Don't Borrow Tomorrow's Problems

This week I had a coaching call with an athlete a few weeks out from an “A” race and the topic of prerace nerves and anxiety came up. Now, if you have ever stood there waiting for a literal gun to go off, you are well aware of this feeling. It is normal, it is anticipated, and it is motivating. But the level of nerves and anxiety we talked through were a bit deeper.

“What if my foot hurts like it did a few years ago?”

“What if I can’t sleep?”

“What if my stomach can’t tolerate anything?”

“What if I’m too slow?”

And more questions. But, I didn’t answer any of them. We have worked on all of these things in training and have a solid race plan with enough contingencies to handle even a surprise karaoke contest (joking, sort of). I have been in the same position. It is a step up in distance, an unknown, and a scary thing to go after. But also:

Don’t Borrow Tomorrow’s Problems

We talked through this concept instead of going back over each question. We both know the answers, and we both know a race might not go as planned. But we also can’t see the future and mysteriously know what problems we will face. So, prepare to adapt, but don’t plan to fail. Don’t place problems in your life before they are actually problems.

The Cabin

This week I rented a cabin with my dad. He was visiting for a couple of days and while I am slammed with work and training, I went ahead and booked us a cabin up in Hyalite Canyon with no cell service. It would be -25 degrees (Fahrenheit). Or as they probably say in Canada, “Cold enough to make a snowman put a jacket on.”

It was a mad scramble to get everything done on Sunday morning before he got here. I went straight from a coaching call to a long run to a strength workout. Even as we drove out of service, I frantically sent out one last text to an athlete. Stress filling me up, and then… gone. It was just us and a snow covered road. No connection to the world.

It was a stark shift from always something more to do to I am focusing on the present. We got to our cabin, walked in 1/4 mile and spent an entire evening and morning chatting by a wood fire. Our life for 24 hours was simple—heat, water, food. The frenetic world of continually creating and pushing myself was walled up behind a barrier. I wouldn’t let the stressors of tomorrow ruin a perfectly good evening—one of the few I get to spend alone with my dad, no distractions.

Don’t borrow tomorrow’s problems.

So what in the world is this preachy preamble? I got the reminder by coaching an athlete and then I had the beautiful opportunity to practice what I preach. The present is a gift so Don’t borrow tomorrow’s problem.

I asked Chat GPT where this phrase comes from and it said: The phrase itself might not have a traceable "creator" but is likely a modern reinterpretation or simplification of older ideas

Now, what happened this week, what did I make, how did I spend my time?

Podcast

-I had a deep conversation with Pete Deneen about the California Wildfires and why they were so intense (likely the most expensive disaster in USA history, probably passing Hurricane Katrina)

I have a light and fun conversation with Matt Shepherd about Backyard Ultras, the team competition and also the cool races that Sinister sports puts on north of the border. This was a fun one!

All the episode are also on YouTube, and streaming some or all of them there also helps me out! Subscribe here

Patreon

I talk about the science on Sodium Bicarb, the history of it, and why it seems to be taking off all of a sudden.

Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-episode-of-120060018

YouTube

I make another video about training for the Appalachian Trail Record. I talk about getting a sweat test, and a little about using Bicarb in Training