I always make sure to have fun when I train. Within a season, there may be a handful of workouts when I'm truly not enjoying the workout (typically around my menstrual cycle - ugh) but otherwise, there's joy when I train. I'm not immune to suffering or feeling uncomfortable during intense efforts but when I workout, you'll be sure to see a smile on my face as I'm happy, grateful and thankful for what I get to do with my body.
Over the past six months, I've been training under the coaching guidance of Cait Snow (with the watchful eye of Julie Dibens). At the age of 36, after 13 consecutive years of endurance triathlon racing, I'm grateful for how much I've achieved in the sport. But I sought the experience, wisdom and accountability of a coach to see if I could unlock a bit more of my body's fitness potential. With this in mind, I was aware that I'd be trying a new style of training and my coach would be giving me different training stressors. However, it was extremely important to me that I didn't lose my joy for training and racing. I'm happy to report that I've only become more excited by this training journey, I still love to race and I love this sport more than ever before. My coach sees me as a human being, in the context of my life. Although she challenges me mentally and physically with every type of workout, we are in agreement that in pursuit of athletic success, it will not come at the risk of my long-term health and happiness.
Although I am extremely dedicated to my training, training is not a means to an end. In other words, I don't train for weight loss, to burn calories, to escape the stressors of life, for body composition changes or even outcome goals. I don't train with expectations. Interestingly, this is the first year I don't have any race goals for myself. I'm simply enjoying the process and seeing where it takes me.
When I train, I am very focused, in-tune with my body and present. I always look for ways to set myself up for a great workout and to stay consistent with training. I know that to experience athletic success, I need to be very committed to my training. This does not mean that I make extreme choices or sacrifices. I'm human after all. Life is much more than sport so as my body allows me to pursue this hobby, I need to make sure that sport enhances my life and doesn't destroy my life.
Nothing makes me feel more alive than being outside. I love where we live in Greenville for never am I alone when I train. I'm constantly surrounded by mountain views, farms and so much nature. I always give myself permission to stop and take pictures.
Over the past six months, I've been training under the coaching guidance of Cait Snow (with the watchful eye of Julie Dibens). At the age of 36, after 13 consecutive years of endurance triathlon racing, I'm grateful for how much I've achieved in the sport. But I sought the experience, wisdom and accountability of a coach to see if I could unlock a bit more of my body's fitness potential. With this in mind, I was aware that I'd be trying a new style of training and my coach would be giving me different training stressors. However, it was extremely important to me that I didn't lose my joy for training and racing. I'm happy to report that I've only become more excited by this training journey, I still love to race and I love this sport more than ever before. My coach sees me as a human being, in the context of my life. Although she challenges me mentally and physically with every type of workout, we are in agreement that in pursuit of athletic success, it will not come at the risk of my long-term health and happiness.
Although I am extremely dedicated to my training, training is not a means to an end. In other words, I don't train for weight loss, to burn calories, to escape the stressors of life, for body composition changes or even outcome goals. I don't train with expectations. Interestingly, this is the first year I don't have any race goals for myself. I'm simply enjoying the process and seeing where it takes me.
When I train, I am very focused, in-tune with my body and present. I always look for ways to set myself up for a great workout and to stay consistent with training. I know that to experience athletic success, I need to be very committed to my training. This does not mean that I make extreme choices or sacrifices. I'm human after all. Life is much more than sport so as my body allows me to pursue this hobby, I need to make sure that sport enhances my life and doesn't destroy my life.
Nothing makes me feel more alive than being outside. I love where we live in Greenville for never am I alone when I train. I'm constantly surrounded by mountain views, farms and so much nature. I always give myself permission to stop and take pictures.
In the comment section of Training Peaks, you'll find several workouts where I let my coach know that I stopped to take a picture of an animal or rescue some creature on the road. This doesn't happen all the time but it's certainly part of who I am as an athlete. I don't worry how this short stop will affect my paces, speed or power or hoping that my coach won't be upset that I am taking an intentional stop. Never has my coach told me to be more serious or to focus more when I train. I'm incredibly grateful that she "gets me."
Additionally, my coach has never told me to fast, cut back on carbs, change my diet or lose weight. She's 100% focused on my development and making sure I stay healthy throughout this journey to the 2019 Ironman World Championship.
Additionally, my coach has never told me to fast, cut back on carbs, change my diet or lose weight. She's 100% focused on my development and making sure I stay healthy throughout this journey to the 2019 Ironman World Championship.
I wanted to bring this up because I see and hear many athletes who make radical changes in training and nutrition. All in hopes of achieving a certain end result. But what I see/hear are athletes that aren't having fun. They look miserable. No longer are they as excited and enthusiastic for training as they were when they first began participating in the the sport. It's not that you have to have great workouts 100% of the time but in my opinion, many athletes forget what it's like to have fun when you train and compete. Training turns into drag-fests where you spend far too much time watching the clock until the workout is finally over with and you ask yourself "why I am putting myself through all of this??"
It's a mistake to your athletic journey to believe that there's a specific pathway to performance and you need to jump on that path. Whether it's ketosis, fasted workouts, decreasing body fat, reducing carbs or investing in certain gear, athletes (and coaches) often have great expectations that if X is done, Y will happen. Rather than enjoying the moment and focusing on what can be done today to bring health and happiness to the present situation, athletes are constantly hoping that success will occur in the future. Athletes are becoming way too serious with all the marginal gain approaches and end up mentally and physically burnt-out. In the end, athletes are forced to retire from the sport but more so, look back thinking that they have missed out on a big chunk of life. The food rules, concerns with body image, fatigue and other side-effects of chasing an outcome become the norm. As a result, athletes change from enjoying the journey to becoming extremely hyper-focused on every little thing that may help with performance only to become frustrated, stressed and disappointed. No longer is training fun but it's a daily stressor. No wonder so many athletes get burnout when they start taking training "too seriously."
It's a mistake to your athletic journey to believe that there's a specific pathway to performance and you need to jump on that path. Whether it's ketosis, fasted workouts, decreasing body fat, reducing carbs or investing in certain gear, athletes (and coaches) often have great expectations that if X is done, Y will happen. Rather than enjoying the moment and focusing on what can be done today to bring health and happiness to the present situation, athletes are constantly hoping that success will occur in the future. Athletes are becoming way too serious with all the marginal gain approaches and end up mentally and physically burnt-out. In the end, athletes are forced to retire from the sport but more so, look back thinking that they have missed out on a big chunk of life. The food rules, concerns with body image, fatigue and other side-effects of chasing an outcome become the norm. As a result, athletes change from enjoying the journey to becoming extremely hyper-focused on every little thing that may help with performance only to become frustrated, stressed and disappointed. No longer is training fun but it's a daily stressor. No wonder so many athletes get burnout when they start taking training "too seriously."
Training and nutrition should never be a chore. It should be something that you really want to do and not feel that you have to do to experience athletic success. If you feel a sense of dread about having to train a certain way or eat a certain way, thinking "when will this all be overwith??" you've lost touch with what's most important to you and your athletic journey. You've become way too focused on the end result.
I'd love to see a shift in attention away from assumptions. Assuming that if an athlete becomes fat-adapted or loses weight that success will follow. Assumptions that hitting certain weekly miles or metrics will ensure race readiness. I'd love to see coaches focusing more on effort, hard work, progress, patience and the value of doing your best instead of looking for every marginal gain to increase the chance of athletic success. Stop seeing the human body as an object.
Continue to work hard to optimize your performance and make smart choices that will help you better adapt to training stress. But make sure that your choices ensure a sufficient level of enjoyment.
Athletic success and fun can coexist.
I'd love to see a shift in attention away from assumptions. Assuming that if an athlete becomes fat-adapted or loses weight that success will follow. Assumptions that hitting certain weekly miles or metrics will ensure race readiness. I'd love to see coaches focusing more on effort, hard work, progress, patience and the value of doing your best instead of looking for every marginal gain to increase the chance of athletic success. Stop seeing the human body as an object.
Continue to work hard to optimize your performance and make smart choices that will help you better adapt to training stress. But make sure that your choices ensure a sufficient level of enjoyment.
Athletic success and fun can coexist.
