Living in Brisbane we are blessed with the mildest of winters.
Our daytime temps linger in the 20’s and our nights rarely slip into single digits.
Even so, those rogue colder days and that little chill in the morning and evening air can have the best of us looking for an out from our swim sessions.
These are our top 10 tips for swimming through winter:
1. Just do it – Don’t let a few moments of feeling cold on pool deck before sliding into and out of the water keep you from your goals. Once you are in the water and start moving it will all be ok we promise.
2. Stick to your schedule – try not to skip swim sessions. Long gaps may give your procrastinating mind all the ammo it needs to decide to put off your goals till summer. Summer times and distances are built over winter. The competition that pushed through will love showing you their results when you return to pool deck.
3. Partner up – swimming with a friend or training buddy can help you to keep swimming. It is so much easier to let yourself off the hook if you are flying solo. Committing to meeting up or even picking each other up on the way makes it harder to hit the snooze button or send the cancellation text.
4. It’s not a fashion show – getting warm fast once you get out of the lovely warm pool is the priority. Ugg boots, dressing gowns, a fleece throw blanket worn as a poncho are all acceptable fashion choices on pool deck at this time of the year. It may be ugly but if it’s warm who cares!
5. Bathing Caps are important – the majority of heat is lost through our heads. If you usually swim without a cap, now is a good time to put one on your noggin. Neoprene caps retain heat better than latex. Some swimmers even choose to double cap through winter.
6. Try out new things – new strokes, new drills, new training programs are all your friends this winter. Time can speed up when trying out new skills as you will be focused on mastering the skill with the white noise suddenly disappearing.
7. Reward yourself – new togs and equipment are always great rewards for your hard work. Even small rewards like a hot chocolate or your favourite food after a good swim session are well deserved.
8. Don’t believe the myth that swimming in winter will make you sick – in a well ventilated environment like our heated outdoor venues your risk of sickness from being in the pool is not increased over winter.
9. Challenge yourself – pick an event and train towards it. Whether it’s improving your time over 50 metres in your stroke of choice, training for a triathlon or distance swim, a goal will keep you turning up on the days you would rather sit on the couch with the remote.
10. Talk to your coach – If you are finding yourself with a big case of the “don’t wannas” talk it through with your coach. Coaches love feedback and chances are your coach is already reading your struggles through your performance and technique. A well timed pep talk and knowing that someone cares about your goals and has your back can do wonders for lagging motivation.
Thankfully winter in Brissy is relatively short and will be over before we know it.
If you would like more information or suggestions for events you could train towards, get in touch for a chat.
Just keep swimming!