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Jason told me what great several months of training and performing he’s had. I thought to myself, “Is he lucky, as rarely can a person put in top performances several months in a row.”
That’s the exception to the rule in the world of high performance. What’s normal for a great training program is to have a period of performance brilliance followed by a performance decline. The decline signals the body’s in need of a recovery that must be carefully controlled otherwise a delay in recovery becomes more possible. Delayed recoveries set the stage for preventable injury or illness - key things any competitor should avoid like the plague.
The usual script goes something like this:
I’m having a period of great performance and am euphoric over it.
I know it won’t last forever so I need to get the most out of it before I have the inevitable pullback in performance.
The intoxicating effect of performing spectacularly well and at the end, feeling as if you didn’t do anything is a performers nirvana.
Trust me, I know that all too well. Few things match that sensation. But, to try and ride the wave farther when it’s as good as it gets accelerates the onset of the falloff in performance. Ideally, when performances are at their best is when it’s best to pull back and do less to ride the high-performance wave longer. This is perhaps the hardest thing of all to do as you’re asking someone to purposely step away from heaven on earth. The mind answers this by saying, “You’re crazy, why would I want to pull back when I’m at my peak?”
To the uninitiated continuing to train and perform at higher levels is predicted along with the disappointment, injuries, and illness that come from pushing a percent or two too hard when a pullback is what’s required. When a pullback is done mind and body function increase enabling continued high levels of performance to occur along with great recovery.
On today’s 100km ride with friends I had a magic day as at the end I felt as if I hadn’t even ridden.
The temptations there to go and do the same ride tomorrow. No, thanks, I’ll pass.
I want to ride this wave as long as possible.
If there is anything society has come to realize over the last century, it is that women are just as powerful, smart, ambitious, and capable as men. And while society as a whole is still catching up as far as true equality, the facts are evident when you look at some of the most incredible and influential people today.
When it comes to fitness, however, men and women are not the same. The natural, physiological differences necessitate unique approaches to achieve optimal results. While the fundamental science behind attaining a shredded, lean physique is basically the same for both sexes, the exact steps and application require careful consideration.
One thing I've learned is that injuries can be great teachers. There are so many lessons to be learned from the injuries we experience. They force us to slow down and evaluate our bodies on a deeper level. Like many, I'm guilty of sometimes taking my healthy days for granted. When we pick up an injury, we're suddenly motivated to learn everything we can about that specific injury. We're also dedicated to the necessary rehab it will take to overcome the injury and strengthen our weak areas.
As with many injuries, I've learned there are no "quick fixes" for my stubborn Achilles. Over the years, I've also learned there are no "get fit quickly" schemes.