Balancing Act [34]
How to Live Life and Compete.
First off, if you have never sailed the log canoes (feature image), which race in the Chesapeake Bay, you’ve missed out. I thought it also works as a great analogy for this blog of the balancing act every elite sailor deals with.
Every day on television and social media we see the achievements of athletes. From this distance, it can appear that a competitive lifestyle is exclusive. After all, many of these athletes are young, sponsored, and lack the stressful responsibilities and commitments life and work throw at us.
However, this view is flawed.
There are plenty of competitive athletes that share the same stresses of life as you do. What they possess that you don’t is balance.
Elite sailors / athletes spend considerable time and effort balancing their priorities and some do it better than others. Olympic campaigns are the single hardest endeavor to balance priorities, as you have to manage multiple facets of the campaign (fundraising, logistics, nutrition, fitness, training and competition) all while in the mean time balancing your social, family and spiritual life.
This also occurs within many other competitive sports including many OPEX Athletes competing in the sport of fitness.
“I’ve found the balance. I can be a mom, be a wife, be a CrossFitter, be a teacher, and be a friend. It doesn’t have to be about giving up something but about choosing what’s important in my life.”
-Granite Games Athlete Kinsy Rosati
Kinsy is just one of countless athletes who has learned how to balance adult life with serious athletic pursuits. Through this process she’s not only achieved her competitive goals, but discovered more about herself and what her priorities are.
Striking a balance between work, life, and athletic goals is one of the biggest challenges mature athletes face. It can seem impossible to dedicate enough time to be successful at each of these aspects of your life, leaving you feeling overwhelmed.
However, learning how to marry life with your athletic spirit is just as important as the physical training itself. Two quick fixes include:
- Schedule: Your progression can be derailed without a comprehensive training schedule to follow. Do not waiver from it. This includes scheduling personal and business events so they don’t conflict.
- Communicate: Don’t leave your family and friends out of the loop. More often than not, they will understand, respect, and support your training.
Balance sounds simple enough in theory, but in practice, your job and life’s daily demands are often at odds.
Original blog from OPEX Fitness
Source: Sail Performance Training