The ground begins to feel more firm and we collectively adapt to the new reality of the mid-term.  None of us have a lens of when races will recommence; we are still enshrouded in the fog without a compass.  With this said, I hope that you are adapting and beginning to find routine and structure within the chaos. By setting a schedule, adhering to it, and adapting to new routines, we can begin to convert something that is happening to you, toward something you are thriving within despite it happening. It takes action.

We are operating in a layering of amplified stress, but we must find purpose in your pursuits.  This will create an action plan and path to success, no matter if it is anchored around home-schooling your children, your role in work or business, of your own fitness and performance.  For the sake of this piece, let's focus on the performance on the sports side of the equation.  

I want to highlight an empowering conversation and plan set forward for one of the Purple Patch Pros.  Let’s take stock of their collective challenge. They are highly motivated, chasing world-class performance, reliant on sponsorship support and prize money to survive, and they absolutely thrive when they chase identifiable goals ahead of them.  This situation instantly stripped away much of these elements. The fog descends, and they find themselves without goals to identify and guide, limited chance to earn, and a philosophical challenge around the importance of professional sport as the world faces this situation.

Wow.  That isn’t fun.  It is no surprise that motivation and spirits flutter toward a downward trend.  So how can I, as a coach, lead these athletes toward a purpose? There are a couple of things that are important in consideration:

1. This will end.  We don’t know when, but we know it will end and life will return to some semblance of normal.
2. When racing becomes a reality, they must be ready to go quickly.  Racing will likely come thick and fast for the pros.
3. They are still a world class athlete. They just are on sabbatical, but this doesn’t mean regression.

How in the world can our pros, or you, find purpose and anchor training progression in these times?  I asked one of the pros in a conversation. Rather than building forward, we anchored around a simple and important concept:

What is the optimal outcome you want, as an athlete, when this fog lifts?  

What is your dream best-scenario profile of you as an athlete when racing begins again?

The goal of this question is to create a meaningful vision, mission, and goal.  Knowing the fog will lift, what do we want to see -- or be -- when we have clarity.  As simple as the three pieces of the answer are, they create an instant framework to build all training and habits around:

Answer one:  I need to be mentally fresh.

Answer two:  I need to be physically healthy.

Answer three:  I need to have progressed as an athlete in the aspects I can control currently.

There you go.  These answers provide the context and meaning behind the plan.  Lots of variance, fun, and low-stress work ahead. In addition, a ton of tough work to improve aspects of their performance, ready to accelerate readiness and performance once we get to return to normal training, and integrate swimming and strive for race performance.

Those who lay back, give up, and fall into complacency will regress.  Those who find opportunity in adversity will prosper, grow, evolve, and find a better level of performance than they have ever achieved.  

Our pro here can remove the cloaks of seriousness and be a bit more free with their obsession and drive.  That can take a little back seat. With this, they can also improve on lots of little things that often fall to the wayside, ramp up harder bike intervals, and build a platform of resilience that will catapult performance once the real work begins again.

In adversity arrives innovation and achievement -- if you let it.

As I tell them on the start line, but now in this very weird journey we all find ourselves in -  ‘stay safe, stay healthy, and don’t fuck it up!’

Matt