Improvement

Just finished reading Chapter 3 of sports speed and was struck by one of the final sentences describing an older athletes’ beginning preparation for speed: 

                “A later start on this road to development decreases the number of neural pathways developed, reduces the number of acquired skills, and ensures that you will not reach maximum potential in your sport.” (Sports Speed, pg 66)

As was pointed out in the chapter earlier, often times an athlete never reaches their maximal potential because their talent combined with their current work ethic  have taken them as far as the competition has led them… In other words, the athlete has only been as good as they needed to be dictated by their competition.

WOW.  That’s an eye opening statement, I think.  But it’s also what many of us have learned how to do in our lives, not just in our workouts.  We struggle to find some sort of structure in our lives and we adapt to the structure that we choose (either consciously or sub consciously).  We adapt to it and subsequently work only as hard for it as we have to work to maintain that structure.  

Although the phrase, hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard, comes to mind.

 

In our workouts, we do what we like or movements that we proficiently execute.  In our lives, we settle for a life in which we do what is necessary, not imaginative. 

To complete the statement in “Sports Speed,” the next sentence is ,” …but don’t stop now just because you started a bit late- keep on going.” (Sports Speed, pg. 66)

The final thought is valuable not only in the gym, but in life as well.  Just because we start something later in our lives doesn’t mean the lost potential is the doom of our late life activity.   Quite the contrary, developing  a skill any time in life, making a life choice any time in life is about self-improvement.  

We can choose to learn to do something new anytime we please to make that choice. 

I recall an old phrase:
“The past is history.

The future is a mystery.

The present is a gift. “  (anonymous) 

How will you spend your gift?