I’ve recently seen a lot of people, including myself, stress out over performing up to expectations for the upcoming season or race. I think this is the result of 2 things: advancing age (not going to even address today) & the knowledge of what it takes” to get to past level of performances.

Maybe this is justification for my current state, but I do know that what I “had to do” in the past to achieve certain results doesn’t require similar efforts. We see it all the time…swimmers jumping into the pool with little base training and ripping through the water, playing superb golf after several years of lay off and taking money from your playing partners who slave away on the driving range daily, performing tasks at work with relative ease that required an infinite amount more effort and time when you were just starting your job.

That doesn’t mean that your fitness remains forever…it certainly doesn’t. But the work to do what was required for prior breakthroughs is still in there somewhere. You get back to prior levels with less effort. Maintaining longevity and avoiding long periods of inactivity/poor health are more important than the number of “key” sessions/week we accomplish.

I hope recalling this knowledge takes the stress off a bit, and allows me to resume putting one foot in front of the other, stringing together days, weeks, months of consistency.
To have fun, remain fit, and love everybody around me a little bit more.

J