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Spring Training

Posted on by jim_pgh05

Although you can never be sure when the last few cold days will strike, a good spring warm-up is the time for all outdoor athletes to shed their layers of winter clothing and once again expose their lungs and limbs to the warm, fresh air. Runners, cyclists, tennis players, skateboarders, walkers, softball players and others can revel in the hope of another season in the sun. But where to begin?

In this one regard at least, we can turn our eye to professional baseball for a cue. Tradition has it that they start their preparation for the season with the ritual of spring training. They begin with a few days of stretching, jogging, and general loosening up. Then, they begin to practice their basic hitting, throwing, and catching skills. Next may come intra-squad games where they play against their own team in “simulated” games. Finally, they play games against other teams, but these don’t yet count against the season’s record. They’re still practice; a time for sharpening skills for the competition yet to come.

Let’s deconstruct spring training for a moment to understand what’s really going on. What you see is a measured progression toward the target skills and environment of the competitive season. You start with the very basics, even if you’re a seasoned professional. Although there may have been off-season training, you still need to refocus on the skills you wish to apply and the muscles needed to perform. Basic conditioning, or reconditioning, helps ease your body back into form while minimizing the risk of injury.

Once the body is warmed up, you move to practicing elemental skills. You don’t start with the final, full-on performance, you begin with the components that go into it. You throw the ball around or hit some batting practice. You work to strengthen and refine the pieces of the puzzle so everything fits more smoothly when you put it all together.

Finally, you get your game on. But again, you ease into it. Rather than jumping straight into full competition, you simulate the conditions you’ll face. You start with non-threatening or non-competitive practice sessions that enable you to pull your game together without fear of making costly mistakes. This helps you develop your skills and comfort for the competitive arena. Soon, you are ready for the big time.

To help you translate baseball spring training to your personal context, let’s take a look at how someone’s cycling season can get revved up. The process begins in winter, when you concentrate on leg strengthening exercises and stretching. You’re preparing the legs for the long road ahead, but not yet doing cycling-specific activity. The next phase is indoor bike riding. For example, you can ride an indoor bike for 30-60 minutes at a moderate pace. You’re not racing or doing tons of miles; just easing the body back into condition.

Once the weather turns favorable, you hit the road. You begin with shorter, less intense rides to prime the skills needed for safe road riding. As the base miles accumulate and your legs start to come back on form, you start to mix in some hill and speed work to gain strength and endurance. As the race season approaches, you build to longer and harder efforts that approximate the intensity of competition. This whole process spans 3-4 months, and literally fills spring with training.

Spring training isn’t just for the spring, or even just for athletes. No matter what your favorite sport or activity, a gradual “spring training” process will help you prepare for success. For example, if you’re a skier or skater, your spring training will be in the fall. Your off-season cross-training will occur in the summer. You’ll slowly transition into your sport and toward competitive form throughout autumn. By winter, you’ll be in prime form for performance.

Outside the fitness arena, you will find that life works along the same lines. Think about starting a new job, forming a new friendship, or picking up a new hobby. If it’s something you’re new to or haven’t done for a while, don’t expect yourself to be fully on your game from day one. Figure out what you need to be able to do to be successful and give yourself the chance to develop and refine your skills before you expect top results. The process may take only days or weeks to complete rather than a full season, but the basic concepts of spring training stay the same.

It’s Not About the Race

Posted on by jim_pgh05

You see them in the park on dark, snowy, windy days. They plod along with grim determination. The minutes stretch to hours. Their faces become lost in the blank stare of watching miles of road pass beneath them. They are the runners training for spring marathons.

Marathon training is never a particularly fun activity. There are long miles to be run and sore muscles to be endured. I see the runners in the park and I can just tell who is doing their long run for the week. They are resigned to their pace and the wind in their face. They are calm and stoic, demonstrating a willingness to sacrifice that few know or understand. I know this because I was one of them.

            It’s not easy to train for a marathon, but that’s not the point of this article. What I really want to discuss is what marathoners demonstrate – a profound understanding of the value of hard work. Few people can just go out and run 26 miles any time they want. You have to work for it. Anyone involved in sport or fitness can relate to that. To get better, stronger, or faster, you have to earn it.

            One of the roads that I occasionally ride when doing hill work on my bike comes to mind. On the steepest pitch, someone has painted motivational phrases to help them keep pushing. One phrase that always catches my eye is, “Train Hard, Work Easy.” This phrase recognizes that the hardest work you do isn’t necessarily during the race, but during the training you put in to get the race.

            Spectators don’t always get it. They see the race, game or event and think that’s what being an athlete is all about. I always get a little annoyed during a sports event like the Olympics when the commentators make a big deal about how this or that athlete has sacrificed to get there. Duh. All athletes sacrifice to get where they are, even if it’s someone who is lagging far behind the winners in a local competition. Being an athlete, especially at a highly competitive level, is a lifestyle of sacrifice.

            It’s not about the race, it’s about the dedication to work hard in order to improve yourself and your performance. The race is the icing on the cake; it’s the reward for the work. It’s where you get to lay it on the line. But, you can’t even get to that line without doing the work.

            Fitness endeavors of any kind presuppose a long-range goal or vision. Training for something like a marathon or the Olympics doesn’t happen overnight. You plan. You train. You assess. You train some more. You keep your sights on your goal even when all you see is gray skies and empty roads. But you don’t give up in the face of short-sighted isolation, you press on knowing that it’s all part of the path to your goal and success.

My financial advisor, who happens to be a runner, keeps telling me the same thing. Stick with your long-term goals. Don’t let occasional rough spots dissuade you. Hold on to your vision with discipline and you’ll reap the rewards. Sound familiar? It’s like running a marathon. Patience and persistence lead to the payoff. Life mimics sport. Or is it the other way around?

            Dedication. Discipline. Determination. These are words that characterize fitness enthusiasts. These characteristics will serve you well through life, as well. It’s not about the race; it’s about being willing to put in the effort to get there.

Spread the Love

Posted on by jim_pgh05

      You feel it inside.  There’s a yearning… a passion… a desire that longs to be satisfied.  You can’t explain it, but there’s something about it that breathes life into you and gives you a pleasure that others can never know.  It motivates you… drives you… compels you to answer its call.  It is your next workout.  Well, at least for some of us.

      Sadly, most people don’t understand our love for exercise.  They scoff at our dedication.  They turn their noses to our sweaty clothes.  They use the word “obsession” like it was a bad thing.  But we feel the passion and energy that sport embodies.  We turn a deaf ear to the critics and cynics.  We listen to our bodies and our heart.  We believe in fitness as a lifestyle rather than as an occasional activity.

      We find others who experience the same kind of passion.  We meet at the gym, on the court, or in competition.  We form a fellowship based on the fire within.  Our common bond is an uncommon spirit.  We experience the joy of energy expended yielding energy gained, and of energy shared as energy multiplied.  We know the power and the positive potential of obsession.  We are athletes who are in it for the love, not the money.

      The love is a personal thing, but you don’t have to keep it to yourself.  You can spread the love to others.  It’s something of a duty to not only carry the torch further yourself, but to pass it on to others.  Here are some ideas for how you can spread the love.

  • Be Yourself.  If the love is in you, all you really need to do is to be yourself and the love will shine through.  Health and fitness radiate far beyond sport.  They are reflected in every facet of your life.  You have an added strength, energy, and confidence that emanates from inside.  Don’t try to mask it; be proud of who and what you are.
  • Be Active.  Nothing keeps the individual and collective energy going like activity.  If you feel the love, act on it.  Find ways to integrate it into your life.  Strive to develop your potential in some way every day.
  • Be Visible.  Don’t be shy about your passion, let it show.  It’s hard to spread the love locked in your room.  The more others can see the dedication and development you exhibit, the more it can activate and inspire them.
  • Be an Advocate.  Look for opportunities to further the cause of fitness.  Lobby for showers or an exercise room at work.  Support efforts to develop community parks and trails.  Promote the ideas and ideals of a healthy lifestyle.  Work to make the world a better place.
  • Be a Coach.  You may take the knowledge you’ve gained over the years for granted, but others just starting out can benefit from your wisdom.  Unsolicited comments are sometimes not welcomed, but a friendly conversation that leads into positive tips can open a new window of opportunity for sharing and growth.  Whether informal or organized, coaching is a direct pathway for spreading the love.
  • Be a Mentor.  Positive encouragement and guidance don’t have to stop with sport.  The lessons from fitness can be carried into the rest of life.  Being a mentor is an enriched form of coaching.  It reaches deeper inside.  It can direct and mold the person, not just the athlete.
  • Be a Role Model.  Coaching and mentoring are mostly about “the talk.”  Being a role model is about “the walk.”  Showing and doing are more powerful than saying.  Exhibiting the virtues often attracts more interest than extolling them in words.  Lead by example.  Show others how positive and energizing a healthy lifestyle can be.
  • Be Supportive.  There are thousands of worthy causes in the world.  While you can’t support them all, you can purposefully select the ones you choose to support.  Look for places and possibilities for sharing your time, talents, and financial assistance that directly relate to your inner passion.  Support is more rewarding when it comes from your heart.
  • Be a Volunteer.  Give back to what you love.  Enable and empower others.  Don’t just get out of the way when you pass the torch, help keep it alive so others can thrive.

Like Riding a Bike

Posted on by jim_pgh05

      It all began many years ago, as many life experiences do, as a faintly glimmering dream lodged in the back recesses of my brain.  It seemed silly at times to even consider the possibility.  Could I do it?  Maybe.  Should I try it?  Possibly.  Did I have any reason to believe it would succeed?  Not really.

      But the thought I had in mind wouldn’t go away.  Instead of fading into oblivion, it captured my imagination and began to grow.  The more I thought about it, the more I felt the need to at least make an effort.  It wouldn’t go away until I proved, one way or the other, whether it was reality or just a fantasy.

      No, I’m not talking about running the Boston Marathon or anything like that.  But what I’m describing does have an interesting symmetry with the experience athletes have in pursuing their sport.  There’s an inner drive or compulsion that pushes you on in spite of the odds clearly being stacked against you.  The experience I’m relating is that of writing my book, Like Riding a Bike: A Cycle Logical Exploration of Life.

      The idea for the book had its birth during my college years – the lessons of cycling parallel those of life.  It seemed simple and straightforward.  Surely someone must have written a book like that, but I could find none.  I thought, “Well, maybe I’ll just have to write it myself.”  Ha!  Who am I to think I can write a book (or be an athlete, or…)?  But the seed had been planted.

      As the years after college passed, I gained more and varied experiences riding bikes.  I toured.  I raced.  I rode for transportation.  I pedaled for fun.  I also spent time thinking about life and about how you can go about living it.  And I noticed a lot of parallel lessons along the way.  And still, nobody had written the book.

      Finally, at some point, I couldn’t take it any more.  I had to satisfy my curiosity.  I had to try.  I had to let the book inside me out.  I spent nearly a year laying the groundwork.  I sketched out ideas and developed a plan of attack.  I mustered the dedication and discipline needed for a long-term commitment toward exercising my dream.  Then I began the real work, writing the manuscript.

      One year and 200,000 words later I had the first draft of my book.  It was a bit rough and unwieldy, but it was a promising start.  Like the sports I had come to love, I knew it would take time to refine it into something more worthy, but there was satisfaction in reaching the first of many milestones.

      With a manuscript in hand, I turned my efforts to seeking a publisher.  I had written the book out of the personal need to do it, but that’s not to say my fantasy didn’t include becoming a best-selling author.  While I didn’t hang my livelihood or self-worth on publication, I also didn’t surrender the dream.  It became a hobby – send out a few proposals every month and watch the rejection folder slowly grow.

      As I waited for my publication dreams to come to full fruition, I went back and worked on the book itself.  I had learned a lot about writing as I worked through the first draft, and I learned even more by paying attention to writers, publishers, agents, and friends.  The lessons are out there, if you’re open and willing to receive them.  That’s how you improve.

      Over time, I worked through three major revisions.  Each cycle involved honing my skills, trimming the excess (now it’s down to less than 50,000 words), and sharpening my focus.

      Sadly, the publishing industry doesn’t seem to be quite ready for a totally unique and insightful book like mine.  But the dream lives, and I have the persistence of a marathoner.  I’ve worked a with self-publishing house called Xlibris to bring my vision to life – or at least to paperback.  So in the end, I’ve found a way to fulfill that crackpot idea from years ago.  But is it the end or is it just the beginning?  There’s still that whole best-seller thing to work on.  Anything is possible if you keep working toward it.  Dreams can fuel a lifetime.

      If you’d like to see what dreaming can accomplish, look for my book in the bookstore of www.xlibris.com (author name Jim Edwards – it’s shorter and easier).  Or you can check “Book” section of my web site LRBconnections.com.  I promise to sign it the next time you see me.