I swim on Sunday afternoons.
It’s my habit, my ritual, my comfort: morning workout, followed by a stop at Dunkin, followed by church, followed by a swim.
I’ve written quite a bit about being a creature of habit, and I’ve written quite a bit about the comfort that has come from a life of swimming. So, it should be no surprise that I tend to swim at the same time, in the same place, and do the same exact workout every time. I would always be in the same lane if the other swimmers at lap swim indulged my need for consistency.
Every Sunday. Exactly 1 hour. Continuous swimming. 8 sets of 500 yards fitting neatly and precisely into the hour. 2 500-yard sets every 15 minutes.
1 hour of the quiet you only get swimming.
1 hour of being lost in thought, but not lost enough to lose count of my laps….usually.
1 hour of closely watching the three digital clocks on the walls of the Wakefield High School Natatorium, monitoring if it's good day.
As swimming is the only discipline in the tri of triathlon that (mostly) doesn’t cause injury (Ahem - Running) or require machinery that may or may not be cooperating (looking at you, Cycling), my Sunday swims have been my most consistent workout over the years.
Of running, biking, and swimming, indoor swimming is the practice where surroundings can remain constant from week to week. There are elements outside of your control to take into account with running and biking – are you cold, are you hot, did you dress accordingly, were there hills, did you get a flat? When you swim in a pool, the temp and water remain constant.
So, if you miss your mark or kick ass – it’s all you.
It’s sleep, it’s mood, it’s stress or the lack thereof.
1 hour of closely watching the three digital clocks on the walls of the Wakefield High School Natatorium, monitoring if it's good day.
As swimming is the only discipline in the tri of triathlon that (mostly) doesn’t cause injury (Ahem - Running) or require machinery that may or may not be cooperating (looking at you, Cycling), my Sunday swims have been my most consistent workout over the years.
Of running, biking, and swimming, indoor swimming is the practice where surroundings can remain constant from week to week. There are elements outside of your control to take into account with running and biking – are you cold, are you hot, did you dress accordingly, were there hills, did you get a flat? When you swim in a pool, the temp and water remain constant.
So, if you miss your mark or kick ass – it’s all you.
It’s sleep, it’s mood, it’s stress or the lack thereof.
How are you doing, Faith? I don’t know, let me go for my 1 hour Sunday swim, and I will let you know.
On a not-as-strong Sunday, I finish the last set at the 1 hour mark. Solid.
On a normal Sunday I can, throughout the course of the hour, eek out an additional 50 yards for a grand total of 4050 yards. Well done!
On the exceptionally strong days (the unicorns of the Faith workouts), I can finish an extra 100 yards as the three Wakefield Natatorium clocks hit the 1 hour mark. V*I*C*T*O*R*Y
Over the years, the 4 individual 15-minutes sections of my Sunday 1 hour swims have developed separate and unique personalities.
The first 15: The Rockstar
The first 15 minutes is usually exciteable and overly optimistic. If I feel really strong or fresh, I will (without a doubt) go too fast. It’s pretty typical that I will reach the 15 minutes mark with one extra lap in, which is a solid way to start out.
HOWEVER, the blind enthusiasm of the first 15 is also where over-confidence can strike. If I feel too good, I can *sometimes* push to try to make up even more time than history has historically proven realistic.
If I could somehow manage to make up the entire extra 50 yards in the first 15 minutes, I could take it easy for the next 45 minutes, right? Right? (It doesn't work that way, but I feel like a Rockstar, so SURE, let's do it!)
1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8,9-10,11-12,13-14,15-16,17-18,10-20. 1 Done.
1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8,9-10,11-12,13-14,15-16,17-18,10-20. 2 Done.
The second 15: The Imposter
The second 15 minutes is where doubt is creeping in and I start to have to answer for the sins of the first 15.
1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8,9-10,11-12,13-14,15-16,17-18,10-20. 1 Done.
1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8,9-10,11-12,13-14,15-16,17-18,10-20. 2 Done.
The second 15: The Imposter
The second 15 minutes is where doubt is creeping in and I start to have to answer for the sins of the first 15.
Maybe this isn’t such a strong week. Why does it feel so much harder now? I don't know who you thought you were earlier, but the truth is about to come out.
It’s extremely rare that I make any progress in the second 15 minutes. In fact, if I was overly ambitious in the first 15 minutes, I will almost definitely pay the price and slip back to the typical 1 lap lead.
1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8,9-10,11-12,13-14,15-16,17-18,10-20. 3 Done.
1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8,9-10,11-12,13-14,15-16,17-18,10-20. 4 Done.
The third 15: The Failure
The third 15 minutes gets dark. It gets dark every time. It’s just over the halfway point, so the end is still so far away and everything hurts.
In the third 15 minutes I usually get mad enough at myself to stop monitoring the clock, because clearly all hope is lost and I suck.
Just swim, Faith. Just get through it.
1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8,9-10,11-12,13-14,15-16,17-18,10-20. 5 Done.
1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8,9-10,11-12,13-14,15-16,17-18,10-20. 6 Done.
The last 15: The Closer
The last 15 minutes is fueled by the promise that the end is near.
It’s extremely rare that I make any progress in the second 15 minutes. In fact, if I was overly ambitious in the first 15 minutes, I will almost definitely pay the price and slip back to the typical 1 lap lead.
1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8,9-10,11-12,13-14,15-16,17-18,10-20. 3 Done.
1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8,9-10,11-12,13-14,15-16,17-18,10-20. 4 Done.
The third 15: The Failure
The third 15 minutes gets dark. It gets dark every time. It’s just over the halfway point, so the end is still so far away and everything hurts.
In the third 15 minutes I usually get mad enough at myself to stop monitoring the clock, because clearly all hope is lost and I suck.
Just swim, Faith. Just get through it.
1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8,9-10,11-12,13-14,15-16,17-18,10-20. 5 Done.
1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8,9-10,11-12,13-14,15-16,17-18,10-20. 6 Done.
The last 15: The Closer
The last 15 minutes is fueled by the promise that the end is near.
By this time, it's clear where I'm going to come out in terms of performance, so I just have to keep moving.
It hurts, but what's 15 more minutes? Get it done.
1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8,9-10,11-12,13-14,15-16,17-18,10-20. 7 Done.
1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8,9-10,11-12,13-14,15-16,17-18,10-20. 8 Done.
Interestingly, despite the consistency of everything about my Sunday swim, I have to re-learn the same lesson every week.
1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8,9-10,11-12,13-14,15-16,17-18,10-20. 7 Done.
1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8,9-10,11-12,13-14,15-16,17-18,10-20. 8 Done.
Interestingly, despite the consistency of everything about my Sunday swim, I have to re-learn the same lesson every week.
The third 15 minute increment is always a slog. I always fall into the same thought pattern. It always feels hopeless. I always think I’m failing miserably.
BUT, if I’m going to make or exceed my 1 hour goal that week, that same 15 minute increment is where the real progress happens. In the midst of the "I don't want to" and the doubt, when all I want to do is stop – that’s where the strength comes out. It's not my performance when I feel the unstoppable or when the finish line is looming that matters, it's my performance when everything feels hard. If I can fight the negativity, put my head down, and keep swimming, when I do finally look back at one of the three Wakefield Natatorium clocks, I will almost always find that I've gone faster and farther than I believed.
BUT, if I’m going to make or exceed my 1 hour goal that week, that same 15 minute increment is where the real progress happens. In the midst of the "I don't want to" and the doubt, when all I want to do is stop – that’s where the strength comes out. It's not my performance when I feel the unstoppable or when the finish line is looming that matters, it's my performance when everything feels hard. If I can fight the negativity, put my head down, and keep swimming, when I do finally look back at one of the three Wakefield Natatorium clocks, I will almost always find that I've gone faster and farther than I believed.
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