Establish Your "Why" to Persevere During Challenging Times
The idea of establishing your "why" is even more applicable during this time in our world. With an unknown timeline of when we will be back racing, I challenge each of you to reflect on the many reasons you are an endurance athlete. Here are a few questions to jump start this reflection and why is is important to find your "why":
Why do you train? What are the things you enjoy about being an endurance athlete? What is your reason for waking up early every morning to workout? What is it about the "daily grind" that brings you personal achievement and satisfaction? What are the other reasons you train, rather than just focusing on the outcome goal (race)? These are questions are worth considering and may help uncover a level of training and performance that you have yet to achieve.
As a fitness professional and coach I have always tried to uncover the underlining reason for certain goals and personal expectations. Some people pursue this crazy sport of endurance athletes because they love the lifestyle, others do it in honor of a family member, or to set a good example for their kids.There are many reasons for why people enjoy competing and training for endurance events. So what is the reason it is important that you establish your "why"? Establishing your "why" will provide the backbone to endure difficult times and allow you to push harder in training without any wavering in your motivation. Having a greater purpose to continue to strive for personal improvement will give you a mental toughness advantage when things get rough. Whether you're dealing with an injury, COVID-19, or at the darkest point during a very hard race, there is rationale for your continued struggle. Training for endurance sports does not come with a lot of accolades; there are a lot of blood, sweat and tears that EVENTUALLY lead you to accomplishing your goal, and knowing "why" you continue to push thru the challenging times will make you a fierce competitor, and make you love the sport...even more!