Regressions Sucks, So Does Covid

 Hello Fit Fam,

    So it finally got me! I caught Covid a couple weeks ago. It hit me like a ton of bricks and threw me on my butt for sure. I was feeling pretty rough for a couple of days but what made it worse was my daughter was also sick with Covid at the same time and we had to isolate in our house away from other people for a few days. To any parents out there I think one of the worst things in the world that I have experienced to this day is having a sick child while you are sick. You have absolutely no energy yourself but yet you still have to care for your very needy and unhappy child!

    I say all this to bring up regression when it comes to fitness training. I am in the middle of my triathlon training with about 2 and a half months to go before my half ironman and this knocked me back a few weeks. I am still on track to be able to complete the triathlon but I may no longer be on track for the times I wanted. I have had to restart some of my distances and work on building my speed back up. For example my long cycle the other day was much slower than I anticipated. I also attempted a short run after and that turned more into a walk than a run. I am having to listen to my body and really slow down my tempos and limit my intensities. I even notice this past week during the group fitness classes I was teaching that I started to feel lightheaded and fatigued more so than I ever have. I understand this is my body telling me to slow down and not push so hard but it is tough to limit myself when I know I am capable of so much more!

    Regression is an unfortunate but all too common limitation for many people working towards a specific fitness goal. It can be brought on by a number of reasons such as; illness, injury, changing jobs, moving, family related issues, or just sometimes life. We all are faced with obstacles and challenges but how we move forward past them is what makes us stronger. I may be starting further back from my goal but it doesn't mean I cannot still reach my goal. I am going to work towards getting my distances back first and then I can start to push my intensities to hopefully regain some of my speed. 

    My plan with this set back is a simple 3 step process. I believe you can use this model in most regressions.

    1. Adjust your end goal as needed based on your current fitness level. You may need to figure out what your new fitness level is first in order to adjust your end goal. For me the race is still on the same date and the distances have not changed so what I will need to change is the intensities of my training or lower my expectations of how fast I will complete the half ironman in October. Since I still have over two months I believe I have time to get my speed back, but if not then I will work on completing the distance and race a little slower, which is fine by me! Finishing the race is good enough in my books!

    2. Make a new plan to reach your new end goal. My new plan is to build back up my distances in my swim, bike and run. If I am able to complete that then I will work to increase my speed. I have always been a go with the flow type of person so if the speed training doesn't get there by race week then I am not going to stress it. I don't need to stress myself out and nor should you! If you experience a set back and need to adjust your end goal make sure your plan reflects that new goal. Life is inevitable and will always get in the way. This is your reminder to make sure you find your fit with fitness. Regressions make us have to adjust our expectations even when we don't want to.

    3. Commit to your new goal. So often we get discouraged when life gets in our way. We think how will I ever find success due to your set back. Sometimes yes we can experience set backs that halt our plans altogether. This is why we make a new plan and work towards a new goal. You can still find success in your new goal but you have to try. If we don't believe in our ability to reach our goals we will always fail. In the words of Wayne Gretzky "You miss 100% of the shots you never take". So commit to yourself and take the shot. 

    I am a strong believer that we will fail and failing is an integral part of how we learn so that we can find success. I believe regressions are just life's way of showing us failure so that we can learn from it and be stronger for the next obstacle that comes are way. Covid was my most recent obstacle and it SUCKED! I hated it and and I thought that there was no way I was going to get past it. But I did. I am feeling much better. Workouts have been tough for sure but I am getting back to my new plan, working towards my new goal. Well, same goal but with different expectations. I am confident in myself and my new plan. I am committing to reaching my new goal. 

    What obstacle has set you back and caused your regression? What is your new goal? How will you adjust your plan in order to reach your new goal? Life is full of surprises both good and bad. Don't let the bad ones hold your back from finding the good ones! Take the shot and commit to overcoming this regression and surprise yourself with what you are capable of!

Stay Calm and Exercise On