When you're thinking about direction for training and the outcomes you are trying to achieve, it can be helpful to think in metaphorical terms. To that end, let's compare and contrast some of the traits of an arrow and an airplane.
An arrow is a short distance tool. A quick google search showed that the world record arrow shot is just under 500 meters, roughly the length of 5 football fields. Historically arrows allowed people like the Mongol nation to take over the known world. They have put food on the table of untold numbers of hunters throughout the history of the world. In spite of their usefulness, arrows do have some draw backs. What if your food is walking by at a distance of 600 meters? You'll need some other tool to harvest it. What if your target moves after you've fired? There's no opportunity to change the course of your arrow once it's in flight.
How does the arrow relate to training ideas? In some ways it's like a short term goal or strategy. Is there a use for arrows in training? Of course there are. You might be a MMA fighter and your 8 week training camp leading you to peak conditioning for a fight is like an arrow. You aim at a target a short distance away and fire. There isn't much time to tweak and adjust your aim. You fire the arrow and hope for the best. For a powerlifter it could be the body weight cut leading into a big meet. You know you have to shave off 10lbs in a relatively short time to make weight so you aim the arrow and fire. These are some short term, quick strategies that are useful in the right context.
On the other hand, we have the airplane. The longest passenger flight recorded was a 2005 Boeing voyage covering 13,423 miles without touching down. That's just about 236,245 football fields. This is like setting your overarching goal for training. If your airplane goal is simply to be active for life, then it can make lots of connecting flights. Maybe you start out in high school sports, try out powerlifting or weightlifting or running for awhile, make another stop in recreational sports or hiking, and continue picking up new physical hobbies as you move through life. That's awesome, and if that describes you, keep it up! It could mean setting a course for a particular target like becoming as strong as you can in the snatch and clean and jerk so you can compete, or being as fast as you can at a marathon. The pilots (your coaches) can fine tune the course so that the airplane arrives on time, in the right place, and in one piece.
Whatever your goals are, make sure you're using the right tools to reach them. If you aren't sure how to reach your goals, reach out to a coach who will work with you to help you. My number one criteria for a coach is that they should be able to tell you why you should do what they are telling you in a simple, clear fashion. If it's all big words and mumbo jumbo, there are plenty of other fish in the sea. You want the best co-pilot for your flight that you can get, so don't settle for sub par coaching. Whatever you're doing, whatever goals you're chasing, enjoy your flight!
An arrow is a short distance tool. A quick google search showed that the world record arrow shot is just under 500 meters, roughly the length of 5 football fields. Historically arrows allowed people like the Mongol nation to take over the known world. They have put food on the table of untold numbers of hunters throughout the history of the world. In spite of their usefulness, arrows do have some draw backs. What if your food is walking by at a distance of 600 meters? You'll need some other tool to harvest it. What if your target moves after you've fired? There's no opportunity to change the course of your arrow once it's in flight.
How does the arrow relate to training ideas? In some ways it's like a short term goal or strategy. Is there a use for arrows in training? Of course there are. You might be a MMA fighter and your 8 week training camp leading you to peak conditioning for a fight is like an arrow. You aim at a target a short distance away and fire. There isn't much time to tweak and adjust your aim. You fire the arrow and hope for the best. For a powerlifter it could be the body weight cut leading into a big meet. You know you have to shave off 10lbs in a relatively short time to make weight so you aim the arrow and fire. These are some short term, quick strategies that are useful in the right context.
On the other hand, we have the airplane. The longest passenger flight recorded was a 2005 Boeing voyage covering 13,423 miles without touching down. That's just about 236,245 football fields. This is like setting your overarching goal for training. If your airplane goal is simply to be active for life, then it can make lots of connecting flights. Maybe you start out in high school sports, try out powerlifting or weightlifting or running for awhile, make another stop in recreational sports or hiking, and continue picking up new physical hobbies as you move through life. That's awesome, and if that describes you, keep it up! It could mean setting a course for a particular target like becoming as strong as you can in the snatch and clean and jerk so you can compete, or being as fast as you can at a marathon. The pilots (your coaches) can fine tune the course so that the airplane arrives on time, in the right place, and in one piece.
Whatever your goals are, make sure you're using the right tools to reach them. If you aren't sure how to reach your goals, reach out to a coach who will work with you to help you. My number one criteria for a coach is that they should be able to tell you why you should do what they are telling you in a simple, clear fashion. If it's all big words and mumbo jumbo, there are plenty of other fish in the sea. You want the best co-pilot for your flight that you can get, so don't settle for sub par coaching. Whatever you're doing, whatever goals you're chasing, enjoy your flight!
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