Endurance Training and Recovering Alcoholics

By Max Wunderle

Inspired by interactions with many of my clients and the start of a new calendar year, I wanted to fire off some thoughts I’ve been having that may help many of you deal with the transition “back to reality” of prescribed training.  This is the time of year that many folks racing in a late Spring/Summer long course season begin their journeys to improved fitness and faster racing.  While some people are jumpstarted by the changing of the calendar, others can be intimidated by the daunting task or goal they may have set for themselves for the upcoming year.

I have fielded no less than a dozen phone calls and emails over the past week from athletes who seem to be overwhelmed by the training commitments they are on the verge of embarking on.  Many of have chosen January 1 as an official kick off date and have somehow convinced themselves that the plans before them are daunting and beyond their reach.  Of course, none of them have cited particular days or specific workouts that are concerning, but instead, have referred to a month's regimen or months of training that they have already convinced themselves may be more than they can chew.

In listening to many of their concerns, the plight of recovering alcoholics comes to mind.  Do you know what recovering alcoholics (and many addicts coming out of 12 step programs) state out loud at the beginning of every day?  "I'm not going to drink today".  Those 6 words provide the stability, focus and guardrails for those individuals plagued by addiction.  Instead of thinking of the week, month or year--God forbid thinking they won't drink for the rest of their lives--they state that today will be a day of sobriety.  That's all.  One day at a time.  Broken down, this same mantra can be exercised by any of us intimidated by the journey we are about to begin.

I write full annual plans to provide my clients with the ability to plan their personal lives and major life events in collaboration with their training journeys.  Just because the data is there doesn’t mean one has to begin reviewing it or thinking how one will accomplish such feats.  While I encourage all of them to review their ATPs to see what their journey will feature, I strongly recommend that none of them begin to anticipate or fear any particular training regimens I may prescribe.  Instead, remember the plight of the recovering alcoholic and ask yourself what are you going to do TODAY to further your journey?  At your next meal ask yourself if you are eating to train or training to eat?  The next time you pick up that sugar laden soda, calorically loaded alcoholic drink or bag of Doritos ask yourself again is this the best decision for the priorities I have set in my athletic life?

As many of my clients know, I believe in balance.  Balance in work/life, balance in nutrition discipline and balance in commitment of athletic goals vs. life goals.  While balance can help remind us of priorities in our lives, we don’t want to cite it as a reason to fall off the wagon and back down from tough challenges.  Instead, make conscious decisions to be true to your priorities and goals on a daily basis.  When you wake up on the first day of your training regimen, read your plan and do that workout.  Period.  Then go on with your life.  Wake up the next day and repeat.

I believe two other themes should be harnessed when thinking about any long term goal or commitment.  Let’s call them ‘Focus’ and ‘Reward’.

Focus.  Why are you training?  Clearly there are millions of other people out there still sleeping in warm covers while you are choosing to run for 7 miles in single degree cold at 5AM.  Still even more people will choose to sit and watch television for 4-6 hours a day after they come home from work while you head off to the pool to swim for 2-3 miles.  So, on those days when you want to stay in bed or watch the latest episode of ‘Survivor’, what will draw you back?  I don’t have the answer, only you do as this answer can be fiercely personal and motivational.  What is not negotiable though, is the presence of one.  Search your soul for this answer, rally around it and revisit it as often as you need to in order to stay on course.

Reward.  You just finished your workout.  You have just done more physical activity than the vast majority of the US population will do during an entire week.  Acknowledge it.  Yeah, I know you’ve got some friend who you trains 20 hours a week, goes to Kona every year and races a sub 2:50 marathon.  Who cares?  The only thing you should care about that potential reality is how you can be inspired to perform better.  Take care of yourself and everything else will take care of itself.  Establish your goal, create your plan to achieve your goal and celebrate every milestone along the way.  Doing so will build your confidence, motivate you to push harder and inspire others around you following your progress.  Just as there is always someone faster than you, there is always someone slower than you as well.

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