This week’s motivation is going to start with a little story about an Olympic hero named Milo. Unlike most athletes today, Milo didn’t use steel weights as resistance, instead, every day Milo lifted a small calf into his arms and carried the calf a certain distance. As the calf grew into a bull, Milo continued his training. On the first day of the Olympics, Milo walked the entire length of the track while carrying a full-grown bull. Pretty impressive. But, Milo didn’t start off by being able to carry a full grown bull. A few lessons for modern day athletes:
1. Training should be progressive. Don’t expect your body to be able to do everything you want it to right at the beginning of your training. Your body will make physical adaptations to the increased stress and loads you apply. But, be patient and be consistent as you progressively improve.
2. Training must progress towards a time or event. In the case of our Olympic athlete Milo, he planned his training to build to a peak for the Olympics. He had foresight (by picking a calf that would be grown into a bull by the Olympics) and he had a worthwhile goal (the Olympics).
3. Periodization is necessary for success. Usually there will be an offseason, preseason and season. Most of us as are now entering the offseason (or will be soon enough). Just remember: although we all want to maintain good conditioning throughout life, no one can physically or mentally maintain peak condition without a break. Look at your training as a cycle of building, competing, and then rebuilding. That’s what makes it so much FUN!
4. Good training requires VISION! Our Olympic hero, Milo, had a vision. His vision was to carry a full grown bull into the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. He didn’t start out with a full grown bull, however. He started with a small calf. Milo did not have the physical or mental capacity to carry a full grown bull on his first day of training, but he had confidence and dedication. Each day he didn’t think about how heavy the bull would be or how long he could walk. He just looked at the calf, a calf that looked very much like it did the day before and would look the next day as well, and kept training.
So, there you have it. Training includes a physical load that needs to be disbursed across a period of time to allow growth, development and conditioning (progressive training). You’ve got to plan and know how and when to perform your best (periodization). You also need to include the psychological aspect of training by having a vision to keep you motivated and willing to do the necessary work. If you can first believe, you can accomplish amazing things!
Challenge for the Week:
Create a VISION of what you want to accomplish for this off season, and then carry that vision forward to include what you want to accomplish this coming year.
Perhaps you want to have a faster run this coming season. Perhaps you also know that you are carrying around some extra non-essential weight. Make a goal for this off season to lose those extra pounds and that will help you to reach your in season goal of becoming a lighter, faster runner.
Another example of a goal building to another goal: Perhaps you want to become a more efficient, faster swimmer. Set an off season goal to work on your technique and spend more time doing effective drills and improving your stroke, and then spend the early season doing workouts that put your more efficient stroke to work and make you faster.
Maybe you have no interest in getting faster and you just want to be lighter, feel better and have more energy. Set a goal this off season/winter to eat your 7 servings of fruits and veggies every day AND drink your 96 oz. of water every day. Come spring you
will not only have made it through the winter with better health and energy, but you will be entering spring lighter, leaner and healthier, ready to do all the fun events you want to!
Once you have secured your vision of what you want to accomplish, then get to work and start lifting that ‘baby calf’ and before you know it you will be carrying a full grown bull with ease!