Training is Good for Every Body

Now that the season is officially over (at least for me) I have declared a season of rest. This means a break from training and opportunities to eat fast food and sit on the couch… well, not quite but I’ll not worry about those early morning swim sessions as much nor will I be anxious to get home and pull on those shoes for a 90 minute run before dinner! Regardless of how I look at it one thing is certain; a break from training means simply that… a break. Training is necessary and should be a constant discipline of a successful triathlete. The same is true for success of any kind in any field.

Let me state the obvious as it relates to us on a personal level: The very word “training” sounds hard. Training comes in all kinds of means and methods. For a musician training can be doing endless scales until they become mindless repetition. For a surgeon training might require practice with new tools and techniques. And for a Fireman, training could be simply walking through an extremely hot building while wearing over 70 pounds of gear. In all, training is essential for successful performance and without training it won’t matter how gifted you are; the result will be less than it could have been. Therefore, we all deserve a little training!

Training however, is not just for athletes, doctors or fireman. Training is for mothers, students, Administrative Assistants, Computer Programmers, Photographers… well, you name it. Training makes you better. Training prepares you for a moment that may or may never come. Training is for everybody.

As the old joke goes… “Pardon me sir. How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” (Say it with me…) “Practice, practice, practice!”

So, what do you do? (think about it) What are you needing to be better at? (think about it) How are you going to do it? (think about it) Sometimes we just take things as they come but wouldn’t it be better being better? (come on! think about it) And if it’s true for our physical or professional endeavors let’s take it one step further and ask, “What about our life purpose endeavors? What about our eternal efforts?” A writer of the Bible puts it this way…

“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8

Since training makes us better and practice makes perfect, wouldn’t it be worth our time and effort to do a little “Training in godliness?”

For me to get the needed training in, I have to have a training plan. I set up a training schedule each week. Tracking my progress, I then build off each week’s numbers leading me to a fit and ready race day!

How about you… Do you have a plan?