Practice...Practice... Practice...Practice will make you better...

Where have I heard that before?? Duh... I have been hearing this phrase since the fifth grade.. I know you all ask.. " How can that be Eling?? You said you were never an athlete when you were younger".. You are correct, I wasn't a runner or cyclist when I was younger.. I was, however, a band geek and I played the flute since the fifth grade.. So, yes, I have heard this since the fifth grade.. I was told to practice to make the middle school band in the fifth grade, so I did. I was instructed by Mr. Higdon and Mr. Baker to practice  my scales, practice my music.. over and over again, repeat the scales, repeat the music.. the more I practiced, the better I got and the more music awards, I got. So, I practiced.... In high school, I practiced and practiced and listened to Mr. A. I wanted to do well in Marching Band, Symphonic Band and Orchestra.. I did.. We had a great band. So, I practiced marching and playing my flute and I got better. It all stopped in College... Instead, I studied and studied to succeed in College.. I succeeded, I graduated from college, but I stopped practicing my flute.. I stopped practicing, I stopped following my the phrase I had heard since fifth grade...

So, what does this have to do triathlons.  Well, it has everything to do with it. This past year, I have been telling myself to  keep on swimming, keep on running and keep on biking... I have been practicing and practicing and getting better. What I have learned is that practicing = being consistent. I am looking back at my early upbringing and I want to thank my music teachers for what they have given me because I now know that to get better, I need to be consistent. I need to practice. I need to tell those evil voices that talk to me early mornings ("the bed is really warm..don't get up to swim or run.. you will feel a lot better if you stay in bed") to go away because I need to practice..

I am becoming a stronger swimmer, a stronger runner and a stronger cyclist. I have been telling my coach that I am trying to stay consistent and she told me that I am not trying.. I am succeeding. I am getting myself healthy and stronger.. I do fall off the bandwagon a lot.. gosh, I did that in high school.. but I got back on and kept on moving forward and kept on practicing. I am getting better and better..

Happy Training,
Eling

me playing the flute in high school