Balance Q&A
What does balance in a training facility setting mean to you?
To have balance within your training regiment, you must have adequate recovery. Recovery encompasses a very broad spectrum a lot of which we are still defining and learning to implement correctly. For me personally, balance is found through training at least 3 days out of the week with one of those or an additional day for myself to train alone without much if any interaction. I am more likely to clock a distance run on this day. Proper nutrition is a must. I eat to fuel my body and provide a state of optimum recovery. This means no fad dieting and balanced per my goal macro nutrient and micro nutrient intake. As stated before, I also practice mindfulness. I have a mental health facilitator who has helped me in this practice and continues to when needed. Through my practice I have been able to remain more grounded and fluid. I must admit there was a time where I was skeptical in the ability to apply it daily, but through a very specific quantitative improvement I was able to experience its benefit first hand.
Do you find it hard to find balance in a training facility setting?
The majority of the time it is not hard for me to find balance. When you truly have passion/obsession for what you do, there are few times I have found I have completely needed to shut down. On occasion, I do need to shake up my environment, so I’ll take an athlete to another location to train when appropriate. Even on days when I am out of the facility, I am most likely on a call, researching/reading, meeting, or planning along the lines of my daily.
What is your best advice to those that do?
If you find it hard to find balance, I find it helpful to first take a step back and make sure your current actions are in line with your goal. If you have no goal, define one and work from there. Introspection with the help of someone you trust to give honest/hard feedback is also beneficial. Establish a network of professionals you can contact and have HIGH level conversations with. Cut the negativity and baggage you bring to the table.