at least one swimmer to “Get in the water!”

For young swimmers, the distaste for the initial plunge is likely a result of obligation; you must get in—you have no choice. It is amazing how years later, when you swim for enjoyment, that uncomfortable feeling still takes hold of your body. Even when we know the magic that awaits us, when we know that nothing else we do that day will make us feel better, we stall.  One of my goals as the Vice President of a swim company is to encourage more people to swim. I use myself as an example of someone who is thrilled with the joyful feelings, mental clarity, and rejuvenating qualities I get from my weekly swims. I want to share and encourage everyone I meet to add swimming to their fitness program. And yet, I find that water dread creeping in from the past. No matter how great I know I’m going to feel, given the chance, I will talk myself out of going to the pool. In reality, this all leads to questions about overall human behavior. I know something is amazing for me, but why don’t I do it? Whether it’s eating poorly, not getting enough sleep, smoking, or abusing drugs and alcohol, people know these behaviors are bad but they do them anyway, and they don’t know how to change. I’m not going to help someone stop drinking, but maybe I can get more people to get in the water. Just getting in can change your life. My simple hope is that people who read this will get back in the water.

So why do we do things that are bad for us and avoid things that are good? Well, at some level, the bad habits are highly pleasurable. That gooey ice cream cone or greasy cheeseburger … pure bliss, at least for a moment. The problem is that the pleasure is very fleeting. Here we have the crux of the matter—short-term gratification vs. long-term gratification. Most swimmers, whether they realize it or not, are highly conditioned for long-term gratification. In what other sport do you kill yourself practicing for 11 months to go fast just one time? Even though we have this skill, it is still difficult to follow through as life takes over, we get older, and we don’t have a parent or coach to nag and/or encourage us to keep our eye on the prize. We still need to keep our eye on that prize, although the prize becomes quite different as we age. It might be that we just want to look good in our clothes or have the energy to get through a challenging day; maybe we just want to be able to move without experiencing pain. Whatever your goal is, swimming is one of the most effective and rewarding forms of exercise around—so I’m asking all the former swimmers who don’t swim anymore … why not?

I’m sure the excuses are amazing.  As a former U.S. Masters coach, I heard a lot of them. My favorite one was “my hair hurts.” Another great one came from the swimmer who told me she had to miss the meet because her horse’s chiropractor died. But I suspect that the majority of excuses from former swimmers are simpler. I think a lot of it has to do with those terrible flashbacks of the yelling coach or the dread before you take the first leap. There’s also something terribly uncomfortable about getting out of your work clothes, into your training suit, and walking out onto the deck—seemingly always when it’s cold. Now comes the central idea of this article: whatever your lame excuse might be, there is simply no reason not to feel AMAZING!

In a previous article (02/23/15: The Magic of Swimming) I mentioned that being cold was one of my own lame excuses. So, I did something about it. I started swimming indoors at a place with a hot tub, because I want to feel amazing and swimming just works! Then I ask myself, what else keeps me from going to the pool? The truth is, swimming by yourself can be pretty boring. My solution: I put 90 of my favorite songs on my waterproof MP3 player, and I listen to that while I swim. I understand that everyone’s situation is different, and even though I call them lame excuses, they’re real—and some are real tough to overcome.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t ever succumb to the path of least resistance. The key to recovering from those habits is to keep your eye on the prize. For example, my wife was recently out of town for ten days visiting her parents, which meant I was on full-time kid duty. The kids are still too young to be left alone, which meant I couldn’t get in my usual morning swim (I usually swim in the morning because then I don’t have all day to talk myself out of it). I was left to swim on my lunch hour at a pool that didn’t have a hot tub. YIKES! To stay motivated, I chose a mantra. I told myself all morning, “Nothing I do today will make me feel better than swimming.” I repeated this several times an hour, all the way up until I jumped in. Once I was in the water, I felt better with each and every lap. When I was done, I couldn’t believe I had tried to avoid this. Why?! Why would I choose to not feel phenomenal?!

I’ve been able to extrapolate and overcome my present uncomfortableness for the total bliss of being in the water later. Ultimately, my process can be boiled down to four simple items:

1. Find your WHY. Determine your ultimate goal and keep your eyes on the prize.
2. Find your lame excuse and squash it. Add something to your routine that minimizes the dread of getting in the water.
3. Pick a mantra. The power of positive self-talk cannot be underestimated. Remind yourself why your swim will be worth it.
4. Hold onto the magic. Whether your swim is 500 or 5,000 yards, stick to a workout that makes you feel good inside and out.

It is my sincere hope that these four items will help other swimmers revisit the magic of swimming and get back in the water!

Yours in swimming,

Tim Elson