Wonky

I made some changes in training today. Nothing big, just tweaks to technique based on some technical guidance I was given over the weekend. Boy it sucked.

I felt slow, muscles hurt in funny places, I felt uncoordinated, for much of the session it just didn't feel good. You know what would have been much easier? Not working on those changes, that's what. Without the changes to my technique training had been feeling pretty okay, I was travelling at a good pace, it was feeling relatively easy, it was all feeling alright. Not now though, nope, all feeling wonky.

So why bother? Why go to all the effort if it was already feeling okay?

Quite simply because it could feel better. I could be quicker, I could be more powerful, I could be more efficient, but not if I kept doing what I was doing. In order to get better I needed to change some things. Change is very rarely pain free.

I think this dilemma is one that we are often faced with as athletes. There are always things we can be doing to improve, we can train more, or train smarter, or train more consistently or have better technique, or do one of many other things. But to do any of those things requires an active choice and the will to do so. None of the changes are easy and so without a decision to make those changes, we simply won't. Humans are fairly lazy by nature, we will take the path of least resistance if it is available to us. Not taking that path requires the will to do so.

The thing is, in my experience, the majority of athletes won't take that choice, or they will once, but not twice, or not three times etc. Most people have a limit to how much effort they are willing to go to in order to improve. Some people are quite happy ticking along as they always have, not changing anything. These people usually won't improve, but often they are happy not to, many of them just want to reach the finish line. Some people are willing to put in a bit of effort, but they reach their limit quickly.

The people who get really good are always looking to improve, they are never satisfied, always working, always pushing themselves out of their comfort zone. These people understand that there is no limit to how good they can get, the only limiter is their desire and will to get there and make the effort.

That is why I bother.