Life Interrupting Life
Sometimes life just happens, and it does in ways we can’t predict and don’t want.
Everyone is susceptible to a variety of life events. There will be times when unexpected events occur and you are forced to adjust your plans. As an athlete it may feel like a failure when you are unable to follow your program as it is written. However, it is a waste of time and energy to feel bad for something you are unable to avoid. Imagine that a family member has an accident, and you were not there, and you were not responsible for it happening. You may have an obligation to shift your exisiting plans through no fault of your own. In fact, maybe nobody is at fault. Sometimes life just happens, and it does in ways we can’t predict and don’t want.
Even elite athletes are not immune from life. It may seem like all an athlete needs to do is train & compete. That nothing gets in the way. Life always gets in the way. Elite athletes have families, and accidents, and shit that pops up.
Weather, the actions of others, injuries (to yourself and others), unpredictable obligations and access to equipment are some of the long list of things that could compel you to change or abandon your plans. You could also be in a situation where your training plans don’t need to change, but you are training with the knowledge of some heavy, or hectic, life event looming over you. The major difference I see between civilians thats train and elite athletes is how they negotiate these events.
Civilians often do the following -
Abandon training altogether because they can’t complete the existing program exactly as it’s written.
Determine that training is frivolous because it’s not a important as the significant event that has occurred/is occurring.
Lose the ability to pursue their goals because they were unable to train through life.
What elite athletes do differently -