Melissa i
Strong

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October  15, 2014

Listening, Understanding, Forgiving & Accepting Your Maturing Athletic Self; Confessing of Over Training & Getting Back on Course
October  15, 2014

It seems like I hit lows/valleys two times a year, and it’s time to learn from the lows.  What is similar in both situations is me continuously pushing myself—with little to no rest!
No matter how much I hate to admit it, I am getting older, and my body is feeling it.  As I mature into my 40s (by the way, it is so difficult to face that, but this is part of my lesson—I am not 20 anymore--ACCEPTANCE), there is no more denying it—my body needs more rest.
Most athletes, including myself, are driven—you don’t become an athlete sitting on the sofa unmotivated.  No, we are motivated, goal-driven people who are happier when we are physically active—especially in the sport we love, which, for me, is climbing.  This drive keeps us going and happy, but it can also hurt.  The drive comes with stubbornness, which helps in some situations. Perseverance can pay off, but it can also be blinding and destructive.
I started becoming physically fit at a later age, not until my late 20s to early 30’s, then I could do it all—climb, run, practice yoga, hike, work, and repeat.  I was so blind to the fact that this would one day be more difficult and bashed my way through my 30s and injuries, not stopping or slowing down until my body forced itself.  I have pushed into my 40’s with the attitude that nothing will slow me down!  I am fit, I eat well, I am healthy, I have a great new training program, I can do a triathlon and not skip a step—let's keep pushing!  Thankfully, it was not a halting injury that made me wake up this time.  I faced the fact that I was tired—there was no denying it.  Between working a ton, climbing training for climbing, training for the triathlon, being obstinate and not listening to my training program, and never actually during the rest periods, I hit a wall.  Lack of motivation, lack of Wednesday (Sundays and Wednesdays are my days off) partners, physical exhaustion, and tendonitis attempting to rear its ugly face made me unhappy.  This, combined with a lack of my most motivating climbing partner, Adam (he injured his pully climb the weekend of the tri in Steamboat), left me in a downward spiral.  My training with Steve Maisch (stevemaischtraining.com) was paying off.  I followed his extensive training program faithfully, so to speak.  There were times I was supposed to stop climbing and just train, which I never did--climbing through my designated rest times.   Basically as usual I pushed too much (I should start reading my own blog—I feel like I have said this before).
I will go back to this training but follow Maisch's intelligent words: "A lot of rest is good for strength building, and because this is a busy work time, you reduce the risk of injury by not being stressed to get out to the park.“  In retrospect, I definitely feel like an idiot and wonder, what was I thinking?   Running, yoga, yes, but resting, all pulling, and guess what? My tendinitis is feeling better.
Part of this is overtraining, work, and general fatigue, and part of it is age, but the bottom line is that it is beautiful outside—we have an amazing fall, and it is so difficult not to charge.  But rest, the need to rest is slapping me in the face, so it’s running and yoga. Plus, I will have some downtime at home before we head off to Hueco.  Accepting this slowed-down pace and taking two weeks off is a struggle for me.  Accepting that I cannot do it all is not in my nature but something I have to understand; not beating myself for not pushing, taking the time, and enjoying the time is all part of forgiveness, acceptance, learning, and understanding.
The great thing is that the rest will do me good and let me begin one last phase of training – without overstraining and get to Hueco Tanks this November!