I see your unique gifts and strengths and there’s nothing more beautiful than that!
There will always be those who are fitter and faster than us and those who are less fit and slower than us, just as there are individual differences in the need for rest and recovery. Having physical talent is one thing, but without a clear direction or adequate support in other areas of life, a runner may end up never fulfilling his or her true potential. The most important factor to consider is your own time process: where are you now compared to where you were before? Or, more importantly, where you will be six months from now?
The Word Recover
Finding balance in life can’t be left to chance. You have to plan for it.
We’re all familiar with how much stress can arise due to competing demands on our time and attention. The time we spend running should help counteract these tensions by putting them in perspective and making them manageable.
The word “recover” means to regain health and balance. People often make the mistake of racing too frequently without adequately recovering from their hard efforts. Consequently, they fail to regain the good form and fitness they had built up through training. This often results in injury, disillusionment, or worst of all, giving up on running altogether. The inherent risk of these pitfalls increases markedly when you are running and racing at speeds/distances that are too far beyond your comfort zone.
If we’re really paying attention, we know when our running/racing regimen is putting too big a squeeze on our lives. The resulting stress may actually overshadow the health benefits of running. The good news is that burnout and injury are not an inevitable consequence of training hard; the solution can be as simple as prioritizing the workouts that give us the most satisfaction.
A Coach’s Eyes
The Two Hours
