I can’t believe how good I have been feeling lately.
I’ve been focusing most of my training time on swimming at least 3-4 times per week. in the past I had a lot of trouble feeling ravenously hungry after my swim workouts. I’m not sure what’s changed, perhaps my motivation or maybe just the timing of my eating and my swim workouts. But lately I’ve been heading to the pool for a workout in the morning before eating. I’m focusing about 80% time on form and so I don’t need to have a lot of stored “fast twitch ” energy for the workouts. That’s possibly one reason why this is working for me.
Most of the Time is spent working on Technique…
I go to the pool and spend about 30 minutes working on Total Immersion drills. I base my decision of what drills to do on what felt weak in the last workout. If I felt like my head was buried I’ll do Skating Drill focusing on head position. If I felt like my left hand entry was too early I’ll focus on doing Zen switch drills while holding my right side edge as long as possible, etc.
The second half of my workout I’ll usually focus on some tempo work using the tempo trainer, or do some stroke counting sets trying to hold or maintain a fixed number of strokes per 25 and extend the sets to 50s &100s.
The Amazing Part…I reach a “Flow” state almost instantly with every swim workout!
Here’s the amazing thing. Sure, I’m getting better at swimming…form is constantly improving and I’m getting faster. But after I finish my workout, I feel totally content. It’s like I’ve emerged from some Zen state of swimming in the pool. It’s gotten to the point where within 5 to 10 minutes of my swim workout, I’m in “the zone”. I’ve taught myself how to enter the zone while swimming.
For the rest of the day, my mind is totally relaxed and at peace. It’s the perfect stress reliever, and as a result, the perfect appetite suppressant! In the past, I’d do a 3000 yard workout from the binder and be ravenously hungry afterwards with sore shoulders and tired legs. Now I’m totally peaceful and content the rest of the day while still feeling the work that my muscles did. When I go to eat I usually rehydrate first and have half a sandwich and save the other half for later.
I finally fit into my Skinny Jeans!
Would you believe I’ve lost 15 pounds and kept it off since the beginning of the year? No I wouldn’t have believed it either.
Has swimming helped you lose weight, reach a zen state or achieve a sense of peaceful meditation after your workout? Let me know. Maybe I”ll even post a picture of me in my “skinny jeans”.
PS Get 10% off any Total Immersion product by using the code “coachsuzanne” at checkout (without the quotes)
PPS Here’s a video of me Open Water Swimming in Florida this past spring
Open Water Swimming – Total Immersion Coaches Synchronizing Strokes
