I wrote an earlier post titled "Having a coach help you with your goals" and so far I have touched on goals 1 and 2. To bring you back to that post:
I knew what I wanted. I knew what was meaningful to me. I came up with my four goals. In the summer of 2008 they were far off and seemed lofty, yet I was sure of them.
Goal 3: Compete in Europe
In my mind and as I understood it, all the really good track & field for professionals happened in Europe. In 2008, when I was coming up with my four goals, there weren't many competitive professional meets in the US, especially in the summertime. Nowadays there are a few and the fields are terrific! It's exciting to see the development. In 2008 though, Europe was the place to be. Whether it be for competition, for money, for the number of meets, for how the sport is conducted, or for almost any reason, Europe, in my mind, was where you had to race in order to really be an elite professional. So I scheduled a trip.
I have had a tendency to get involved in many things and not leave myself enough time to thoroughly and properly work through each item. I am working more and more now to not check boxes, but to be more thoughtful and thorough in all that I do. In 2011 though, I was adamant on goal 3 and approached this goal as a checklist item. I had been running well each of the last three seasons and I didn't see 2012 as a good choice since it was an Olympic year and my 4year marker (more on that idea another time). I had to make it happen in 2011. I wasn't part of a professional training group so I made my own plans. With the help of David Watkins, the Verdoncks in Belgium, and a guy named Luc in Scandinavia, I got entered into a few meets, had places to stay, and was set-up to rabbit which guaranteed money to help support me on the trip. I arranged the trip like a typical foreigner. I was going to Europe. Europe was Europe. This was my opportunity. No big deal flying from the US to Finland to Belgium to Sweden. Also known as the Indianapolis Road Mile to the Joensuu Games to the Flanders Cup to the Karlstad Grand Prix. Also known as a 14.5hr flight and lots of time zones and a 2hr train ride, then another 1750miles and then 750 more miles.
I found the email I sent to my family after booking my trip and completing the first leg of it. Keys of the email:
I thought I was flying out Sunday from Chicago, but it appears I booked Monday the 25th.
En puhu suomea. = I don't speak Finnish. and Auttakaa! = Help!
Turns out...
I'm hoping to stay with a friend of...
We'll see if I can get anything...
I booked a ticket out of Oslo (hadn't checked to see if friend was in town while I was going to be there. Guess what?! She wasn't!)
I am only taking one backpack over to Europe
I'm only taking my iPod touch for wi-fi, not my laptop. I'd rather not use my phone while I'm in Europe or Canada. I'm not missing - I'll be exploring the world...and being me! I learned a lot in Canada about how to make this trip smoother. 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, get some logistics figured out ahead of time, get help, make cash...or just PR!
All quite concerning. I thought I was ready for European racing because I had 2-in-1?!
After leaving the US on the 25th (not 24th!), I arrived into Helsinki about 9 or 10pm and took the 2hr train up to Joensuu. I got checked into the dorm and raced the 1500m the next day. It sure didn't go well as you likely could have and should have guessed. I checked that meet off my list after having dinner with the Americans. I flew down to Belgium after a brief tour of Helsinki and Suomenlinna Island. After finding my ride from Brussels to Ghent, I met the Verdoncks who hosted me, tried horse meat, and later that night rabbited the steeple. Great opportunity and such a great experience at that meet. On the cool-down most all the American girls ran together. I listened and heard about their experiences and situation. They had arrived into Europe and had a home base in Luzern. 19 days ago. This was their first race. They had been training.
Ugh. What was I doing! I had asked for a little help, but I was definitely not in an elite athlete set-up. Then is when I started learning that athletes were coming over to Europe and living for the summer months. They weren't arriving one night and racing the next day, staying with friends of friends, and going for adventure runs wherever they could. I toed the line, was a tourist for a day, and traveled to my next location. Total whirlwind. It was an amazing experience and medium racing. I am glad I got out there. I learned a lot about track and field and a little about Europe. I would not do it the same way again.
What part of your life or work or training have you been simply checking off the list? What does it look like to be more thorough and knowledgeable before acting? It probably means getting fewer tasks done, but producing much more meaningful work. How can you make an adjustment today to tackle the big projects and not get lost in the trees?
And then there's the trip I took in January of 2012, too! We'll get to that another time!
I knew what I wanted. I knew what was meaningful to me. I came up with my four goals. In the summer of 2008 they were far off and seemed lofty, yet I was sure of them.
1) acquire athletic sponsorship
2) make the PanAm team
3) compete in Europe
4) automatically qualify for the Trials finals and have an Olympic mark
Over the next few weeks I will touch on these goals and the process of getting to them and what I learned.
Goal 3: Compete in Europe
In my mind and as I understood it, all the really good track & field for professionals happened in Europe. In 2008, when I was coming up with my four goals, there weren't many competitive professional meets in the US, especially in the summertime. Nowadays there are a few and the fields are terrific! It's exciting to see the development. In 2008 though, Europe was the place to be. Whether it be for competition, for money, for the number of meets, for how the sport is conducted, or for almost any reason, Europe, in my mind, was where you had to race in order to really be an elite professional. So I scheduled a trip.
I have had a tendency to get involved in many things and not leave myself enough time to thoroughly and properly work through each item. I am working more and more now to not check boxes, but to be more thoughtful and thorough in all that I do. In 2011 though, I was adamant on goal 3 and approached this goal as a checklist item. I had been running well each of the last three seasons and I didn't see 2012 as a good choice since it was an Olympic year and my 4year marker (more on that idea another time). I had to make it happen in 2011. I wasn't part of a professional training group so I made my own plans. With the help of David Watkins, the Verdoncks in Belgium, and a guy named Luc in Scandinavia, I got entered into a few meets, had places to stay, and was set-up to rabbit which guaranteed money to help support me on the trip. I arranged the trip like a typical foreigner. I was going to Europe. Europe was Europe. This was my opportunity. No big deal flying from the US to Finland to Belgium to Sweden. Also known as the Indianapolis Road Mile to the Joensuu Games to the Flanders Cup to the Karlstad Grand Prix. Also known as a 14.5hr flight and lots of time zones and a 2hr train ride, then another 1750miles and then 750 more miles.
 |
| Joensuu Games to Flanders Cup. |
I thought I was flying out Sunday from Chicago, but it appears I booked Monday the 25th.
En puhu suomea. = I don't speak Finnish. and Auttakaa! = Help!
Turns out...
I'm hoping to stay with a friend of...
We'll see if I can get anything...
I booked a ticket out of Oslo (hadn't checked to see if friend was in town while I was going to be there. Guess what?! She wasn't!)
I am only taking one backpack over to Europe
I'm only taking my iPod touch for wi-fi, not my laptop. I'd rather not use my phone while I'm in Europe or Canada. I'm not missing - I'll be exploring the world...and being me! I learned a lot in Canada about how to make this trip smoother. 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, get some logistics figured out ahead of time, get help, make cash...or just PR!
All quite concerning. I thought I was ready for European racing because I had 2-in-1?!
After leaving the US on the 25th (not 24th!), I arrived into Helsinki about 9 or 10pm and took the 2hr train up to Joensuu. I got checked into the dorm and raced the 1500m the next day. It sure didn't go well as you likely could have and should have guessed. I checked that meet off my list after having dinner with the Americans. I flew down to Belgium after a brief tour of Helsinki and Suomenlinna Island. After finding my ride from Brussels to Ghent, I met the Verdoncks who hosted me, tried horse meat, and later that night rabbited the steeple. Great opportunity and such a great experience at that meet. On the cool-down most all the American girls ran together. I listened and heard about their experiences and situation. They had arrived into Europe and had a home base in Luzern. 19 days ago. This was their first race. They had been training.
Ugh. What was I doing! I had asked for a little help, but I was definitely not in an elite athlete set-up. Then is when I started learning that athletes were coming over to Europe and living for the summer months. They weren't arriving one night and racing the next day, staying with friends of friends, and going for adventure runs wherever they could. I toed the line, was a tourist for a day, and traveled to my next location. Total whirlwind. It was an amazing experience and medium racing. I am glad I got out there. I learned a lot about track and field and a little about Europe. I would not do it the same way again.
What part of your life or work or training have you been simply checking off the list? What does it look like to be more thorough and knowledgeable before acting? It probably means getting fewer tasks done, but producing much more meaningful work. How can you make an adjustment today to tackle the big projects and not get lost in the trees?
And then there's the trip I took in January of 2012, too! We'll get to that another time!
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