Some people say there are no accidents or coincidences. I must say, that when I think about how I came to the Endurance Nation (EN) training program, and how it has all worked out I know that something larger than me was at work to draw it into my life.
I had a bike crash in September that left me with a separated shoulder. Swimming was off the table for a while, and when I was cleared to go back to the pool I know I was pushing that injury too far too fast. I was afraid to lose the swimming fitness I had built up over the summer, and foolishly I was putting my shoulder at risk--with an Ironman in the offing no less. At about the time, however, this new endeavor called Endurance Nation came to my attention with a cool off-season program (OS). The price was right, the training was what I was looking for, so I signed up.
Lo and behold, I found myself in the middle of a new training paradigm that DE-emphasized the swim during the off-season. Take the whole off-season off from swimming was actually recommended. (It's about return on investment in terms of gains on the bike and run, which all panned out BTW.) So not only did I make great gains on the bike and run, but my shoulder got better. Now that I'm back in the pool a bit more, I see that my shoulder no longer hurts. I could have ended up in a program that said "work on your weakest sport for the next 4 months," which would have meant I'd have been pushing that shoulder to the edge. Instead, I ended up right where I needed to be. My bike and run are so much better, my swimming lost very, very little in terms of speed and endurance, and my shoulder healed. Coincidence? I think not.
The OS program ended last week. EN works in 16-week blocks. Complete a training block, do a cool event, then go into transition mode. I now have 3-4 weeks of easy work, do what feels good, and get out of the training-schedule mentality. Not only does my brain need it, but the timing directly coincides with the height of my boys' swim season. Last weekend and next weekend are filled with meets, morning and afternoon. There is little time to train, and what time there is has to be squeezed in between swim sessions. But guess what? I'm in transition! I don't have to be concerned about missing workouts, or falling behind in my goals. Trust me, I did not calculate the completion of the OS program with the apex of the kids' swimming demands. I somehow attracted that EN program into my life, and the timing was perfect in this way as well. Coincidence? I think not.
I think it's important to take moments to recognize how the LOA works in ways large and small. When you land the big job, or have a major event happen that you've visualized and attracted into your life, it's easier to see the LOA at work. But it's also important to be mindful of more subtle ways that you attract what you need. In this particular instance for me, it was a confluence of training philosophy, injury, healing, and dates on the calendar that reminded me this was no accident.
