I was an endurance athlete for years. I did everything I thought I was supposed to do. I ate right, strength trained, was disciplined about my sleep, hydration, and nutrition. I trained as hard as I could all the time. Once I even set up cups of water in my driveway and ran back and forth trying to drink out of them without spilling-hoping mastering it it would cut a few seconds off my race time. It didn't All it did was confirm to my neighbors I was that "insane runner."
I thought I was healthy. I thought I had it all figured out. I didn’t.
For years, I ignored all the warning signs my body gave me because I didn’t recognize them or want to hear them. The fatigue, the irritability, forgetting my keys, hurting my knees, insomnia, mental exhaustion at work, getting a stress fracture, the list goes on….
With every mile, I pushed away emotions, fears, anxiety, and struggles. I used running to run away from everything that was uncomfortable. I didn’t know there was more to my health than exercise, food, sleep, hydration, and training. So instead of addressing the rest of my health like I now KNOW I needed to. I ended up losing the sport I loved. We are athletes, but we are human first, which means we have to consider our mental, emotional and spiritual health too.
If you are not currently injured, it doesn’t mean you’re truly healthy.
No, I am not making this up.
It’s the hard truth I had to discover AFTER I lost my sport.
Many athletes believe that when they have an injury, illness, or poor performance they need to train harder, do more. They assume they must be weak. They keep pushing themselves, harder and harder in the wrong direction and often makes things worse causing further damage to the body, end up losing their race, season, or sport entirely.
How much is too much?
The truth is, maybe it's not all our fault. Maybe, we may not be aware that we have been pushing ourselves to our physical and mental and emotional limits. Traditionally, this is not what athletes have been taught. We have been taught it’s all about how hard we can train and how far we can push ourselves beyond the limits. BUT, the most incredible thing has happened. We now know this is no longer true. The science says so.
The science says we need to address all four pillars of our health to reach our greatest potential and to perform at the highest level.
No one can perform at a high level if they are injured.
No one can keep performing at a high level if they are always exhausted mentally, physically, emotionally.
No one can perform at a high level if their basic needs aren't being met.
So…how do we begin?
First, you must realize I am talking to you.
…The athlete that wants to run so badly they push through pain and ignore the warning signs
…The athlete that keeps getting so close to the goal, the accolade or the dream and then watches as it slips through your hands again and again
…The athlete who runs because they don’t have to think or feel or pay attention when they are running
...The athlete who is frustrated
…The athlete who thinks they are doing everything right already, but falls short
…The athlete that just loves to run
...The athlete that is winning, meeting their goals but keeps wondering when it will end
Once you realize I am talking to you we can begin to change these old patterns and this rotten old paradigm.
Let me know when you're ready. I am here. I am prepared. I am waiting for you. This is what I do. I help athletes crush it in life and sport by educating them and giving them the tools they didn't know they needed.
xo K
*pay attention on my instagram @katemihevcedwards the Evolved Performance Program is so close
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