Letters to Lydia Part 1: The Sprint

I didn't know exactly what this blog would look like when I started it. I just started writing. I wanted to have a place to document reflections, and writing in public keeps me accountable to get words down on a page. I've decided to turn these biweekly posts into a series of short letters to Lydia's future self. I think if she can learn from and apply just 1% of what I learn during this training, then it will be worth it. So here is the first letter.

Lydia,

Professional ultramarathoners look a lot different from Olympic sprinters in just about every way. The sprinter needs to be explosive and quick. The ultramarathoner needs to be steady and durable. So they train their bodies accordingly. No athlete can be elite at both because the sports have different demands, and so the athletes optimize their training so they are best suited for speed OR endurance.

I believe that life is not quite the same. It is neither a marathon nor a sprint but a combination of marathons, sprints, and rests. We don't have to optimize for one or the other, but we do need to know when to get ready to sprint, when to get ready to endure, and when to rest.

Through ultramarathon training, I have learned that it's imperative to know when you need to 'sprint', 'endure', or 'rest'. Without that knowledge, progress at whatever you are doing will be sporadic at best and counterproductive at worst.

Endurance athletes know that a well-thought-out training plan involves periodization, which means blocking training into different periods. Some weeks of training, they are asking a lot of their bodies. During those periods, they are putting their cardiovascular, muscular, and nervous systems under stress. This breaks their body down so it can be built back up stronger. The building back stronger part doesn't actually happen in the training though; it happens in the recovery. So after a few tough weeks of building, they make time to recover.

From Endurance Sports to Life

Just like many aspects of endurance sports, this idea of periodization can be applied to life. A training plan is simply a plan to improve and try to get better, and in sports, this is pretty straightforward. There's no training plan for life, but I hope that in whatever you are doing, you try to make forward progress. To do that, take some time to assess if you need to sprint, endure, or rest. Whether you're learning, working, playing a sport, building a friendship, playing an instrument, or taking on any challenge, think about what might be required of you.

No one can sustain a sprint forever; we have limits. It's just not possible to go 110% all the time. But sometimes you will have to go 110%, and when you do, surround those times with proper rest and recovery so that you can recover and build back stronger. It's up to you to rely on yourself, community, God, and your family to figure out when you need to put in a sprint. When you need to sprint, I hope you will give it all you've got.

As anyone who has done an all-out sprint knows, it hurts after a few seconds. Your muscles ache, your lungs burn, and the longer you go, the more your mind starts screaming at you to stop. Seasons of life can feel that way, too, but know that usually it is for just a season. Sometimes that means a few days, sometimes a few months, but just because it's hard doesn't mean you should stop. It may just mean you're in a sprint, but Lord willing, you will have a chance to recover soon.

I hope that you will take on the sprints of life with a sense of determination, perseverance, and humility, and that each one makes you stronger and prepares you to face whatever comes next.

Whatever you're running toward, run with purpose.