On The Water

Maturing as an athlete is a lot more than just getting faster or becoming more efficient. I believe that what makes an athlete mature is a great mindset.  From my own small-world perspective, my athletic attitude has changed dramatically over the years. I remember my first season that started in October 2011: I was restless. I wanted to train every day. The more the better. I was getting excited with every little success, from clocking faster 5K times every month to winning the smallest local race in town. I was also getting depressed easily: whenever my knee was hurting or my shoulder was pinching. I was becoming really pessimistic if I had to take time off training in order to deal with smaller or bigger injuries. I remember I was crying for days when I had to stop swimming for nearly 4 months to rehab my left shoulder from chronic rotator cuff injury: I went to the 2012 Collegiate Nationals having practiced 0 swimming for 4 months (I finished 4th overall). The majo...

When it comes to training and racing for a goal or some few goals for the season, things do not always go right. They go left, up or down. Shopping for "going right" this year. Anybody? I spent last year in the shadows, training and racing minimally and trying to fix a problem that killed my running. After tons of exams that only proved my body is in perfect condition and after spending a good amount of six months on the massage table in the hands of Nathan Handerson, I finally got it under control. I got optimistic, I thought that all of my patience and persistence have finally paid off. I started running some pre-season races pain-free. Yes! I thought I got it! Unfortunately, timing is not always right. I am still on the roller-coaster train. Sometimes I am racing pain free and other times with some pain. So, things are not yet right 100%. Therefore, my scheduled training periods have started getting canceled and I started going south. But only for a little while. T...

Persistence is still determination to overcome adversity and keep moving forward regardless of your feelings or the environmental conditions. It is a sustained effort characterized by will power and desire. Every athlete, from amateurs to Olympians, has dealt with some sort of injury or injuries at some point. Small injuries, big injuries; injuries that take a week to heal or years to overcome. Having a clear vision of the future, removing any stubborn attachment to the past and just sticking to the original goals have helped all of us get through the rough times. Setting up a goal and working towards it, can have many ups and downs; when you are up, you can overcome challenges like a steamroller; when you are down, you have to stay put to that burning desire of succeeding your goal. You will have weak moments; maybe you will cry; maybe you will want to quit. Try to see the end of the tunnel, stay in the path, have faith and hope, and you will get out stronger, more mature and crav...