Setting Goals Without Fear
In my mind, I am trying to live a comfortable life just like most others. I aim at streamlining everything I do so there’s no unnecessary components in my everyday actions. Even if you might know me mostly from my athletic achievements, I do like to enjoy myself and totally relax at times. I acknowledge that enjoyment differs among people and that the strength of any experience is closely related to the expectations. Idling for longer times makes me restless. I seldom manage to read more than 10 pages of a book, unless I have already completed a heart rate raising training session. Days without the sight of an upcoming goal make my life worse and cumbersome.
A clear goal makes me exercise smarter, eat better and sleep deeper. Each day starts with a clear agenda. I think that’s why exercising, training and running is so important to so many of us. Our everyday life and existence is too simple and comfortable. We depend on the athletic challenges to fulfill a deeper meaning in our lives.
My biggest fear, therefore, is not the future challenges and guaranteed fatigue. My biggest fear is that I will become a person who no longer does anything I fear.
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Photo 1: Aapo Laiho
A season with limited athletic moments of success nears the end. I again get asked what my goals for the future are. During most of 2017 I have had to make compromises in my training schedule based on how my cumbersome left leg was faring. In the last months I have not been able to run daily without the pain from my heel overtaking the will to stride forward. At the World Cup in Latvia as well as in the Finnish Sprint Champs my body responded well in the morning. By the 2nd run of the day in the finals were pain-induced. Fortunately I managed to pull off a good run at the season ending orienteering race in Europe at yesterday’s 25-manna relay.
After Limone Skyrace and Park World Tour in China it’s time for an Autumn Service. Without surgery on my heel bone I won’t experience daily painless running ever again. In November I won’t be taking running steps. By the time I’ll be able to again, I’ll have a clear goal in my mind, which will make me take right decisions each day.
