Feb 8 A Creed to Live By ------- Boston 2012

A Creed to Live By

Don't undermine your worth by comparing
yourself with others,

It is because we are different that each
of us is special.

Don't set your goals by what other people
deem important,

Only you know what is best for you.

Don't take for granted the things closest
to your heart

Cling to that as you would your life, for without
them life is meaningless.

Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living
in the past or the future.

By living your life one day at a time, you live all the
days of your life.

Don't give up when you still have something to give

Nothing is really over until the moment
you stop trying.

Don't be afraid to admit that you are less
than perfect,

It is the fragile thread that binds us to each other.

Don't be afraid to encounter risks,

It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's
impossible to find.

The quickest way to receive love is to give love.

The fastest way to lose love is to hold on too tightly,

And the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

Don't dismiss your Dreams. To be without
dreams is to be without hope.

To be without hope is to be without purpose.

Don't run through life so fast that you forget
where you've been,

But also know where you're going.

Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored
every step of the way.

Author Unknown

I find this poem to be very fitting to just about anything, but especially to athletes.  Each of the lines in this poem reflects a feeling or situation that I have experienced with the sport of running.  In sports I think one of the hardest things to get better at is mental toughness.  Its not like you can go out and run "mental toughness sprints" and see improvement.  Opportunities to improve mental toughness come in a variety of ways and are usually noticed in conjunction with improved physical performance or recovery time.  Today my focus for mental toughness is taking place in the water.  Swimming is a big part of my training plan and I enjoy the workouts.  I am still trying to figure out how I can get faster. I don't understand how someone who is bigger than me can go flying by in the next lane.  From all of the information that I have read about improvement in swimming, it takes a lot of focus on one area at a time to get better.  Somedays when I get in the pool my stroke is smooth and I feel like I am Dara Torres.  Other days, I start my workout andI feel like I am the moss covered rock siting in the bottom of the lake. 

 The important thing is that no matter which way I am feeling, I need to concentrate and complete my workout.  

Today's Workout

Swim:  Pace Work

Completed 2400 yards.

Watched a few swim videos on youtube before I left the house.  Still working and focussing on the catch and pull under the water.  So far I have been able to drop 3 strokes off a length.  Its a start and I have a long way to go. I noticed today that my legs pause every so often when I am swimming.  Not sure why.  Aaargh, another mental thing to work on.  Good thing I have more swim workouts before my triathlons.  Hopefully I will be blessed with another opportunity tomorrow to work on improving my swim techniques and all the other areas of my life.