When We Fall

By Kimberley Turner, NSCA-CSCS and Personal Trainer at MLK and North HS

It is when, not if, I assure you. My intention in writing this is not to be pessimistic or discourage you, but rather quite the opposite. Because falling is inevitable, but it’s in the getting back up that defines who you are. I am a competitive road bike racer, and for the past several years have been racing throughout the country at professional races. I give you this seemingly random statement to give context to what I am about to say. I have learned that in bike racing, the strongest and most respected riders are not always those with the highest VO2 max or fastest sprint (physiological determinants of performance) but those who have developed mental fortitude and learned to quickly adjust to unforeseen turns of events without letting it derail them.

As I approach a big race, there are variables under my control, such as the training I do, the discipline I have in properly nourishing my body and the planning before and on race day. I will give every ounce of effort to make sure that I have set myself up for success to the best of my ability. But in any given race, for every one thing I can control, there are a host of other variables outside of my control that might be thrown into the mix. Examples that I have personally experienced in the last year are extreme wind, sickness and unavoidable crashes in my most important races.

Very few if any of the readers of this blog are bike racers, so why am I taking time to share how very unpredictable race situations can be? Very simply, because life, like bike racing, is unpredictable. And in life, just as in bike racing, mistakes happen. It is about responding to those mistakes and what you do with those twists in life that propel you forward and help you achieve success. Accomplishing your goals is about not letting past shortcomings determine future outcomes. So, if you have made mistakes on your journey toward bettering yourself, be encouraged! You now have the opportunity to learn from and use those mistakes to spur you on toward a bright, successful future.

I recognize that what I’m suggesting is infinitely harder to do than it is to write, and it’s a lesson that I’m still learning! But it is possible. Practically speaking, what does this look like? It means doing everything in your power to take charge of the variables that you can control. Pre-planning is one of the greatest tools you have at your disposal, and building this into your life will lead to greater success in making healthy changes. Schedule time to exercise on your calendar just as you would a work meeting. Spend 20 minutes each night chopping fresh fruits and veggies and putting them in ziplock bags or Tupperware for the next day’s snacks. Write out your meals for the week, and make sure you have all the groceries you need so you don’t resort to pre-made or packaged foods when you inevitably get home late one night to find you are missing an ingredient. If you do slip up and throw a pizza in the oven, despite your best intentions to make a fresh salad with a whole grain pasta side dish, do you throw up your hands in distress and then decide to eat a pint of ice cream because you’ve already “ruined it all”?

I can’t tell you the number of clients I’ve worked with whose entire diet and exercise program was derailed by one mistake. This need not be the case. If you eat something you later wish you hadn’t, rather than planning on starting over the next day or next week, start fresh RIGHT NOW. If you sleep through your alarm and don’t make it to the gym like you’d planned, don’t let it spiral into a week without breaking a sweat. Instead, take 20 minutes to walk at lunch, refocus, remind yourself what your goals are, why they are important, and the conscious actions it takes to get there. The bottom line is that in your desire for better health and wellness, take action and consciously put measures in place to set yourself up for success, but when the inevitable slip-up happens, do not let one step off the path derail the entire journey.