Getting through things

One week after my second surgery and here I sit on the couch. I knew when I set out on this journey this would be the worst week, and it has been. Don’t get me wrong, my spirits OK. I’m just as out of shape as I have been literally in 15 years, and as immobile as I think I have ever been in my life. Add to that it’s my right foot right now and I cannot drive.

You know what though, I already have 1 week done! 5 to go.

As I tell my athletes when things look overwhelming, just take things one thing at a time. Here are some simple tricks I have used to do just that:

-        Marine Corps. Boot camp: I would try to make it to each meal. The weeks were too much, sometimes even the days. But I could make it from breakfast to lunch, then luck to dinner. Then soon I would wake up and have breakfast again. And so on. They add up pretty quickly.

-        With huge blocks of training: I would have weekly hours over 20 when I was working 2 full time jobs years ago. It was quite tough. Even when I was working less I would see some weeks I would think “how the hell am I going to do this?”. One workout at a time. Even on days you think you’ll have no time. If you just get one done, then try to find a window for the next. You’ll be surprised what you can do.

-        Workouts: this one is key and can be used for any sport. I would look at sets and start to anticipate how I would feel at the end. Then I could easily let that make me feel defeated before I even started. DON’T DO THAT. Take the next interval and so the best you can per the instructions for that interval. Then about 90 percent through your rest interval evaluate the next interval. Do the best you can at each one.

-        Races: Same as workouts. Evaluate how you feel right now and make choices based on that. For long course you have to obviously have to think about how you feel right now relative to the plan so you can finish strong. However, if you are at mile 10 of a 70.3, worry about the next 15 min. manage that. Then work on the next 15 min.

-        Injuries: For this one, I’m learning a lot on the job. What has been working for me is to try to get through weeks. I get through the weeks by trying to get to PT sessions. I know I have 2 of those a week most of the time. So if I can get to Tuesday I get a progress report. Then I only have one free day before I am back. Then I am only one day away from the weekend and those always fly! Then its Monday again and I into another week and 1 day away from PT.