Have you ever noticed how almost every aspect of our lives
is calculated from the moment our alarm clocks sound at o'dark early to when we
finally put our heads on our pillows and turn out the lights to wearily drift
off to sleep after a long day of work, family, training, and running errands
around town? I keep reading reports about how schools are cutting classes like
recess and PE to fit in more instructional time; the goal being to make
children more competitive academically with the rest of the world. The CDC recommends elementary aged children
receive a minimum of 150 minutes of physical education per week (30 min per
day) in school and a total of 60 minutes/day of exercise activity. The emphasis
in schools has shifted to test scores, STEM and gifted-talented programs, being
the top student at the top schools to better prepare kids for the pressures of
the "real world"... but is it working? According to a study published
in the Journal of Health Economics, 32.6% of children age 6-11 are considered
overweight. Obesity can lead to increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular
disease, increased stress, and depression.
While lack of
physical activity in children and adults has reached an all-time high, so has
stress and depression. According to an article published in "Psychology
Today" taken from Mel Schwartz's book "The Possibility Principle: How
Quantum Physics Can Improve the Way you Think, Live, and Love" our highly
competitive cultural values are largely to blame. We live in a culture where
happiness is perceived to be directly correlated to achievement in work, in
status, and in results. In the athletic endurance sport world, many individuals
associate identity and worth with training numbers and racing results,
over-analyzing and micromanaging every aspect of their lives from every gram of
food they ingest on a daily basis to specific weight of a bike to watts per
kilogram of weight and pace per mile. While measurables such as power, heart
rate and food intake are important for training to achieve goals, when the
details become all-consuming, instead of finding joy in sport- an activity that
people initially got into to add to their life experiences, many become trapped
in a spiral of seeking stress relief through exercise, but ultimately creating
more stress because of their perception of the purpose of the workout and
outcomes of a race.
As the article
suggests, people themselves aren't dysfunctional, but we live in a society
whose emphasis on results and being the best creates a dysfunctional mindset.
The constant focus on data driven results can alienate an individual from
connecting with others. Without connections, often times passion declines and a
person can begin to feel lost, questioning why he or she is even doing what
they do. Without passion and ultimately a greater purpose, depression can creep
in. Human beings are not robots. We cannot measure every detail of our lives
from the moment we wake up in the morning to we go to sleep at night.
Eventually, the over-analysis of every detail can take a toll on the body and
the mind.
How can we
prevent symptoms of over-stress and depression from creeping into our lives,
especially when a sport like triathlon, which is supposed to be a healthy
outlet, can breed such mentality? I believe there are 3 ways we as runners,
cyclists and triathletes can not only help change the dysfunctional mentality
in our sport, but also help us as individuals thrive in doing what we love.
1. Find your "Why"
I believe
finding one’s “why” is key to success in the sport. I have a daughter with
significant special needs. Before my daughter’s birth, I would run races on
weekends, often struggling mentally during the race once the legs started
burning. I would find myself giving in to the inner voice that pleaded with me
to slow down. My daughter and so many others with debilitating conditions have
opened my eyes to how fortunate we are to be able to push our bodies and see
what they are capable of doing. Now during a race or even a really hard workout
I remind myself that I don’t have to do this, I get to do this. Those words
become my mantra to push through the pain. There are so many people in this
world who wish they had the opportunity to use their arms and legs to swim,
bike or run but can’t. I am so lucky I get to race for them and for me. Each
person has their own "why" behind everything they do. Its what gets
an individual out of bed in the morning to go to work, to train, to exist.
Identifying one's "why" is key to lighting the fire within and reminding
them of the bigger picture outside of all of the data and results on the good
days and bad.
2. Surround yourself with a supportive community
The acronym
T.E.A.M. -Together Everyone Achieves More - printed on the back of many high
school cross country teams shirts really has significant meaning to the success
of the team. If you go to a cross country meet and watch the race unfold, often
it is not the school that has a few standout runners that win the meet, but the
team that is bunched together racing through the miles in stride who ultimately
wins overall as a team. The runners take turns leading, encouraging their
teammates to stay together and push the pace.
A similar
strategy works when Canadian geese fly in a V pattern, alternating which goose
takes the helm, pushing headfirst into the wind while the rest of the flock
drafts. If a goose is injured or can't keep up, a couple of geese drop back to
fly with the slower goose and bring it back up to the pack. (insert corny joke:
Ever wonder why when a flock of Canadian geese fly overhead one side of the V
is longer than the other? Answer: There are more geese on that side!)
As adults, it is
often challenging to find a team to support and encourage. Our days are packed
with work, bills and shuttling kids to and from school and activities. We lead
busy lives, but often feel alienated and alone. After I had my daughter with
special needs, I felt even more alienated than before. Instead of connecting
with other moms at playgroups or at the ball fields, I spent my afternoons in
the waiting rooms of doctor offices and therapy clinics. I reached out to a foundation that provides
resources and advocacy for my daughter's condition and they connected with me with
another mom who told me in our 1st phone conversation that "this is just
how it is and is going to be with our kids and our lives." Needless to
say, I hung up the phone and didn't reach out to her again. I started thinking
"why does life have to be this way, not only for our kids, but for all of
us?" I would spend hours running on the wooded trails by my home (more on
that in the next paragraph), thinking there had to be more to life. I love my
daughter and will fight tooth and nail for her, but I was not made to sit at
home and wallow in my own misery of the life I have compared to the life I
hoped for.
A good runner
friend of mine was putting on a trail race not far from our home, so I signed
up to do it. After all, before kids, I was a runner. I used trail running as my
mental therapy escape, so why not jump into a race? That race was pivotal in
changing not only my mental state, but the direction of my life. I connected
with so many people that day before, during and after the race, people who
shared the same love of the outdoors, of setting goals and pushing oneself out
of their comfort zone to achieve them. Soon after, I signed up for an XTERRA
trail run race put on by Dirty Spokes Productions, a race directing company
based out of Georgia. Dirty Spokes Productions, lead by Tim Shroer and his
family, have created not only incredibly well organized, fun races, but they
have created such a positive energy and atmosphere around their races. Week
after week, the same volunteers appear in the wee hours of the morning no
matter what the weather to greet anxious racers with a smile and a hug. Tim
himself high 5's every finisher when they cross the finish line. XTERRA calls this feeling "ohana"
after their Hawaiian roots, an extended family of like-minded people who
embrace life, others, and share a philosophy of not just existing day to day,
but truly living more.
I ventured into
XTERRA triathlon soon after and discovered that same sense of community existed
in the multisport discipline as it did amongst trail runners. Granted, when the
start gun goes off, a battle ensues just as it does for road triathlon, but
there was something special about XTERRA racers I noticed... if an athlete is
struggling on the course, whether from mechanical issues with the bike, a fall
or suffering cramping, or just mentally struggling trying to get up a long
steep hill on the run, other athletes stop to ask if he needs help, make sure
he/she is okay, or give a pat on the back and encouraging word to help
motivate. These athletes are part of a Tribe that races against, but works
together for a greater goal - to get everyone to the finish line.
While racing is
one thing, finding a community that supports, encourages and lifts you up is
even more important. It may be being part of a church group, a ladies night out
or book club, or surrounding yourself and getting involved with a group of
like-minded athletes like Angela Naeth’s "I Race Like a Girl"
multisport team.
Life, just like
training, is not always easy. Life alone is even harder. But if we have people
in our lives who help build us up, believe in us when we are struggling to
believe in ourselves, give us a hug or pat on the back, we will climb our
mountains and cross our finish lines. Not only will we accomplish our goals,
but together, everyone will achieve so much more.
3. Open your eyes and escape to the outdoors
Upon being asked
why she is is venturing into trail racing after years of success on the road,
Kara Goucher recently told Runner's World that "now (she) wants to get
back into nature a little bit more. (She) grew up getting lost in the forest
and coming back muddy and dirty. That's when (she) fell in love with
running." There truly is something ethereal about being out in the woods,
disconnected from technology and the rest of the world. Often it is there where
we reconnect with nature and rediscover ourself. As John Muir, the American
naturalist and father of the natural parks, stated, "and into the forest I
go, to lose my mind and find my soul."
This past winter
has been challenging for training out here in Colorado. We have had an
exceptionally cold, snowy winter, where most weeks it will snow for a few days,
then warm up slightly, allowing the snow to begin to melt and refreeze again
over night, then just as it is dissipating, the next snow storm will roll into
the town. The trails for the most part have been a mess of snow, deep ankle
twisting icy pot holes where people have tried to hike on warmer days, and
thick, sticky mud. Much of my training has been spent on the bike trainer or
dodging ice on the roads, cranking up 80's greatest hits to distract the mind
and push me through a session. While I have gotten good, controlled, quality
workouts, focusing on power intervals on the bike with my 4iiii power meter,
and pace and cadence on the run, I have found myself often frustrated, not
during the workout, but throughout my day at little things that should be less
significant.
I miss the
trails- the sound of feet crunching over the dirt and fallen leaves, the smell of
damp wood or the pines, or a trickling brook cascading over rocks, created from
the snow melt. I miss the sound of my breath, loud and gasping as I push myself
up a long climb, pretty sure I am not staying at Zone 2 or 3 for the workout,
but rather hitting Zone 10 (if a zone of that magnitude existed). There is
something incredibly satisfying about battling not only the mountain and
reaching the top, but in quieting the voice in the head that is begging to turn
around and take the easy way back down the trail. I find that when I run or
bike on the dirt, I have to be 100% present in the moment, watching where I
place my foot or anticipating a gear change or navigating a technical portion
of trail ahead. I tune out, but am in tune, with the world around me. My heart,
brain and soul are connected in the moment whereas when I am on the trainer, or
even the roads, I am doing everything I can to distract the mind, be on edge
and wary of cars on the road- sometimes sending my heart into anxious
palpitations, and execute a workout according to a plan. I fall in love with
running and biking and ultimately myself again.
I know for many
the thought of venturing off-road in training and racing makes them incredibly
uneasy. The fear of rolling an ankle, flying over the handlebars off a bike and
into a tree, or even getting lost in the woods and attacked by a bear (I've had
those dreams too!), has them saying "no way." Hopefully over the next
few months, I can help quiet some of those fears and share a little insight
from learning the hard way as to how to not only become more comfortable
running and riding off-road, but also the joy and sense of accomplishment that
can be felt from spending time playing in the dirt. Be on the lookout in the I
Race Like a Girl blog for "Tips from the Trail" this season. It is
sure to be an adventure in the making!
"Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of
them are dirt." -John Muir
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