What training, competing and sports have taught me…
Sports and training have positively impacted my life tremendously. The longer I have been training and involved in sports, the more I realize how it affects me so much outside the gym, playing field, track, or court.
Never settle for being comfortable.
It is crazy how hard you work for a goal, and the second you complete it, you want more. To run faster, to lift more weight, to complete another rep, to catch more air, to push a little further. This has helped me so much with running a business and as a person, never settling and always striving to do better, be a better coach, read everything, learn and network, be more positive, be a better sister, daughter, partner… there’s always room for improvement.
Accept failure and see it as a good thing
I fail all the time. Whether I fail at a lift, a muscle up ( ughhh 15.3), slam on my board, or not giving the right coaching cue… I learn from my mistakes, and with each failure, the closer I get to accomplishing that feat. Every day I try, I get a little better. You must fail, before you succeed, so rather than throwing in the towel and quitting, see your failures as small steps to attaining your goals.
There is always gonna be someone better than you
Back in the day, as an athlete, all I wanted to do was be the best… Be the best tennis player in the state, run the fastest on my team, be the National Jr Triathlon champion. That was virtually impossible for me, given my genetics and lack of natural speed and strength, ( I’m one of those slow twitch people) It’s okay not to be the best at everything. Doing a sport, race, meet, for the joy of participating is the way to go! Realizing that it is better to celebrate in every athletes and friends victory, and in my own occasional victories, ( my glory days are over) rather than only getting enjoyment out of first place or being the best has made me a much happier person all around. On a selfish note, training with athletes better than myself has made me a better athlete. Having someone to push you harder will only make you work that much harder! There is plenty to celebrate, and being a supportive and taking happiness in others success is way better than being jealous and bitter.
Training for performance vs. aesthetics
This hasn’t been a pretty process, I’ll admit. I’ve had my fair share of eating disorders, excessive exercise and weird eating habits…. But finally those days are over. What happened? I started giving a shit about all the rad things I can do with my body and how to perform better. Doing a skateboard trick, squatting more weight, becoming a pull up machine, walking on my hands…. In my opinion this is way cooler than having 7 percent body fat and feeling tired, slow, weak, spending way too much time training and feeling grumpy. Funny thing is I don’t give a shit about how I look in public anymore as much either… I don’t have to always have my nails done, hair did, makeup and dressed to the nines… I feel great in my sweats, bare face and a big smile. I can’t tell you how liberating this feels.
Changing peoples lives for the better and making friends
This is probably the most rewarding experience. As a coach, it is amazing to see the transformation in an athlete. Their confidence soars, they create new friends and a community at the gym or with their team, they can do things they never thought possible with their bodies. They have more energy, sleep better, eat better. This is pretty fucking cool, to have such a positive impact on others is priceless. I can’t think of a more rewarding job than this. Also meeting like minded people who share your same mindset, struggles at the gym, celebrating tricks at the skatepark and wins and losses on the field is super awesome!
Team work
When you work with others, you push yourself harder, you learn from your teammates, fellow coaches, and athletes. When you put your strengths together to be the best team you can be, this is where the magic happens. This can carry over to relationships, family and friends. Using each others strengths, learning from others, and supporting your team will only make for a better outcome. Working together vs against each other is what is going to bring your success in your career, relationships and sports.
This is just the tip of the iceberg for all the awesome ways sport and training has impacted my life…. What has it done for you?