Good weekend, everyone!
Just spent a good weekend in Macau and Hong Kong, shooting the breeze and no endurance training at all. Yes, it is rare for me to do absolutely nothing for I am resolutely disciplined to hard work. However, the deliberate rest has done my body good as I have unusually tight calves and residual plantar fasciitis (which means it has not fully healed). Lot of stretching and core training was in my only physical sports menu, other than walking the Vegas-like stretches of roads in Macau - Disneyland for adults.
The major injuries I have faced were limited to my ITB (on my second marathon - the day itself after 4K elapsed) and, recently, my soles. I have been respectful of my body for every overuse-related injury I have experienced. Addressing the symptoms with medication and first-aid alone is not effective, as our body has a way of remembering danger and protecting itself through injury. Injury prematurely ends all physical stress, and safeguards its resources. So, injury is not a bad thing, merely a defensive mechanism. Injury is a time to reflect, take stock of your situation and heal your body. My exploration into barefoot running, core stability training and running techniques stemmed from personal tragedy and a need to re-educate my brain and body. Stubborness and tolerance to pain is not a long-term strategy for longevity in sports. Enjoying your sport regardless of your race results, socialising with friends in Master-Class training, and racing for the sheer reason 'because you can' are poignance and purpose enough to sustain one's interests; provided you are still interested and interesting. Few people enjoy spending time with braggards and their braggadocio. The brilliance of people is in their being and believing.
Youth is a temporal stage of one's life, so enjoy, appreciate and respect it. Endurance sports can accelerate the deterioration process of one's body, so take exercising and racing in moderation. There is a time to race, and a time to rest and recover. If you fail to notice the early signals of chronic illness or injury, you may have to pay for it in disappointment and depression. Going cold-turkey in endurance training can be stifling on your motivation and enthusiasm.
Aging is an equally exciting proposition. Masters or veterans continue to provide proof that they can improve in endurance sports. My friend, Mr Kor completed the Boston Marathon this year as a 79-year-old participant. I hope to follow in his footsteps (literally) next year. His confidence is exceedingly infectious, yet humble as a mature gentleman he is. Generation Y is respectful of serious age-groupers from Generation X and the Baby-Boomers. Mutual respect and admiration is where we revel in, for our personal achievements outside of our sporting life may be irrelevent to many, yet it means much to those of us who share and care about our sports. Pain and suffering are powerful adhesives that bond sprots-people together whether it is a 100-metre dash, 200-metre swim, 40K bike ride, triathlon relay, marathon, 24-hour hike, or Ironman triathlon.
This week, (thanks to Elite Custom Bicycles) I am pleased to announce an exclusive interview with Olympic gold-medalist swimmer, Sheila Taormina - she is also Olympian over two other disciplines outside of swimming! I will feature her interview over two parts, so ensure that you atch it. You can, of course, catch it in our back-log of other features on our daily blog for we attempt to include something of interest to you in either executive or recreational leadership. Remember: you are a leadership in your field of expertise, endeavour or expression. If you disagree, you are making a stance - thus, expressing one facet of your entire leadership design.
Leadership Lesson: Enjoy your moments - now and whenever.
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