I'm happy to report that I loved my 7 a.m. workouts this week. It really is a great way to start the day. Plus it's nice to have it accomplished before the day even begins.
Here's the thing, though, for each of the four 7 a.m. workouts this week I swam. I just couldn't bring myself to put on clothes and shoes and figure out a workout to do in the weight room. And the thought of the dreadmill or running the track made me want to stay in bed. I am not a morning person. I promise. Ask my mom if you are unsure. I couldn't convince myself to do anything else but drive to the gym, pull on my suit and dive into that beautiful blue water.
So I've been thinking a lot about what I'll do next week. Should I continue the 7 a.m. pool swims or go back to lunch time workouts to try and diversify? I don't think I could do some early morning workouts and some mid-day. My body get stuck in a rut and wakes up at the same time every day. Now that I've adjusted to the earlier schedule, I'm good to stick with it.
So I decided to make a pro/con list of my swim workout. Help me decide what to do!
Pro: I can do so many different variations on my swim workout that I could do it every day and not get bored. Kickboarding, pulling a buoy, swim running, freestyle, back stroke, etc.
Con: It's probably not good to do the same general type of exercise every day, right?
Pro: no sweating.
On Thursday (a 79 degree day) I walked at lunch with co-workers. And walking, to them, is like an Olympic speed sport. It was a sweaty experience, and it made me appreciate the decidedly unsweaty sport of swimming.
Con: If I'm not sweating, how do I know how hard I'm working?
I worry about this a lot. I'm not sweating. I'm holding my breath, so I can't tell if I'm breathing harder. I can't wear a heart rate monitor in the pool (not that I have worn a heart rate monitor ever). How do I know if I'm working hard enough?
Pro: It's refreshing and thought-full.
I love zoning out in the pool. I think about a lot of things.
Con: If I'm swimming all of the time, how am I keeping up with my running so I can actually complete another triathlon?
What do you think? Is it detrimental not to have variety in my workout? Do you vary your exercise routine?
I think the answer may be that I have to change my attitude on a few things. Either doing other workouts at 7 a.m. besides swimming or doing the swimming at 7 a.m. and the occasional lunch time workout for other stuff. Just not sure.
Swimming and working out in the pool is great for 2 reasons....1) much better for your joints than running on pavement/treadmill. 2)water provides extra resistance so you are actually working harder!
ReplyDeleteStick with what you love and you'll do it more often without getting burnt out!
I think diversifying your exercise routine is a good thing, especially if you're looking to do more duathlons or triathlons in the future. (And what about the colour race in the fall! You must be ready for that, which will require some small amount of running!)
ReplyDeleteThat said, I understand the whole "my body is now accustomed to getting up at X hour" dilemma. What if you did 7am swim workouts 3 days a week and then on the 2 two days, you still get up early but put that time to a different use? Maybe you could start art journaling, spending some extra time with God, having a cup of tea while watching the news, whatever. Just an idea. :)
I'm so proud of you for sticking to 7am workouts this week! That is amazing!