A Bit of Perspective

Had a good talk with my friend Mel yesterday. She is 3 weeks out from the first competition that will determine the 2008 Olympic team. Her body and mind walk the fine line between breaking personal records and simply breaking down. With three children under the age of 8, she relishes every moment of quiet and rest she can get, in between training sessions.

Although she has set several new personal bests during this training cycle, she is keenly aware of the fact that her body recovers so much more slowly at 33, than it did when she was 23. Her meticulous training logs are a testament to that. She can handle the intensity, but not the volume she once did.

If Mel could give anything back to her fellow lifters, she wishes she could tell the younger athletes to enjoy the journey. To enjoy the gift of youth. To have a bit of perspective. Very few athletes get second or third chances. Very few realize what they have until it is gone. But how do you bottle perspective?

Comments

Jerimiah said…
Great Post,

From my vast experience (I'll be 32 in a month), It's not the bottling that is the difficult part, it's having the humility to be the bottle opener, the wisdom to know whose bottle to open and what to do with the contents once you get it open. It's about the reciever much more than the giver.
10:26 AM
Genesis Multisport said…
I coach a bunch of women who are old enough to by mom, and I feel like that's been a great dose of perspective for me. Seeing how hard they work to be faster and stronger, not to mention learning how to swim at age 50, has taught me to relish my youth, and get as much out of it as I can while I have it. It's also taught me to be very careful and make absolutely sure that my form is as solid as possible, so that in twenty years or so I won't have any major injuries or pain that will prevent me from continuing to train.
6:39 PM
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