Walking on Wednesdays ~ Motivation is Hard, Yo ~ BUT ~ Does Have Its Rewards

Motivation.
It is hard, yo.
Especially to get out the door, and drive to have a swimming workout.

from teespring.com

It is not uncommon for me to have major motivational problems to do this. Especially when my coach (hubby) says he is not up for going with me. I sit and battle with myself that I really SHOULD go, but don't want to ~ it takes so much preparation to go. Both physically and mentally.

These help, a little gift I got myself - I LOVE these goggles.

He usually says, after I whine about the struggle to him, 'Just go if you're gonna go!' His way of motivating. Gee, thanks coach. I guess it is somewhat effective.
I have this struggle nearly every time I plan to go for a swim workout, so I often go to Pinterest for motivation, as one does.
Usually, it works: his words in my head and reading all the motivational things I find. 
This made me think about the whole process that makes it so hard to do.
To get ready:

• put in contacts.
• put on suit - after picking the suit, or workout shorts and long sleeve Under Armor shirt to protect myself from the sun, it depends on the day what I am in the mood to wear and sometimes I change 3 times before I decide......
• pack towels
• pack goggles (hoping you remembered to rinse them off last time you used them)
• pack headband - needed to keep little hairs from getting in your face, no I have not donned a swim cap yet, saving that for the big race day....
• pack something to put on after in case you have to run errands after workout
• pack water - to ease the salt shrivel on lips inevitable after a salt water workout
• take key off ring  - will have to bring that with me as I am alone and have to lock my phone wallet water towels, etc in the car.....
• get in car and drive 15-20 minutes to the beach

Then the ride is spent getting psyched up to swim for 50 minutes straight - the time it takes me to do about one mile. 

My new 'gym', just begs for relaxation and lounging.

Once I am at the beach, there is still a need for some serious motivation. The desire to grab the beach umbrella out of the trunk and plop the towels down and just sit on the beach, listen to the surf come in, enjoy the heat and peace and quiet, the desire is strong. 

But I am there for a workout, so the things to work through:

How I keep my key safe.

• put key on fitness tracker band so you can lock stuff in car and not lose key
• get out of car, lock after setting up towels for ease after workout
• walk past all the lounging people just there for fun ~ see the desire mentioned above....
• get to water, and dread the first shock of the cool water
• then endure the shock of the cool water
• clean goggles, spit and all...put them on without pulling hair (this never works, I always lose a few hairs)
• and get swimming, realizing how stiff I really am....

Then there is the mental battle while swimming:

• water temperature to start - a bit chilly and a bit shocking...
• waves - they throw you around a bit....
• current - great if you are going with it, decidedly NOT great if you are going against it, particularly when there are big waves....
• other people - not swimming in to them....
• various boats, jet skis, snorkelers, paddle boarders, other swimmers - not getting hit by or swimming in to them.....
• buoys - not swimming in to them, or even brushing up against them - they are full of things growing on them! 
• the distraction of little fishes, big fishes, flat fishes, schools of fishes, etc.  (first day I went in I was swarmed by teeny tiny little fishes and one bit me! Since then there are a few that I see regularly, and I foolishly think they are swimming with me saying "You got this!" and "You can dooo eeett!" Yes they talk to me, and I talk back to them in my head ~ see getting lost below....)

from https://fitnesspary.blogspot.com/

All this, and still making those arms do the stroke and remembering to kick those legs. Yes, I did forget to keep kicking some at first.
Remembering the proper stroke and kick did eventually come back to me, like riding a bike. (It was drilled in me from 2-hour-a-day swim practices, longer on Saturdays, more than 30 years ago.Yes, I was on the swim team, and I loved every awful moment of that, too. I can legitimately say awful moments, my stroke was the Butterfly, the hardest stroke. But I could do it, I could get through that piano falling on my back at the third lap, as my coach so aptly described it, being numb the rest of the race, and managed to win quite a few races even.)

I now fall into a rhythm after the first few minutes (Freestyle or Front Crawl, not Butterfly) . A familiar ease. Then I find myself concentrating more on the stroke and kick, making the most out my efforts. Soon after comfortable in the form, I can enjoy those little fishies, the current, the other people. I even get lost in my head sometimes, just lost in the sparkles of the sun on the sand underwater. It is mesmerizing. It is beautiful. I almost hit other swimmers lost in this beauty. I have not idea how far I went when I come back to reality. It is something scary and wonderful at the same time. Beautiful. 

cfcs.tumblr.com

There are some days, though, that I get in a fight with the ocean. Or it feels like the ocean is punishing me for skipping a workout. (yes, I have done this, motivation IS HARD, yo) 

When it is rough, in one direction with the current is not too bad, other than being tossed around. I still make progress. Then I turn around to head back to where I started (and where the car is parked). Well the ocean makes it pretty clear I have to work for this. It is like the ocean is taunting me. Breathe? Nah here is some salt water for ya! Oh and you haven't gotten water in your ear yet? Here ya go!! Pull harder, kick more!!! This is what you get for ignoring your workouts and not working hard enough!!!!

source

You are wondering where the reward is I bet. All of it is! 
I get to go to the best beach in the world, with the clearest water, the friendliest fish, the perfect temperature. 
(I know I said it was chilly water, but that is not really true, it is only a shock because it is a little chilly. But NOTHING like actual cold water that I grew up with in Buffalo.)
I get to get lost in the ocean, while doing something I truly love doing, with great rewards of exercise without feeling like I am working out. The reward is the whole process of working through the hard parts and accomplishing your goal. If you can enjoy it along the way, even better.

Pinterest

Motivation is hard, yes. But the harder you work, the bigger the reward. That is quite true. So if you work through the difficulties, you can and probably will find the enjoyment and reward for getting through it. 

The race is Saturday, less than 3 days. I am nervously excited. I know I can do it, the question now is how fast can I do it? My first swimming race in 30 years. (when did I get that old???) I want to do it in under 45 minutes. I am not sure I can but will do my best. A scary thing, but I got this. The little fishies know it, I can dooo eeet, and they will be there cheering me on!