A Happy and Balanced Person is a Strong Athlete
Recently I travelled to Ruka for the 34km Karhunkierros trail running event. I put this date on my calendar at the beginning of the year and I wanted to run as fast as I could on the day. I wrote a training plan for myself, mapped out my nutrition and planned my pacing strategy. Ah! The master plan was set, now all I had to do was execute and I was sure to break my best time and finish among the best runners. I even dreamed about winning the event. I had just overlooked one small detail: Life!
I am the lucky father of a 1.5-year-old who still thinks sometime between 4 and 5 am is the best possible time to wake up for the day; I just graduated from a master’s program and my wife, daughter and I moved twice within four months; once back to Finland from Canada. On top of all this, we were "blessed" with the norovirus topped off by the coronavirus. To say the least, this was NOT the ideal build-up to my race.
Does this scenario resonate with you? If not, try replacing my race with your sport or any goal you are trying to achieve? And my setbacks with yours (we all have them). How about now?
Finding balance as a whole person is one of the most overlooked elements to success in one’s sport. Learning to set realistic goals, setting time aside for other endeavours and dealing with setbacks are three elements that I have had to learn how to implement in my life and I would like to share my experiences with you.
You might be saying to yourself: yeah, but it is hard. I have to balance my working life, friendships, relationships, kids, and my hobby. Which by the way is supposed to be fun? I get that. This is difficult. There are so many demands on us in modern society. With that, I have seen that only once everything is in synch can joy return to one’s hobby. With joy athletic performance will improve because the mind and body will be working together in a new more integrated way. The body’s connection to one’s mental state is something that needs attention.
Do you feel like your hobby, which was once enjoyable, has started to become overwhelming? Or do you feel your performances have plateaued or you are struggling to find joy in your hobby? Feel free to reach out for a free 15-minute call. I would be excited to understand you and how your sport fits into your life.
Today’s training programs (and unfortunately many sports communities) don’t do a great job considering things like family and job commitments, financial or other life stressors as well as other interests outside of your sport. Taking those into account is crucial to creating a balanced life in which sport is a part of it. The bonus is that by taking these other stressors into account you will become stronger and faster… as well as happier.
In the end, my experience in Ruka was positive. Despite my setbacks, I was calm and confident at the start line. Most of all I was mentally prepared to run hard and accept the performance for what it was. I finished 5th and ran much faster than a few years ago. I am proud of that and know that it would not have been possible if I had gotten overly stressed about the less-than-perfect preparation.
We all get stuck in life and sometimes it requires outside eyes to help re-frame and re-focus us. On top of being a former professional athlete, I am a graduate of Counselling Psychology. I believe that I am well positioned to both help you achieve your sporting goals and grow as a person. Feel free to book now for a free 15 minute consultation call.
