I don’t know about your training schedule but for me, it is that time of the year where I am now off my competitive season. Even though not much racing occurred this year, this is the time where I am starting to sit down and think about next year. I am thinking about what I will be doing for races and what I will be doing differently.
Although in the past, I have done many things on my own, I have always had this support team helping me out, no matter what I am doing. The people in it may have changed over time but its importance has always been there. In sports, leisure or even life, success is an ongoing process. You may go through up hills and down hills but the bottom line is that you need to keep going forward. What I am thinking of here is what I have learned through my horsemanship journey.
We were taught the 7 keys to success: Attitude, Knowledge, Tools, Technique, Time, Imagination and Support. They also went farther with the term “attitude” and reminded us that it needed to be positive, progressive and natural. Yes, having attitude does keep us going forward and persistent, no matter what our goals are.
Having the knowledge and the background that I have in training has been very fruitful as well. It is important here to address the fact that learning is an ongoing process and that knowledge keeps on growing.
When you come with the terms “Tools, Technique, Time and Imagination”, it does make sense. This is where all of the planning for training occurs, either you are doing your own planning or you are having a coach helping you to plan your training season.
This is where support comes in action. Support does not only start and stop in the coaching department. Family is very important for me because they keep believing in me, even if I don’t believe in myself sometimes. Family doesn’t have to be only by blood, friends can also be part of family and can make a huge difference.
What I wanted to talk about was the team of specialists that help me through my journey. Most recently, I have been going through chiropractic treatments with the Reform Body Clinic and started because of a new friend suggested I speak to them. As much as training being a great way to keep growing, your sport is not only about action, it’s about taking care of yourself. Dr. Martin Zollinger has shed some light on the toll of bicycle crash, horseback riding falls and even the falls related to some of my trail running has had on my spine. The numbers did not start great but they are progressing in the right direction. It is interesting how spinal health does influence your sporting endeavours and life but it does not stop there. My teams at continuum fitness, corps-esprit, fitness dynamics, the National Capital Aquatics Club and studiozone are only part of the surface of my support team.
My question for you, pun intended, is: ‘Who’s got your back’? That support team is like gold. It is important to be thankful for it when you have one because not everyone does have support. If you feel like you do not, my question for you is: What can you change in order to feel like you are not alone in whatever you are doing?
Coach Véronique Roberts 