The Plateau

Eventually we reach the plateau. That tabletop stretch of terrain containing nary a hill to climb nor a valley to descend. Flat. Boring. Uninspiring. Disheartening. 

In training it represents stagnation. Unless something is changed, nothing will change. It will stay flat forever, a pancake in search of its Columbus. 

I have been tinkering with the idea for some time, and while its idea has been around in varying forms since the days of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, the practice is profound in both its simplicity and success.

Last night I asked one of our regulars, here at the start of her “official” training for next year's racing season, she is a champion mountain biker with phenomenal power, what three things she might envision as areas necessary for improvement. Please keep in mind that this is an athlete coming off a highly successful season and a berth to her sports national championship. 

Her (immediate) response was, as I anticipated, generally the same as 99.9% of the others that have answered my informal poll with honesty and brutally intrepid self analysis. Here are her three (see if they match yours):

1) Eat better.
2) Train better.
3) Eat & Train better more consistently.

Is this magic? Is it an elixir mixed with the holy waters of the fountain of youth? Is this the goblet of the alchemical saintly grail? Hasn’t everyone who has ever climbed to the plateau, spent time on the road, in the gym, on the battlefield, wanted some variant of these three?

I believe they have and I believe the answer to be a resounding yes.

Skipping to the heart of the matter, cutting to the chase, rendering the fat and leaving the questions as to why this is so, my response, in the form of an option, is simple, the dead reckoning of navigation. How do we get there? 

Ten days. The ten day intensive. 

Over the course of those ten, we will eat clean, eliminate all alcohol, reduce portions, cut the crap, add fruits and veggies, cut processed foods and sugar, reduce meat consumption and discard dessert. 

We will continue to train three days a week on the bike as foundational cardio, and add low intensity sessions designed to augment our ’situational awareness’ and stimulate both metabolisms and gratitude (hikes, treks, trails). We will lift and stretch, increasing core strength and mobility. We will conduct two-a-days inside and out. We will hydrate and fuel efficiently, rest and recover appropriately. Manage stress as a unit. We will commit to the team, ourselves and the goal. We will preform community service (beach clean-up or volunteer at senior center) to honor and care for our community.

A consistent ten days focusing on the mind, body and spirit should (will) provide the empirical motivation necessary for a long-term commitment to naturally follow, in other words, a life changing decision pledging our progression to health, fitness and community presence. 

Time to get off the plateau.