Only a few days to go and the first training block of the year will be done! This spring was a bit of a reset for me, and the challenges that came have also brought opportunities to learn and grow. It feels great now to have gotten in two months of solid, consistent training.
Training block almost done! Currently looking for Netflix recommendations for rest week… 😉
SNOW!
Making a fast athlete is a bit like putting a puzzle together. There are tons of different puzzle pieces: technique, mental response to pressure, life stress, recovery, just to name a few. Each puzzle piece influences each other (sometimes in unexpected ways) and in the end, the pieces all come together to make the final result. The tricky thing is, there are tons of different puzzle variations you can use to reach the same end goal – there’s no magic recipe.
No matter what your puzzle is, it’s important to find your big pieces – whatever they are for you – and prioritize them, because they’re what will impact your end results the most.
Injury prevention– an important puzzle piece for me.
Another puzzle piece – being happy 🙂
Obviously, this is all way easier said than done! I’m far from perfect at this, but getting better at knowing when to push the limits and when to rest is part of being an athlete.
I’ve been working on prioritization this spring so that I can keep fairly consistent energy and motivation throughout the training season, especially leading into fall when the really hard intensity starts. This has meant if I’m really tired and have intensity coming up (big puzzle piece for me), I might skip or shorten my afternoon bike ride (little puzzle piece) to make sure I’m ready to go for the important workout. It’s also meant not being afraid to push my limits in the hard stuff when I’m feeling good.
Loving this new (to me) bike. Also turns out a dropper post makes everything way less sketchy 😉
Next up, I’ll be joining parts of the Canmore NST camp in July. If you’re around Canmore on July 4th, come cheer us on at the sprint rollerski race and then head over to the BWTC for a beer and pizza! More info here: http://cccski.com/Events/Events-Info/Nordiq-Canada-Roller-Ski-Race.aspx#.XQrKydNKgWo
–Maya
