I've been a lazy swimmer. Two months into the season it still feels like my first week back. I'm not entirely sure what I've been doing wrong but I know I'm not doing everything right.
I'm a senior, but I've never gotten senioritis from swimming. My fall season so far has consisted of my search for the motivation I didn't know I lost until I got back in the pool.
I'm a board member for the second year in a row. If you've read anything else I've written, you know my team is my family. Well people graduate and team dynamics change. I've lost my practice lane which has proven to be a huge blow to my training.
Now I haven't fallen out of love with swimming. It feels more like a long-distance relationship. I spent my whole summer away from swimming without pool access, and now I can't quite figure out how to be in love with my training again. Motivation is fleeting to say the least.
I'm fighting the water and the water is winning. It's not a good feeling. I stumbled upon this piece written about Michael Phelps in SI. I recommend reading the whole thing online (the full piece isn't in the print version.)
As I read, I realized Michael Phelps has struggled probably more than me with his love of swimming. Leading up to London, his coach Bob Bowman said he had to seclude him in altitude just to get him to train. Phelps swam the 400 IM in London as a partial punishment from Bowman. It was humbling to read the words of Phelps, his coach and his family about how difficult his training has been these past few years. I can identify more than I'd like to admit.
But there's a silver lining here. Phelps is out of retirement and training like he never has before. Bowman and Phelps think this could be his best Olympics yet. I look at Phelps and I say, why not me too? Why does my senior year have to be my peak year? Who says I have to train like I'm retiring?
My new attitude starts today. And that's a promise I intend to keep.
