It is fairly early in the year, so our to do list for 2020 are quite full of fresh wishes. Before going mercilessly toward achieving them all, take a tea, and revise your why's. I promise is just worth.
Maybe you are one of the few who manage get all done and not lossing your health, partner, job, friends while achieving everything you aim for. Maybe you have achieve peace and nirvana, and there is no emptiness or to business in the busy. In that case, please skip that post, you got it!
For the rest of the mortals it is possible than even in the unlikely case of checking all the boxes, we will find empty. The reason being, to my opinion, is a superficial evaluation of our why. Here I would like to explore with you the different dimensions of the why in sport, and how can we come with a journey in sport that is fullfilling and exciting.
Very few of us can explain why we start running or climbing mountains. It just happen. A random day with a random person we moved faster or higher than normal and the next is an individual story. It does not matter for your why today where did you start or how, but rather what keeps you doing it. I am not talking about the beatifull sunny days in the alps or near a lake, or a race full of friends and colleagues. I am talking about the rough days. Those days to run on the treadmill, or lifting weights in a grey gym, or running outside when weather is terrible... What keeps you doing it?
I see many people beating lazyness or lack of purpose by external motivators: a race, a club or just a big event. Setting up a goal makes training concrete and exciting, as we will get something done, which feels most of the time great. Isn't it? What about after the event, what about the holydays where the club is closed or the season is over? Will you be doing it? What if the event got cancelled? Would all the hours spend on such a goal be a waste of time? The answer, as always, "it depends". If your only driver was external: to finish/win a race, to be part of a club, to climb a peak... probably yes, you will fill empty or lost when the motivator is gone (you finish the race, make a certain position, climbing certain route, make a podium...). If your solution is to jump into the next thing, you are not driven, you are just very busy.
Let's talk about racing. If your main reason for training is performing well in a race, either time or position, you may be setting yourself in a sure path for long term stagnation or even injury. The reason being is that we cannot control the time we make, nor the position in the ranking. In addition to that, when the only reason for training is race success, we may tradeoff performance for long term development or even health. We will pospone the necessary compensation, physio, flexibility or technique training that is not so glamorous in the short term, but definetely pays off in the long term.
In sports in general I am a quite ambitious person. I like to do very well in the ones am focusing on. That has lead me a lot of great moments but also risking longetivity and the love for the sport. I notice after some years that if, instead of time or position, I focus on effort and long term development, I will be excited and pleased, and I will have a long lasting athlete journey. I can assure you that consistency and not shortcutting trainings and progress will make you progressively better, and bring you closer to a better version of the athlete you are today.
Along the year, even if you are crazy at competing or setting goals, you will spend most of your time training. This is the main reason why the love of the process is key to ensure you have a long lasting career, whatever your level, and avoid burnout. Make time in your every week for easy , hard and fun sessions. Have frequently some adventures, and you will not get bored or feel you are not enjoying your training. Be creative in designing a training plan that is fun, exciting and diverse. It is important to balance out the trainings we love with those that are necessary (weight lifting, speed, endurance runs), but the overall feeling must be challenging, but nicely a fit with the rest of your life.
"The love of the process" sounds good but very ambiguous, hopefully I can make it clear with my own example. If you ask me now why do I train every year around 600 hours I would respond:
"There are many small reasons behind my why. First, I like to be outdoors and feel strong and healthy. Secondly, I race because I want to explore my boundaries and celebrate the sport with friends and family. Third, doing sport makes me a better person, partner and friend. Forth, I want to explore the world by my own means and have adventures, every single week of my life."
Everyone will find their own why although I think some generic rules apply:
Maybe you are one of the few who manage get all done and not lossing your health, partner, job, friends while achieving everything you aim for. Maybe you have achieve peace and nirvana, and there is no emptiness or to business in the busy. In that case, please skip that post, you got it!
For the rest of the mortals it is possible than even in the unlikely case of checking all the boxes, we will find empty. The reason being, to my opinion, is a superficial evaluation of our why. Here I would like to explore with you the different dimensions of the why in sport, and how can we come with a journey in sport that is fullfilling and exciting.
Very few of us can explain why we start running or climbing mountains. It just happen. A random day with a random person we moved faster or higher than normal and the next is an individual story. It does not matter for your why today where did you start or how, but rather what keeps you doing it. I am not talking about the beatifull sunny days in the alps or near a lake, or a race full of friends and colleagues. I am talking about the rough days. Those days to run on the treadmill, or lifting weights in a grey gym, or running outside when weather is terrible... What keeps you doing it?
I see many people beating lazyness or lack of purpose by external motivators: a race, a club or just a big event. Setting up a goal makes training concrete and exciting, as we will get something done, which feels most of the time great. Isn't it? What about after the event, what about the holydays where the club is closed or the season is over? Will you be doing it? What if the event got cancelled? Would all the hours spend on such a goal be a waste of time? The answer, as always, "it depends". If your only driver was external: to finish/win a race, to be part of a club, to climb a peak... probably yes, you will fill empty or lost when the motivator is gone (you finish the race, make a certain position, climbing certain route, make a podium...). If your solution is to jump into the next thing, you are not driven, you are just very busy.
Let's talk about racing. If your main reason for training is performing well in a race, either time or position, you may be setting yourself in a sure path for long term stagnation or even injury. The reason being is that we cannot control the time we make, nor the position in the ranking. In addition to that, when the only reason for training is race success, we may tradeoff performance for long term development or even health. We will pospone the necessary compensation, physio, flexibility or technique training that is not so glamorous in the short term, but definetely pays off in the long term.
In sports in general I am a quite ambitious person. I like to do very well in the ones am focusing on. That has lead me a lot of great moments but also risking longetivity and the love for the sport. I notice after some years that if, instead of time or position, I focus on effort and long term development, I will be excited and pleased, and I will have a long lasting athlete journey. I can assure you that consistency and not shortcutting trainings and progress will make you progressively better, and bring you closer to a better version of the athlete you are today.
Along the year, even if you are crazy at competing or setting goals, you will spend most of your time training. This is the main reason why the love of the process is key to ensure you have a long lasting career, whatever your level, and avoid burnout. Make time in your every week for easy , hard and fun sessions. Have frequently some adventures, and you will not get bored or feel you are not enjoying your training. Be creative in designing a training plan that is fun, exciting and diverse. It is important to balance out the trainings we love with those that are necessary (weight lifting, speed, endurance runs), but the overall feeling must be challenging, but nicely a fit with the rest of your life.
"The love of the process" sounds good but very ambiguous, hopefully I can make it clear with my own example. If you ask me now why do I train every year around 600 hours I would respond:
"There are many small reasons behind my why. First, I like to be outdoors and feel strong and healthy. Secondly, I race because I want to explore my boundaries and celebrate the sport with friends and family. Third, doing sport makes me a better person, partner and friend. Forth, I want to explore the world by my own means and have adventures, every single week of my life."
Everyone will find their own why although I think some generic rules apply:
- The strongest driver is internal and not external: we do sport for ourselves, not for the others.
- The grounds should last over time, it cannot be a single time event or result driven
- It must balance commitment and joy
- It has to come deep from us, but be revisited and can slightly change over time
- It should contain a lot of celebration/compassion, and little shame
Sport can be very rewarding, despite its apparent stupidity or lack of material outcome. In comparison to work or social relantionships, it can give feedback very fast to us. Almost every training can make us feel better or worse about ourselves. That has to be used wisely. People to tend to identify themselves to much with sport, tend to get lost or very empty in times of injury, off season, or unexpected results. We are more than runners, climbers or athletes in general, and people should love us independently of our achievements. There is a growing tendency of basing our relationships links to the sport, so the personal connection is left appart. I strongly advice against it, so even friendships made during sport activities should have a wider range of connectors with us, so in case sport has to stop, our social network does not fall apart.
It is easy to get lost, and to pile up with activities, trips and races. But, as long as there is space for gratitude and compasion, with ourselves and the others, we will be closer to a why that will make us problably happier, although not as successful as our competitive "us" wants. Doing sport as a celebration of our health, the spaces we can visit, our mates. Being nice and appreciate the effort that anyone put on their goals, being compasonate with our own bodies and with our failures. A life driven by gratitude and compasion can never become outdated or obsolete, as it will find ways to being fresh and excited in the present and for the future.
I wish all of you the best why's for you and the ones you love.
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To summarize (for visual goats!):
LOVE THE PROCESS
FOCUS ON LONG TERM DEVELOPMENT
(STOP RUNNING WITH YOUR HEELS!!!)
CONSISTENCY OVER SHORT TERM WINS
(USE A VARIETY OF SPORTS)
MAKE FRIENDSHIPS STRONGER
THAN YOUR GOALS
BE GRATEFUL, HUMBLE
AND COMPASIONATE
EVERYTHING WILL BE ALL RIGHT ; )
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