Pink Floyd’s song “Time”
has been my favorite song since I was a teenager. The lyrics are timeless and apply to everyone at some time
in his/her life. Time is a very
peculiar concept, a concept made all the more mind-boggling given the notion
that it’s an expression of distance/movement and might not exist otherwise. Would it even exist without the universe’s
existence? I don’t mind engaging
in a deep conversation on such a topic; I enjoy a good mind melt. On a more casual basis, we can all
agree that time is relative. For
example, how quickly is your next big race approaching, like the first race of
the season, your spring Half, or the Boston Marathon? Is two months a long amount of time or a
short amount of time? Well, it
depends because time is relative.
Relative to what? At this
point I’ll chime in (pun intended) and say it’s relative to the degree of
confidence you have in your preparation, which is also a byproduct of how much
emotional stock you have in the race.
If you’re feeling
confident in your abilities for an upcoming race, then the race can feel like a
long time away. If you’re not
feeling confident, then you may feel like you’re behind the 8-ball (not
good). If you don’t have much
emotional stock in the race (maybe it’s not an A-race or you’re jogging it with
friends), then once again the race has plenty of time to arrive, even if it’s a
few weeks away. On the other hand,
if this race will be part of defining who you are as a runner and how you
measure success (lots of emotional stock), then maybe a race six months away
feels like it’s coming up too soon.
Catch my drift? So, as the
song lyrics state, you either fritter and waste the hours in an off-hand way
(lots of time, no perceived pressure or time crunch) or you’re running and
running to catch up with a sinking sun (not enough time).
I understand that
personality can be a factor in this equation. Perhaps a worrisome self or type-A personality feels the
impending race looming on the horizon,
causing pressure, stress, and feelings of being under-trained and not up to par
(behind the 8-ball). Therefore, there’s
a dreaded time crunch. On the
contrary, perhaps a mellow self and type-B(uddha) personality views any race as
having ample time to prepare. “Which
is which, and who is who?” (I slipped in another Floyd lyric there).
This is a department
where a coach can help. In knowing
each athlete’s personality, I know which elements of running, ST or XT can be
matched emphasized accordingly to redirect their focus away from the race
date. It seems like merely a
distraction, but the focus needs to be on the process goals anyway, not the
race date. In this way, I offer
assurance that we have enough time to work together and prepare. In essence, we’re adjusting the perceived timelines. As with many aspects of athletics, the
solution rests in proper goal setting.
The more realistic and better managed the goals, the more confidence that
exists, along with an increased likelihood to feel that there is ample time.
As a quick aside, this
is an easy “sports as a metaphor for life” analogy. Whichever personality-type you possess, do you carry this
same approach into the workplace? Managing
your own expectations and happiness in your career, with deadlines and a daily
to-do list, is related to your mental approach. For instance, is it realistic that you’ll accomplish all the
tasks you’ve given yourself this week?
If not, then here comes the stress and worry. Similarly, if the goals related to the task are too
challenging (unrealistic), then that deadline will certainly feel much shorter
than it actually is. Here comes
more stress, less sleep, and the sniffles and a cough...
Getting back to running:
I’m always going to try to help my runners become as fit as possible in the
most efficient manner, yet when taking the science and physiology of the
training into account (periodization) then yes, some goals take more time than
others. This understanding reminds
us, “Knowledge is power.”
Knowledge becomes the building blocks of attitudes, whereas the
knowledge about the timeline of our goals shapes our attitude (mental approach)
as to what is realistic. Physical
therapists should be operating under this same principle—giving athletes knowledge
about the timelines for strength gains and/or recovery from injuries so that there
is more confidence in the rehab process.
In turn, the rehab won’t be derailed by a perception of a time crunch.
My goal is to have
athletes thinking that life is long and that there is plenty of time to achieve
their race goals for the entire year.
Many of the folks I’ve coached have shared their longer-term goals with
me, and all of them have demonstrated much patience and maturity in adjusting
their goals on the fly mid-season, which adds to the overall feeling of
success. That last point is a
hallmark of champion athletes.
Take it day-to-day or week-to-week, and don’t put the cart before the
horse. Enjoy training in the
present day, live in the present, and the races will get here when they get
here. I know that’s sometimes
easier said than done. If it feels
like the big event can’t get here fast enough and you’re chomping at the bit,
and even a few days before the race can feel like an eternity, then remind
yourself that there’s nothing you can do to change the clocks. You can also remind yourself that this
eagerness probably means you are ready!
The take-home message is
to mentally push these races back so that you can feel confident that there is
enough time to prepare, as well as to enjoy life in the present. Does this mean that we adapt a lax,
passive attitude toward training and life? No! It means
that you don’t need to put a sense of urgency on your training. If you struggle to do this, then what
can you do to reconfigure your mental approach to training and racing?
Enjoy the bending of the strings:
Train hard!
Mike
