“If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins. “
Benjamin Franklin
I have never been a do things to do them person. I will not sign up for a race or an event unless my best effort goes into it. Accomplishments mean more than finishes, achievements mean more than glory. I have always had a plan when driving towards a goal. Set the goal and make the goal reap the rewards.
You should always have a goal and a purpose in what you do, it gives the act meaning. With that meaning it give you a sense of fulfillment when you complete your task. When I returned to swimming the fact that I did not want to race and just use it to stay in shape kept me content for about two weeks. Then it was “When is the next meet?” I had new goals and a new purpose.
When I started Crossfit all I wanted to do was to make the WODs RX. Then I wanted to get muscle ups and double unders. Now my goals are different because I achieved my earlier goals with drive.
Lately though I have bitten off more that I can chew. I was able to achieve in one area but not in another. The personal and psychological backlash took its toll on my more than I could have imagined. I learned a very valuable lesson in the last three weeks, set your priorities. I did not have a game plan going into it and it really showed. I am not normally a fly by the seat of my pants person and I fell without a parachute.
I started training for the Rowdy Gaines Classic swim meet in Orlando while taking on a Gymnastics class and Crossfit. I was burning the proverbial candle at both ends. I thing I started the flame with a blow torch. The outcome of this blistering pace of athletics was a small crash and burn at the most inappropriate time. Being the father of two and keeping up with them all while trying to achieve two large goals was truly an eye opening experience.
I swam the meet and won both my individual events and took 1st and 2nd in relays. My 50 fly time put me second in the nation for my age group at the time. The very next day I tried to secure my spot on the competition team at South Florida Crossfit Endurance for the Broward Cup. I missed the team by one spot, I was a little bent out of shape but I was able to shake it off and continue down my path.
I got over that set back and tried to refocus my training. Finally I had to force myself to take a week off due to a downward spiral of bad performance. I guess I underestimated how valuable rest is in the training process. During the swim seasons in college there was only Sunday off and I was stuck in that mentality. Crossfit is another animal entirely and if you do not watch it you will get bit in the worse way.
Keep away from people who belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. – Mark Twain
One of our athletes was out for the Broward Cup due to injury and I had to WODoff to try and full the spot. I lost out on the spot by 3 reps. I hit the floor at the end of the WOD, let go a couple of expletives, gave the bar a little kick then picked myself up and went home.
I had two chances and blew it. This is where I think a few misinterpreted my outburst that evening. You cannot mistake my passion for discourse. When you give it everything you have and do it with passion and drive people might not see that. When you put your body and mind on the line there is a fire that burns and sometimes that fire rages. When it rages you just have to make sure no one gets burned.
I was lucky enough though to attend the Broward Cup and watch our two teams put it on the line. I competed in the Open WOD before the teams went taking 3rd by 1 point, every rep counts!! When I was done I grabbed my camera and captured every moment for my teammates and created lasting memories for them.
Now it is time to refocus, achieve my goals and go down the path toward accomplishing what I set out to do. Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out far far one can go.