Life Lessons Learned from Training and Racing

There is no doubt that living through a pandemic has challenges. 

I know for myself, my family and my business that each day presents something new that we need to either adjust to or learn from. In the past weeks, I have had my fair share of ups and downs.

There have been moments of joy and peace, as well as moments of grief and frustration. For the most part, I feel like I have adjusted as well as I can and have done my best to go with the flow. 

Right now, a lot of us are missing the fact that we can’t race and we don’t know if a lot of the planned races for summer or fall will take place. I am hoping for a sprint tri in August and a half marathon in December to happen, but we will see how things play out. (I am also trying to nurse plantar fasciitis, so things also depend on how the foot is feeling.)

Over the last few days, I have taken some time to reflect on a few things I have learned over the years from training for different running races and triathlons. Even though races aren’t happening now, I can still practice a few of the lessons that my favorite hobbies have taught me. 

Plan for and schedule what you have to do first. 

When I began to train for running races and triathlons, a lesson I quickly learned was this: on my schedule, I needed to prioritize what I had to do in order to achieve my goal; put those things on the agenda first, before filling in the rest of the day.

If I had to run three days, then those runs were on the calendar and I had a date with myself.  It helped to have a plan and know what was coming up. For example, when I first started to train for races, I had to plan for child coverage, because my kiddos were in preschool. Having it all on the calendar helped keep me on track with goals and logistics.

This strategy helps me today because while I am not training for any races, I do run a business and still find it important to get my workouts in each day.

Even though my kids are now teenagers, they still need some help and accountability during the day with the homeschooling they now have to do.  Having a plan is still essential. I list out tasks for the day and designate a block of time to get them done.

Sometimes there may be something that doesn’t get done (more on that below). To set myself up for success, I record tasks on the calendar, communicate my schedule to my family, and make sure other pieces of my daily puzzle are in place. This attention to planning helps a great deal. 

Routine helps.

Routine is key for me each day. I love to start my day the same, even on the weekends. I have been like this for as long as I remember. My routine may have shifted or changed over the years, but right now, I can count on waking up early, having coffee, having time for meditation or another mindfulness practice, and completing my workout all before the rest of the family opens their eyes.

My little lady settling into a new homeschool routine. This was “Art Class”

My days start off with a beautiful and quiet solitude. When this doesn’t happen, I feel like I am a disaster. Having routines in place helps the cadence of my day.

On the days when the routine gets out of whack, I literally have to take time to get re-centered in order to move forward. 

Control what you can control. 

Remember I said that sometimes things just don’t happen, no matter how well we have planned?

There are many uncontrollable things at races and in life. On race day, so many little things can go our way or not. Everything from nerves to nutrition to weather to the actions of other competitors can impact our day in some way.

In life, we can experience many uncontrollable events in a day that can leave us feeling unsettled or worrying our time away into a worm hole. The one thing we can control, both in races and in life, is our attitude. If we can do our best to stay positive and look for the good, that helps. We will continue to see the good. We do have a choice over these things and this can make a difference in how our days go. 

It's okay to have a bad day. 

This was me at the end of Augusta 70.3 in September 2019. I was ready for PR and ended up having my worst time. Day was hot. I was off. Just one of those days. There was still fun and smiles.

Give yourself the grace to have a bad day. Some days do not go according to plan. Workouts won’t go smoothly, sleep sucked, nutrition wasn’t the best, or you may just have felt off for no real reason. By knowing and understanding that bad days do happen, we can let them happen and move on. It’s good to not dwell on them. Learn from them if there is something to learn and then let the yucky day move on. Forgive yourself and just move right on back to that positive attitude. 

We can learn new things at any age.

I was 32 when I started running and 36 when I trained for my first sprint triathlon. Nothing about me growing up was athletic.

I danced for many years as a child but did not do any kind of sport. I lacked both the confidence to be a part of a team and the coordination for ball sports.

But as an adult, I find that running and triathlon jive with me. (This is by no means to say that I am a talented athlete, I just enjoy these sports a lot.)

I think it is the fact that running and triathlons are solo sports. No one depends on me. If I mess up, I am the only one who is affected. I can go at my own pace. It has been incredible to pick these hobbies up as an adult.

Becoming a competitor in this way has given me great confidence, the confidence I needed when I opened my own business in 2013. And here is the crux of the matter: whether we are employed or own a business, whether we are a novice or a master, we must always keep learning. 

When I first started running and competing in triathlons, I knew nothing about heart rate training, proper form, swimming technique, watts, or even how to put on a bicycle helmet the correct way. The learning curve for everything was HUGE!

It seemed as though anytime I turned around, there would be something new to learn. I loved it. Now, as a business owner, I am continuing to learn new skills, and I still love it! The pandemic certainly accelerated a lot of learning for many of us as we learn how to do business in a different way.

Technology has given me a run for the money in recent weeks. Thanks for my patience hat and at-home tech support.

Technology has been a gift but has also reminded us to wear our patient hats and show compassion to ourselves and others as we learn new ways to connect. And we are learning to live with our loved ones in a totally different environment, with totally new stresses. Learning never stops. Always be open to being a student of life.

Celebrate little wins. 

As we achieve little milestones during this time, be it learning a new skill, cleaning out a room, or finishing a project that has been on our to-do list for a while, it is important that we celebrate our little victories.

These wins help us keep going. They keep us motivated. Just like when you train for a race and you celebrate your weekly mileage or the fact you hit a new goal pace, you are inspired to keep moving forward.

Little victories go a long way. Let’s keep celebrating. It feels good to pause, reflect, and give thanks. So be good to yourselves!

Me after Chatt 70.3 in May 2017. Loved this race.

Michael D’Aulerio, author of A Runner’s Secret and The Ultramarathon Guide writes, “On race day, find the comfort in being uncomfortable and hold on tight.” Aren’t we all a bit – well, maybe a lot – uncomfortable right now?

Well, maybe this is where we hold on tight and get ready for our next race. Maybe this is where we get used to the uncomfortable, so we rise above it on the course. Maybe this is the challenge we all need right now to become stronger. 

Have a great week and thanks for reading.

I am linking up with Coach Debbie , Running on Happy, Confessions of Mother Runner, Mile by Mile, Fauxrunner , Run with Pugs