Slow down to speed up

A little while ago I trained for a half marathon.  Something I had as a goal for several years.  What I tend to find is that I develop my fitness to a point where running gets easier (and more enjoyable!) and then I have an injury or some life event happens that sets my training back and so I start the task of improving my fitness all over again.  Maybe you can relate?

What I notice in myself and in others is a tendency to be all in or all out.  Throwing ourselves into learning new skills, gaining experience, and pushing towards a goal.  If things aren't quite going to plan then the answer is to try harder, do more, and figure it out. 

This pushing can often be about getting past discomfort.  The discomfort we feel in the clunkyness of something new or the conscious incompetence.  With running this can look like doing more runs, setting more stretching goals or pushing for a faster pace each week. 

Anyone who has trained themselves to run a distance based on what the experts advise will know that there are weeks when the training plan has you running less miles than the week before.  It is generally recognised that the body needs time to grow, improve and repair and that rest is as important as training.  In essence, slowing down to speed up!

When we consider that same principle to life it strikes me that growth isn't linear.  The journey through life is more of a meandering stream.  One that has faster parts and slower parts, wide sections and narrow sections, in straight lines and in wiggly ones, places where it's loud and obvious, and areas where it might be hidden or even go underground! 

In the same way that some weeks the training plan is for rest, the pace or distance towards our goals is not the best measure of progress.

The path to our goals isn't always a linear one and taking rest is as important as training.

Does this resonate with you?  Let me know what you think!