It had been a long couple months. Living the dream working as a soigneur (read: cycling team servant) in Europe last year, I experienced firsthand the pace and intensity of working in the sport in its heartland. A whirlwind of incessant travel, long working hours and problem solving on the go are but a few the components that make up the job, but that was OK with me - I was living my dream a million miles away from a former life as a desk-bound "knowledge worker" and loving it.
But I'm also a freelance writer and thrive on the creative process that generating authentic content brings. My diary, notebook and sketchpad (loose scraps of plain paper) were never far away and I'd go into the creative bubble whenever some quiet time presented itself.
So it was with great enjoyment that I listened to Gwen Jorgensen on the Physical Performance Show the other day. While I'm sure many are familiar with Gwen's amazing athletic talent, lesser known I suspect are other aspects of her life that are wholly complementary. Her morning jogs for instance (6km at 5:30min/km) whilst in her triathlon prime (yes, it's true), her husband and former pro cyclist Pat's support (the ultimate egg poacher) and a keen awareness to looking after herself. And her daily diary.
Gwen's journaling started at he urging of coach Jamie Turner, something to make her aware of the good things in life during the often difficult process of elite training and competition. The triathlete-turned-marathoner has continued with her daily writing, very "The Artist's Way-esque" actually. A great way to balance out the demands of preparing for the US Olympic Marathon trials.
It goes to show that if the best athletes can benefit from some sort of creative outlet, then so can we. Back to last year and my final night in the Italian village of Gavirate saw me sitting down on a bench overlooking the lake. The mid-July sun was still shining at 8pm as birds sang. Locals were strolling by and kids played in the park. Ah, European summer at its best! The rest of the team had gone for gelato while I elected to stay behind and catch up with them later. I just wanted to soak up the atmosphere and ended up sketching the scene on a hotel notepad.
Thanks for sharing Gwen, it was a great listen.
