Training and excuses!
Training and excuses!
Sport
I crashed during a race five weeks, or so, ago. We were going towards a corner at around 30 mph. The person in front of the racer I was following used his brakes (something you never want to do because it’s dangerous, as well as scrubs off too much speed which then requires too much effort to get your speed back up again when coming out of the corner). The racer I was following went down because his front wheel got caught in the rear wheel of the idiot braking! Needless to say, I too went down hard, taking an additional five riders with us! It hurt but I was very lucky that I did not break anything! Lost skin around my left knee and elbow, bruised my left shoulder and hip. Ouch!
Prior to the crash I had a few weeks of inconsistent training due to alignment issues stemming from my left toe. This affected my calf, knee, glutes, and lower back, resulting in pain when on my bike for more than an hour.
Now that my injuries are almost healed (a good portion of my alignment issues have been sorted out by working with a Physical Therapist) it is time to get back to a regular training program. But, I’ve really been having a difficult time doing that! Mentally I have not been on point, and noticed that I have been coming up with a bunch of excuses to skip a day here or there, or making the workout less intense than it needed to be!
This procrastination, while it feels good the moment I decide to let myself off the hook, over the course of a number of days it has created guilt, disappointment and stress as I have fallen, even more, behind my fitness goals. I have noticed that this situation has unconsciously flowed over to other aspects of my life as well, and has affected my concentration and creativity considerably, adding unnecessary negativity on me.
I am taking a stand! Enough is enough! Tomorrow I am fully re-committing myself to my workouts, as an athlete and a cyclist. I have to remember that a positive “can-do” attitude will separate me from 95% of the World’s 48 year olds!
Life
Overall I am an organized and tidy person. Everything has its place. As already stated my attitude on the bike, over the last few weeks, began flowing over into the rest of my life. For instance, I also have been procrastinating on stuff I should be taking care of such as monthly bills, laundry, washing the car, having the air conditioning in my house serviced, etc. By not taking care of things as quickly as I normally would, it has created an “unsettled” environment for me, which takes away my ability to relax. When I do have time to relax the need to do something, in regards to taking care of outstanding items, becomes an overpowering force.
Over the last few days I have forced myself to get back to my old habits of dealing with things as they come up, so there is not such a backlog. Renewing my commitment to the “do-as-you-go” philosophy not only prevents stress build-up, but also ultimately saves me a lot of time which I can apply to more important things…such as truly relaxing!
Building Momentum Living Life! 
I love the structure of your blog. So much to connect to and ponder. I can never be reminded enough to keep a close eye on my willingness to become a first-class excuse generator! Thank you, and I’m happy to hear you’re back on track…literally! Jylian
Thank you Jylian! Thank you for your observations and positivity! I know that the stuff I have written, and will write, about will be things that everyone has gone through and can relate to. I really appreciate and encourage feedback from everyone reading my posts, especially about how and what I go through relates to other people…Thank you again!
Mmm, I too am usually a do-it-now, keep-on-top-of-things person, but can relate to how you feel if you put off doing the boring, humdrum, everyday stuff. I have a mental block about cleaning my wooden floors – not a huge area in comparison to some houses, but to do a thorough job I vacuum first, then wash with a mop. It usually takes between an hour to an hour and a half. I know, though, that when I do eventually have clean floors I’ll be a lot happier!!
Hi Fran!….it’s amazing how little adjustments can really add to the quality of our life. Hope things are well in England, and I look forward to additional comments and observations, from you, down the road!
Well- it’s good to hear I’m not the only one procrastinating! As an athlete reaching my mid forties- it’s very inspirational to see someone else who when facing obstacles- going through similar struggles with maintaining and progressing toward your goals (both fitness and the mundane daily goals of life)- and then able to reassert oneself and move forward in a positive way.
Now I better go clean my apartment after I take a spin on my bike!