When The Light Goes On!

By Melissa Wistrom

I can still remember the day the lights went on for me about Olympic Weightlifting.  I am lucky that my coach and friend Tracey Fober captured it on film for me.  She called it “Deliberate Practice”.

http://ironmaven.blogspot.com/search?q=practice+makes+perfect

I like to watch it occasionally to remember what it felt like. This weekend the light turned on for many of us at the endurance certification, myself included!  I wasn’t sure if it was ever going to turn on for me regarding my endurance training.  I was beginning to get very frustrated.  It seems to me that there is a direct correlation between my level of frustration with any given activity and my light turning on.  Right around the time it seems as though my frustration level has hit its limit, I usually have something inside that switches and suddenly “I get it”.  I wouldn’t say that I totally and completely get it, but enough that I don’t want to throw my hands up and walk away.

After this past weekend I have an overwhelming desire to run a marathon, and to do it with impeccable running form.  I credit this desire to the awesome teachers we had.  The 48 hours we spent practicing deliberately gave me the knowledge and confidence to want to put my new information to the test.  I want to take the time to purposefully practice being a better runner.  I will from this point forward give myself permission to literally slow down and reteach my body how to move.  It is not like doing a snatch that I have only been doing for 18 months, I have been running my entire life, incorrectly.

I know it may take a lifetime to correct what it is I was doing, but I am excited to try.  My hope for you is that with deliberate and intentional practice you too will have a light turn on and it will continue to grow brighter with every CFE session you attend.  I have no doubt in my mind that with the talented and knowledgeable coaches we have at our disposal that this is very possible for all of us aspiring runners/crossfitters.