As a life-long athlete, I crave competition. I love showing up to a race with the desire to give my best and leave it all out on the race course. But with the temporary removal of "race day" competitions for the uknown future, I continue to seek opportunities to release my competitive spirit. Some workouts are intense. I find myself smiling (or perhaps it's a cringe) through the pain of a challenging workout that leaves me drenched in sweat and completely drained and empty. These workouts are so hard and the suffering is so intense that it actually cleanses my soul. It's a sick type of pleasure that feeds my inner athlete.
Having said that, the passion I feel for the sport of triathlon and being part of this incredible triathlon community provides a sense of belonging, purpose, opportunity for growth and pursuit of victory - all without an actual race day start and finish line. Fortunantly, within every workout, I can still give myself a proverbial start and finish line.
While it may look as if I sometimes lose perspective on what it means to be an athlete (I probably stop to take pictures of nature and say hi to animals far too often), it's actually the opposite.
What we (athletes) are going through right now is really hard. It’s challenging in ways that we could not have planned for. We are all struggling with fear, anxiety, changing moods (ups and downs) and worry. This isn’t easy. This is hard. Really really hard. Not one of us - you, me or anyone out there - is expected to have all the answers as to how you are supposed to feel, function and act during this time.
While it's good to feed your body and mind with challenging workouts, a key ingredient to thrive during this time of uncertainty is to commit yourself to several weekly emotionally fulfilling workouts. These workouts help give life rich meaning, soulful purpose and ecstatic joy. Whereas you may be used to thinking of workouts as something that must be endured and not enjoyed, now is the time to make workotus pleasurable, soul-fulfilling and emotionally satisfying.
If you are struggling with how to train during a time of cancelled races and living with a pendulum of emotions, I encourage you to include workouts into your weekly training that can serve as a healthy way to unload stress, process deep emotions and emerge more balanced and self-aware. Look at your surroundings, stop when it feels right (without guilt or self-judgement) and be creative with your use of "me time." It's ok (and necessary) to continue to push your physical limits but make space in your training for these necessary emotionally fulfilling training sessions.