Three more weeks of training behind me and now only 11 weeks until we lace them up for the real thing! The last three weeks saw a well needed increase in outdoor activities, including several open water swims (swimming anywhere but the pool). It is vital getting comfortable in open water as to not totally loose your sh*t on race day when the cannon fires and 2,500 people start swinging arms and legs. With this in mind I participated in an 'aquathon' race this past week to get just that experience. The race had a little over 150 people and it consisted of a 1,000 meter swim followed by a 5K foot race. I started the swim right in the mix because I wanted to get bounced around a bit and to my surprise it wasn't nearly as bad as described by others. I was grabbed a couple of times and thankfully with my football background was able to throw a few shoulders and haymakers myself. Eventually I got back to the beach and ran a fast race and was able to get across the finish line feeling affirmed that my training has been making a difference.
I think it's incredibly important when setting a goal, to occasionally seek out some reassurance that you're doing the right things and a difference is being made. Whether your goal is to lose weight, run a certain mileage, feel better, have more energy, or fit into some piece of clothing, you need to 'check-in' along the way to determine if you're on the right track. I'm not talking about winning a competition or stepping on the scale each week and seeing another 10 pounds dropped, I'm talking about much smaller victories to keep you motivated. So maybe you didn't drop any weight this week, but instead you fit into a piece of clothing or you have more energy, that's a win and that's affirmation that your hard work is paying off. You may not have been able to run the full 2 miles, but if you ran a few blocks further today than you did last week then again it's a win because your training is paying off and making a difference.
I think it's much easier to set a goal and achieve it if you have check-points along the way that reassure you that the hard work and dedication is making a difference. Your goals are personal to you and should never be compared with anyone else's, and the same about the grandeur of your check-points. Don't get down on yourself because someone lost 5 pounds and you didn't loose any, be honest with yourself and find the silver lining in what you accomplished and did to make yourself better that day. Keep your head up and get back to work on achieving your goals!
No comments:
Post a Comment