As an endurance athlete, I know a few things about facing challenging obstacles and the power of resiliency. I would even argue, that by coincidence, I was perhaps one of the few people on the planet who had unknowingly prepared myself mentally, emotionally and spiritually for COVID-19 in the two years leading up to the global pandemic.
There are definitely lessons learned and honed during my Journey To 100, a two-year adventure that ended on December 31, 2019 that set me up for what was to come. I completed a record 105 Ironman-distance triathlons, and I thought I would begin the new year processing the “journey” and reflecting on how it changed me. Little did I know, that the skills that I had recently sharpened would be needed more than ever.
Of course, none of us could have predicted how 2020 would play out. But with each scary, unpredictable and disconcerting revelation about the pandemic, I found myself circling back to some mental hacks that allowed me to remain calm, centered and, dare I say it, even grateful.
That’s not to say that I wasn’t concerned or that I didn’t take the corona virus seriously. It just means that I had a set of tools at my disposal that helped me manage the uncertainty, chaos and fear that unleashed itself on the world as we knew it.
So, here are seven lessons from an endurance athlete that you can adopt and use as the waves of the pandemic and its aftermath continue to impact us:
#1 Prepare for the Valleys
In a long endurance event, like an Ironman, you’re typically “out there” pushing yourself for 12-17 hours at a time. And during such a long and taxing day, you will find yourself naturally hitting some peaks and valleys. The reality is that we can all handle the peaks, those high points when you feel strong and everything is going well.
It’s the valleys that are a bit harder to navigate. The first thing to understand about an endurance event or a pandemic is that there will be valleys. There will be low points. So, one of the most important lessons is to “expect” them to show up. When you anticipate the tough patches, you are able to handle them calmly and matter-of-factly when they arrive.
In a valley, your mind races and it’s not unusual to panic, like when you buy a shitload of toilet paper at the first utterance of potential bad news in a pandemic.
There’s something else about valleys that you should know. They may last awhile, or they may come back again and again. In my races, I didn’t know if my “low points” would last a few minutes or a few hours. In a pandemic, the duration could certainly be longer. The important thing to realize, however, is that regardless of how long you’re in the valley, if you keep moving, you’ll eventually work your way through it and get to a better place. In endurance racing we call it, “putting one foot in front of the other.” When you’re in survival mode, sometimes the best you can do is stay in the game. You may not feel like a superhero, but you’re still standing. And when you’re fighting through your low moments, that’s a victory, in itself.
#2 Be Present and In the Moment
Endurance athletes learn not to think too far out, but rather to focus on the present. If you’re on mile 35 of a 100-mile race, you don’t want to be thinking, “I feel like crap; how am I possibly going to be able to make it 65 more miles.”
Instead of putting your focus on all that you have left to do, you focus on the mile that you’re in. Your goal in the moment is to get to mile 36. And then 37 and then 38. You get the picture. By being present, you focus on what has to get done “right now” and you don’t worry about how you’re going to make it to the finish line. The reason is simple; by staying present, you keep your spirits up and keep your mind from getting totally overwhelmed with the bigger challenge that awaits.
#3 Counter the Negative Self-Talk
It’s true that we humans have a negative bias, which simply means that our brains focus more on negative stimuli or events than positive ones. Psychologists point out that our tendency to focus on the negative can have a powerful impact on our inner dialogue and behavior.
It’s very easy when things aren’t going well to have an onslaught of negative chatter erupting between our ears. There are lots of ways to counter this negativity.
When I was struggling with hypothermia during my 2.4 mile swim in Lake Koocanusa, I embraced a tactic shared by researcher and professor Charles Fernyhough of Durham University in England. Fernyhough recommends that when a negative thought comes up that instead of giving it breathing room to take over, you immediately challenge it to a conversation.
When I got in the lake, my immediate thought was, “Oh my God…this water is so cold, how will I ever make it 2.4 miles?!!” Recognizing immediately that I couldn’t continue down this path and have a positive outcome, my quick response was, “But the water is so refreshing; it makes you feel alive.”
So, when you have a negative thought about the virus, or anything else for that matter, recognize it and address it. Another version of this tactic is to simply “reframe” your negative thoughts into something more positive. In the example above “freezing water” could be “reframed” to “refreshing” or “exhilarating.”
Sometimes, reframing can simply mean being more balanced with your thoughts. That doesn’t mean you ignore potential dangers or are always looking at the positive; it means you refocus so that you give fair and equal weight to good news and stimuli as well.
#4 Create Your Support Team
In this time of social distancing, many of us may feel a bit lost and disconnected. We all need a support team to do our best work. And it’s ok if your team is virtual. As I raced around the country, I relied on help and support along the way. It helped me stay connected and really would boost my spirits when the going got tough.
When I was in a low spot, for example, I often thought of all my friends and family who were out there supporting me. It was a great way to tap into a positive feeling of gratitude and remind myself that I had a lot to be appreciative for. The support team was also always there when needed with specific ways to help. All I had to do was ask. Sometimes, that’s all we need to do. The people that are there for us are happy to help; we just need to let them know how they can. Of course, providing help, in return, is also a great way to redirect how we’re feeling and bring some positive energy into our world.
#5 Recovery Is Critical
In my journey, I was averaging a race every six or seven days for two years. So, when I wasn’t racing, I had to place a premium on recovery. Otherwise, there was no way my body (or mind) could get ready to turn around in such a short period and be able to do it all again.
Self-care practices are essential to your well-being. You should find the ones that work best for you and make them a daily practice. Meditation, journaling, gardening, exercising, getting adequate rest, enjoying time outside are but a handful of the things you can do to rejuvenate yourself and restore your energy levels.
While all these are important, I would say that adequate rest is most critical. You can’t be your best if you’re tired and not getting adequate sleep. I think this is particularly challenging with COVID-19. The steady stream of news can be overwhelming and our interest in learning more can interfere with our rest and relaxation. So, make sure you take the time every day to unplug, chill out and rest.
#6 Face Your Fears
It’s easy to let fear take over. Lord knows, if we are constantly consuming all the news, it’s scary. I’ve learned that the best way to deal with fear and anxiety is to face it head-on. In other words, identify what you are scared of and then take the necessary steps to address it.
Early on in my Ironman Journey, I would get race nerves, anxiety and some fear that would show up the day before my races. When I took the time to bring my fears out in the daylight and examine why I felt that way; it boiled down to the fear of the unknown. The “what ifs” would run through my mind. Often, it was “What if I have a problem in the water with it being too cold? Or what if I have mechanical issues on my bike?”
It’s easy to let our imaginations go wild and think of all the bad things that can derail us. I was able to silence my fears by staring them down and realizing that I could do whatever I could to prepare, that I had faced bigger challenges before (and survived) and that I would work my way through anything that came my way. We have all encountered tough situations before, and we have learned to persevere. So, use that knowledge to give you confidence and resiliency moving forward during these uncertain times. Don’t let the “what ifs” destroy your peace of mind and make you question your own resiliency.
#7 Appreciate the Gifts
With any struggle we face, there are always gifts. My races were hard, often in mountainous regions where I not only had to bike, swim and run 140.6 miles, but I was doing so at elevation, in tough terrain or under adverse weather conditions. I was often challenged in extreme ways. But typically, the tougher the day, the more epic the location. Taking in the beauty of Big Sur was amazing, despite the almost 9,000 feet of climbing I did on the bike.” I had a choice on that 112-mile bike ride. I could focus on the pain and exhaustion from climbing or I could focus on the magnificent beauty of my surroundings.
This pandemic has also provided some unexpected gifts to many. More family time, a break from the rat race to see what in our lives is truly important and appreciation for things that we long to do again. Most of us will never be given a better wake-up call than this pandemic to assess our lives and to make some meaningful changes as we move forward. Sure, there are heartaches and struggles related to this pandemic, but don’t lose sight of the gifts that we have been given as well.
