I had a yoga instructor who once told me that when you were learning a new pose and you felt stiff or awkward or unbalanced or couldn't quite reach those places you wanted to reach, instead of being frustrated because you couldn't do it, be exited because there was so much opportunity for improvement.
It was one of those lessons that honestly never quite clicked for me -- it soundly like a bunch of hippie bs, one of those excuses lazy people used to make themselves feel better about working out. That reaction was me listening to the self-aggressive/destructive voice in my head that told me I was lazy and not working hard enough and not good enough. So instead of seeing that abundance as opportunity for improvement I saw it as a whole bunch of suck-ass.
Thankfully, this lesson finally clicked for me in swimming. I started to learn to swim this time last year. And I could not swim a lap. Seriously. I took a few private lessons and I could not make it one length of the pool. This morning I swam 78 of them at practice. And at a decent clip and I have gone from hating swimming to LOVING it..because instead of being angry at my inability I have been excited about it. I explored it and examined it and practiced within it. It was my improvement buffet. I have not missed a swim practice in four months and wow it shows.
The best part about sucking at something is that it is so simple to get better. When you are good at something, it is much more difficult to recognize the awesome work you are doing.
** The training wipe board that debuted here on Valentine's Day is filling up.. but note -- still just one fall! And two new categories -- VDOT test (speed work on track - on hold while my calf heals) and PT = Physical Therapy. But check out the increased number of swim practices! **
On a related note, last weekend I had to bail for the first time biking on a hill. My calf hurt, I was tired, it was a huge hill at the end of the ride. I have never bailed before partially out of pride and partially out of just avoiding them and not pushing myself. And since learning how to clip in I have been afraid of falling. But guess what? I didn't fall. I just clipped out half way up and walked the rest. So did some people. Others didn't and they made it. And guess what? It didn't freakin' matter. I wasn't kicked off the team. My triathlon "career" did not end. All of my work over the past year didn't suddenly disappear.Labels: bike, fail, fall, swimming, wipe board