Sorry for the delay once again. I have a lot to catch up on but instead of doing it all in one big post I'm going to do it more slowly and in greater detail. Though my time in San Antonio seems like ages ago many of the things I learned are still fresh in my memory. Below are some of the thoughts I had when I left. I typed this up intending to post it back in July but... stuff happens. Anyways, here are some thoughts on what San Antonio taught me about myself, IconOne Multisport and Triathlon.
First of all it was definitely the right decision to go. Early on I was battling with staying home and making money or going to San Antonio and trying to chisel out a place and role for me there. After the first week I knew I had made the right decision. My first 2 weeks were completely devoted to training and it was awesome to have my coach present at most of the workouts and another athlete or two who were working under the same coach and suffering under the same killer workouts as me.
The next 2 weeks I spent coaching at two different camps and I have slightly mixed feelings about that time. I loved every minute of it and had a blast interacting and testing the many different athletes. Those 2 weeks showed me though that I’m not at the point in my life yet were I feel like I can abandon my own athletic endeavors to coach others. There is a reason most elite coaches don’t have a lot of time to work out. They are so busy pouring their lives and every bit of energy they have into creating strong, fast, successful athletes. I love coaching and know it has a place in my future but not at the level that Shelly puts into it. Yet.
My last week was spent putting in some more solid work and trying to rest up a little bit before my Maine trip.
During my time there I met some awesome people, worked on my Spanish and learned a ton about athlete development and elite performance. Working under Shelly and teaching others the many drills and principles I have been doing for a couple years forced me to gain a better understanding of WHY? WHY? Is the key question Shelly teaches all her athletes to ask and the question she always has an answer for. I now have a much greater understanding of the biomechanics that go into an efficient and fast swim stroke as well as running stride. I’ve learned to look beyond an athlete’s results and examine the other components that will determine whether they can have success 10 years from now. I can better comprehend the idea of making your “hard days hard and your easy days easy.” When Shelly gives a hard day, it sucks. It hurts and halfway through you just want to die, or at least bail on the workout. But that’s the point. To push you, to make you suffer, to see if you can handle it, both mentally and physically. By the same token when she gives you an easy day- MAKE IT EASY! A training program should be designed around specific, intense workouts designed to challenge an athlete but that must always, ALWAYS be followed up with adequate rest and recovery. Every workout and set and rep should have a specific purpose. Junk mileage is pointless and unnecessary. I can see that now. I’m sure I’ll continue to struggle with wanting to do “more” but I believe I have a new found look into why workouts are given the way that they are.
I still have a lot to learn about the sport but that’s just it, I’m learning. And it’s an ongoing process. I want to thank my training partners- Hunter, Mason, Laura, Maggie, Eduardo and JP for doing workouts with me. (And I with them.) Thanks to Shelly Campbell, my coach, for continuing to work with me, teach me, have faith in me and mold me into a better athlete. And a huge thanks to the Riley family for allowing me to invade their home with my sweaty training gear and strange nutrition products. They gave me a bed, a car and fed me on many occasions. My time there would not have been possible without them.
On to Maine, Colorado, Tyler, XC season 09 and whatever life may bring!
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