I\u2019m celebrating an anniversary \u2013 20 years of coaching folks to achieve their athletic goals!\u00a0 It\u2019s been a fabulous journey full of highs & lows\u2026but most of all, learning opportunities.\u00a0 Here are 4 of my most invaluable lessons.\u00a0 Maybe they\u2019ll help you too!<\/p>\n

\n

Lesson #1 – Physical therapy heals injuries AND prevents them too.<\/h2>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Before I saw the \u201cPT light\u201d I thought that physical therapy was only for serious full-blown injuries.\u00a0 I thought it was what you try after you\u2019ve waited for 6 months for the pain to go away\u2026the thing you have to do after you\u2019ve seen the surgeon.\u00a0 Yes, PT is for major injuries as well as for healing post-surgery. \u00a0However, I now understand that it is most powerfully used when you have an ache\u2026a small nagging pain\u2026a tightness that doesn\u2019t feel quite right. \u00a0If you get in at first sign of an issue, often you\u2019ll walk out with greatly reduced symptoms.\u00a0 I now consider PT as part of my training regime \u2013 the part that keeps me consistently injury-free!<\/p>\n

Lesson #2 \u2013 More is almost NEVER better.<\/h2>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

For me, this is has been one of the most important lessons I\u2019ve learned.\u00a0 Not only has it made me a better coach, but it\u2019s also made me a better athlete & a more well-rounded person. \u00a0Let\u2019s face it \u2013 our hyper-charged world encourages us to work harder & longer, pack in just one more thing & multitask.\u00a0 In training that translates to hyper-focus on tracking miles, charting progress, following training plans to the minute.\u00a0 While this vigilance has its place\u2026my experience shows that, more often than not, all we have to show for our superhuman efforts are burn-out, exhaustion & injury.\u00a0 When I started focusing on quality – rather than quantity – I found that my enthusiasm increased AND my performance improved! \u00a0As a coach I found my athletes experiencing the same things!\u00a0 It\u2019s a win-win situation!<\/p>\n

Lesson #3 \u2013 KISS – Keep It Simple, Silly!<\/h2>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all heard this saying\u2026many times.\u00a0 It\u2019s a common phrase with an incredibly useful sentiment.\u00a0 And yet, seemingly so difficult for us to adhere to!\u00a0 In my world of athlete & coach, this plays out in two ways.\u00a0 1.\u00a0 Athlete Side – I often see athletes get sidetracked by the latest gadget & lose focus on what really matters \u2013 the consistency of training.\u00a0 While tracking Normalized Power & quad glycogen stores pre- & post-exercise can certainly help, it is important to remember that fitness doesn\u2019t really change unless you actually do the sport!\u00a0 The simple truth is that doing your sport day in & day out will do more to improve your performance than any gadget out there on the market!\u00a0 2.\u00a0 Coach Side \u2013 My primary purpose is to offer athletes as much value as possible.\u00a0 However, I often mistake \u201cvalue\u201d for \u201ccomplex\u201d when the true definition is \u201cusefulness\u201d.\u00a0 I can spend hours putting together amazingly detailed workouts full of instructions & directions only to find out that the athlete felt overwhelmed by the complexity & ended up not doing anything!\u00a0 So here we are again.\u00a0 While these complex workouts do have a purpose, what\u2019s more important is writing straight-forward workouts that encourage athletes to be consistent.\u00a0 Plain & simple!<\/p>\n

Lesson #4 \u2013 Take It Personally.<\/h2>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Yep, this is the complete opposite of the commonly uttered line \u2013 \u201cDon\u2019t take it personally.\u201d\u00a0 When I opened my small biz 20 years ago I took the \u201cDon\u2019t take it personally\u201d line to heart.\u00a0 I worked very hard to separate myself from work.\u00a0 I worked hard to protect myself from disappointment, rejection & frustration.\u00a0 Simply put, I depersonalized my work.\u00a0 The problem with this approach is that, while it keeps you safe, it doesn\u2019t allow space for inspiration, passion & ultimately, success.\u00a0 Think for a moment about people who you\u2019ve met who are exhilarated by & engaged in what they do.\u00a0 They take work personally\u2026and isn\u2019t it great to be around?\u00a0 Recently I decided that I want to be one of those people.\u00a0 I want to be someone whose enthusiasm & joy for what I do pulled people in.\u00a0 I want to be the person who embraces vulnerability & risk in order to create tighter bonds with my clients.\u00a0 Have I paid prices for it?\u00a0 Absolutely.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been hurt, let down, highly insecure, wondered many times if it was worth it.\u00a0 But, believe me, the friendships I\u2019ve developed & the spontaneous moments that arise when you let your guard down are priceless.<\/p>\n

The words of Alfred Lord Tennyson say it best:\u00a0 \u201c’Tis better to have loved and lost, \/ Than never to have loved at all\u201d.<\/p>\n

Cheers,<\/p>\n

Coach Michelle<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m celebrating an anniversary \u2013 20 years of coaching folks to achieve their athletic goals!\u00a0 It\u2019s been a fabulous journey full of highs & lows\u2026but most of all, learning opportunities.\u00a0 Here are 4 of my most invaluable lessons.\u00a0 Maybe they\u2019ll help you too! Lesson #1 – Physical therapy heals injuries AND prevents them too. Before<\/p>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-training-tip"],"yoast_head":"\n