I am starting to get a flow and joy back when I approach a workout, a genuine excitement has been sparked. After a full year of training and races culminating with two of the biggest of my life to date, recovery was more than a necessity-it was welcomed with open arms. My top strength is Activator so usually rest and recovery doesn’t come naturally or from a place of comfort in my life. Once I reach a threshold, my inclination is to see how far I can explore this new level of strength and potential I have tapped. It can often bring a feeling of backsliding or complacency if I don’t continue full throttle forward. Instead I must continue to learn to acknowledge growth with gratitude and allow a period of rest to refocus and recover.
After completing my first full Ironman triathlon and only a month later my 2nd road marathon in Chicago, my body was full of adrenaline and satisfaction with the level of endurance attained. It was also inherently tired and ready for rest. It wasn’t long after that the feeling of fear that I would lose that fitness base and slide back to square one started to seep into my thoughts. I had worked so hard all year to build my physical and mental fitness levels to this point, so wouldn’t it be wise to maintain them? Yes.
What I quickly realized is that after a few weeks of feeling unsettled without a training plan to follow laid out every week is that I now again had the freedom to get outside and enjoy these same activities for the pure joy it brings me. To be able to on a whim add a trail run to my week, to embrace the peace of the woods and still find that mental strength in space. It was a gentle reminder that life is not a zero sum game, it is a journey all its own that you can continue to build without the fear of backsliding. And when you allow yourself that space to recover you will find that foundation again that you’ve built when you’re ready.
Another hurdle in finding this calm in the off-season was accepting that cold weather was soon to come and take away so many of the opportunities to get outside. With the days growing shorter I found that this was just another practice in adapting to the parameters of the season of the year and life. It’s so easy to feel ungrounded in the Fall/Winter months and let our mood dip without feeling that drive. Reflection and mindful embrace of each moment can bring those thoughts into alignment with a restful state of mind. Acknowledging each moment of growth and the incredible chapter that may be coming to a close while you open and begin a new one.
The true secret is to find that joy again, the root feeling or emotion that brought you to training for whatever it may be. Go outside or take it to the mat and tap into that smile and gratitude for what you’ve been blessed with: health, opportunity, joy, community and most importantly the desire to continue growing and building. May the sun shine on your trails and new goals come into view with patience and renewed excitement. Happy Off-season!
Ad Astra Per Aspera