Having just passed the winter solstice as well as the realization that 2014 marks my twenty year high school reunion has given rise to some philosophical reflection. Whilst it is not necessarily of benefit to live in the past, memories – good and bad – can in fact be invaluable in seizing the now and building for the future.
Whenever I think back to1994, I'm immediately taken back to time of great anticipation, incredible drive and just enjoying the moment. While this year no doubt stands out in South Africa's turbulent history, the aforementioned emotions relate to my personal mindset at the time. In short, I was in state of pure motivation.
There are periods in life where the stars just align and one seemingly rides an endless wave, sometimes unconsciously. Often, these periods are only valued long after their occurrence, especially during times less inspiring. A good friend once remarked that great memories are better than the actual events. I have to say that I do agree with this statement to a certain extent; it is certainly futile to hark back to the good old days in an attempt to reverse one's fortunes. That said, I wonder what is going on in Bradley Wiggins' mind at the moment given two years in the cycling wilderness; is he longing for the glory days of 2012 where the top step of the podium was but a formality? Sometimes a change is the best remedy and in Wiggins' case, a transfer to another team may go some way to revitalizing his seemingly flagging career. Yet you can't just expect things to fall into place without a deep-rooted belief in what you are doing. In my case, my motivations twenty years ago were pretty much twofold:
- gain acceptance into tertiary education, more specifically the National Diploma Cartography course beginning the following year.
- earn provincial selection in my chosen sport at the time, Olympic Distance triathlon.
If successful, both goals would culminate early the following year; commencement of my studies and competing as part of the provincial squad in the national championships. I have great memories of that time, where the yearlong pursuit of those aspirations was perhaps more important and enjoyable than the actual result.
Over the past few years, I've noticed an increasing trend amongst athletes of all levels to focus solely on the end goal, while not necessarily enjoying the process. Everything is quantified and analysed while the pure simplicity of the desired sporting activity is often lost by the wayside. Why is that? What is the driving factor of these highly motivated individuals that leads to self-sabotage and an impure mindset? I ask myself these questions often, although I'm not sure if I have the answers.
Another recurring thought of mine – and a lingering one at that – is my fascination with what I was doing on any particular day the previous year. If specifically related to my athletic pursuits, this reflection can be beneficial or detrimental; it just depends on interpretation.
Take the winter of 2013 for instance. In my quest for personal best marathon time, I was running twice daily several times a week, effectively putting in some “real” mileage for the first time in my three decades afoot. I felt no pain and was swept along by the true anticipation and enjoyment of my daily travels, ultimately turning in a fairly good marathon performance, although one that I feel fell slightly short of true potential.
Fast forward to the present day and I cannot even imagine putting in that amount of road time; it is furthermost from my present inclinations. While I would conservatively estimate that my present volume is about half of that of 2013, my race results indicate that I am in better shape now than ever. Another friend asked me recently what I intended doing on reaching a better level over 42.2km. He was incredulous when I said that I would probably do slightly less in preparation, a statement that needs to be viewed in proper context. As asinine as this analogy may sound, my current mindset and intuition has acknowledged the need to go with flow of life in the present and to not try recreate the past.
Excellence in anything athletic requires consistency. Yet achieving any form of consistency requires a certain level of prudence and an ability to adapt. While everything seemed to just fall into place during 1994, the same could not be said for the following year. Struggling to adapt to a new environment coupled a slight fear of the unknown saw a complete reversal in my own mindset during that post-matric period. Simply trying to recreate the glory days of the previous year by mimicking old workouts did not work, and not surprisingly. Adaptation and embracing changing circumstance are qualities that are developed over time, and I would like to think that I'm getting better at that.
It is amazing how these attributes can affect even the smallest of things. That said, it is also amazing how some long-forgotten practices often resurface at the right time, lending a sense of the past appearing today for the better of tomorrow. While my mega-mileage of 2013 was logged in minimalist footwear (I could have run that marathon barefoot. Seriously.), alternating between these and normal shoes is working for me this year. Twice-daily steady state running has made way for shorter morning jogs interspersed with a couple of longer sojourns in the hills on a weekly basis. Extensive work with weights has reverted to more callisthenics and pilates on a daily basis. Crack of dawn workouts for the sake of going longer have made way for later starts and respect of my circadian rhythm. Interestingly, I would take a complete rest day once weekly. Given the evolution of 2014 and how things have panned out, I can't remember when last I've had a day of no exercise.
Consistency is all about compromise. If one simply goes with flow and has an open mind, great things things can happen.
Step by step. Day by day.
