivational. Then I try to replace them with another stimuli which I perceive as positive. Sometimes it’s simple things that can change my motivational state. Buying new equipment, changing the workout environment, replacing the workout stimuli, etc. have helped in the past for me.
For swimming, I might change the pool. It’s amazing what that can do - at least for me 
Not all tiles at the bottom of the pools are the same. Not all lifeguards listen to the same radio station that I can hear during the rest periods in between sets. It might sounds silly but find whatever works for you.
If you are not swimming with a masters team, join one, even for a couple of the sessions per week. If you already are swimming with a masters team, maybe you would enjoy your own session every once in a while.
Swimming can be monotonous and boring. Believe me, I’ve swam my 100km weeks before. But it doesn’t have to. Many triathletes believe that 3000yrds nonstop swim is better than various sets. I call that BS. Look at many Long Distance (open water) swimmers. Most of them train in a pool with a team that swims many interesting sets. Switch it up a bit. Just because a pool consists of 25 yards/meter lanes doesn’t mean you have to do 100s,200s, 400s, etc. at all times.
4x25, 3x50, 2x75, 1x100, 2x75, 3x50, 4x25 and you already have 900yrds. Add various strokes, intensities, and rest period to that and it can become quiet interesting.
Or how about a long warmup consisting of:
400Free,50Back, 300Fr, 50Bk, 200Fr, 50Bk, 100Fr, 50Bk, 200Free, 50Back, 300Fr, 50Bk, 400Fr and you already have 2200yrds.
IM doesn’t always have to be the same, either. 250IM (25Fly,50Bk,75Br, 100Fr) or other combos work as well.
Hopefully that helps a little. Signing up for a tri, even a sprint might not be a bad idea, either. Once you commited to something, you might feel different about it.
Now get to the pool and report back.
Good luck!
My old Coach that grew up in Eastern Germany would yell: “Du bist Baerenstark” when you were on the blocks
.
Warmduscher.
I was very close to calling him that… I figured I’d save that for whatever soft reply he made… 
Weichei
.
Why is everyone insulting me? I am not the one with the “motivation problem.” Reply to Herbert with your insults… He is the one who needs the kick in the pants, even if it might damage his “soft eggs”…
Don’t be such a Defensivfahrer.
As for Herbert - obviously a Warmbadetagschwimmer!
Thanks for the various ideas of motivation. I will sign up for a race tomorrow, but I am not sure how far I would have to drive to a master swim with attractive women.
Herbert
Litespeed / Quintana Roo
come on out to Laveen for some swim training. You can head to masters practice with me. There are some decent looking chicks there.
I’m with you though, if it were not because of masters practice, I’d swim 4k per week and be done with it.
Rappstar,
I definitely didn’t direct the “Weichei” at you, and didn’t want to insult anybody. In fact, I didn’t direct it at anybody. I had the impression that all of a sudden the thread turned into a list for German words and I simply contributed. Maybe I should have said “here is another one…”
Again, sorry for the confusion and good luck with your 2006 season.
Daniel
As someone already said here: race! Pick a triathlon and RACE!
Nothing like a real kick in the ass on the swim in a triathlon to motto you!