New Year, New Me

So I know I am long overdue for the obligatory New Years post. But this isn't going to be filled with well intentioned resolutions and wishful thinking for the year ahead. I am making some drastic changes in my life, and the New Year has come at a convenient time to implement them. They have been a long time coming, so I will call them what they are: changes. Changes in the way I eat, the way I think, the way I train, and the way I live. Resolutions seem so impermanent. Tradition leans more towards breaking the them than actually following along. How many people do you know that have already begun to break theirs? So I am not making resolutions, I am making changes. And not just for the year 2011. These changes are in place until I finish with my athletic career. So here it goes...

1) Changing the way I eat:

VEGAN

My parents made the change last summer. I was skeptical. Athletes, especially speed and power athletes, need protein. Lots and lots of protein, right? How is it possible to get all of that on a plant based diet? Plus, I love cheese. I never thought I could give up cheese. But if someone presents new ideas that I disagree with, I want to know more. I finally read the books my parents were giving me. The most important is the China Study. I am only halfway through, but the first few chapters were enough to convince me that I needed to make a change. Not just for my athletics but for my health.

SOY FREE

I am not going to get too technical in this explanation, but my reason for going soy free traces back to the isoflavones found in soy. These isoflavones disrupt the normal functioning of the thyroid which can lead to serious thyroid problems. They also bind to estrogen receptors, essentially mimicking estrogen in your body. And as an elite athlete, increased estrogen levels whether real or induced is the exact opposite of what I want. Being vegan and soy free are a tough combination, but anything is do-able with the good planning.

CAFFEINE FREE

Caffeine blocks the fat burning pathways in your body. It also does a number on my stomach, so this isn't too difficult of a change. And I feel better already! :)

2) Changing the way I think

It's no secret that I have struggled mentally with my vaulting over the last few years. The last outdoor season was the worst it's ever been. After my move I expected all my problems would just melt away. When they didn't, I was at a loss. I know that my training this fall was good, the best fall that I have had yet. But still things just didn't feel quite right. It took some pretty low lows in the last several weeks to force me to make some realizations. I had to ask myself why exactly I am doing this. Why am I still vaulting? Am I vaulting for my parents? For my coaches? For my boyfriend? For my friends? The somewhat selfish yet brutally honest answer to those questions are all no. I am vaulting for myself, and no one else. So I have to take ownership. No one else can fix my problems. They all may care about me, and they may be invested in my success. But I am vaulting for myself, because I love this sport. And because I have an insatiable drive to be the best vaulter that I can possible be. So I need to stop making excuses and get out of my own way. Once I realized this, the progress has started coming. With all of the snowstorms in Boone, I have had many days alone to do some soul searching. And it has been very good for me. The last few practices have been great. And I know that this is just the beginning.

3) Changing the way I train

With the progress I have made mentally, I feel like I have a renewed fire inside me. I have more drive to commit to every workout than I ever have before. The training itself may not be changing, but the way I approach every practice is new and different. And very very exciting!

4) Changing the way I live

If I am truly committed to my goals as a pole vaulter (and I really really am), then I need to focus everything in my life around my vaulting. A year ago I think I had it down. But there have been a lot of changes since then... new town, new apartment, new jobs... It seems like just about everything in my life has changed except my vaulting. I have been using this change as an excuse for way too long. I was very unsettled here, and at times I still am. But that does not mean that I can let it impact my training. Starting now I am organizing my life so that everything is focused around my vaulting. If that means that I skip some trips to visit family, then I have to skip them. If it means I miss the end of a tv show or movie so that I can be in bed by 10, then I'll do it. I've let all the little things slide for way too long. It's not going to happen anymore.


My competition season starts now. I have 2 meets here in Boone, then I am headed out to Reno, NV for the Pole Vault Summit. Today I had my first practice jumping over a bar since last summer. It went very very well. For the first time in a long time I feel calm, relaxed, and confident. I'm ready to show everyone what I can really do, one step at a time.