Being Adaptable

"Adapt, improvise, survive," my coach used to instruct his team almost weekly. He had picked up the phrase from his time as a paratrooper earlier in his life. While all strong athletes approach their preparation with a solid plan, the most elite athletes know that remaining adaptable is key to optimizing success. During the training season this may mean deviating from the training plan due to an unplanned illness, period of fatigue, or changing conditions. During the racing season, this often means remaining focused regardless of changes to the race schedule or a recent bad result.

Keeping the Big Picture in Mind

At the root of athletic adaptability is the fact that achieving the ultimate goal require flexibility and can actually be hampered by rigidity. This is difficult for many athletes, as years of discipline and structure are required to grow and succeed. Now, in the face of an illness, injury, or racing calendar alteration the paradigm shifts. In these periods of uncertainty how do the best athletes remain successful? They do so by keeping the big picture in mind.

Doing so requires each athlete to know their goals and what is required to reach those goals. If the goal is to perform well at an upcoming event - this will require an athlete to be healthy, rested, and mentally prepared. When an unexpected illness crops up several weeks beforehand, it can be enticing to train through the illness in an effort to maximize training goals. However, by trying to train through illness, athletes often arrive on race day fatigued and with lingering symptoms. By losing focus of the bigger picture, athletes can arrive on race day in poor condition and fail to achieve a strong performance.

During the racing season, the calendar often changes. In fact, a good string of performances early on may actually boost an athlete to a higher circuit or qualify them for a championship event. In this case, it is important to keep focus on process goals. What habits in daily training, nutrition, and recovery lead to early season strong results? Keep doing these and do not change the process just because the schedule has.

Key Takeaways

• Elite athletes are adaptable. Becoming overly rigid in training and racing will lead to subpar results.

  
  

• Remaining adaptable means each athlete trusting themselves and their process. Do not lose sight of long-term goals in the face of short-term challenges.

• Remain committed to the process goals which have lead to success. These should not change regardless of a varied racing calendar.