During one California race, I found myself smack in the middle of a long-distance triathlon, winding my way up mountainous hills, begging my bike to find just one…more…lower gear to make the hill climb easier on my tired legs.
I made a mental note of the cyclists that cranked up the hills in higher gears, ignoring the desire to gear down and using up far too much energy going uphill. I watched them struggle with each…single…push of the pedal. Many climbed out of their saddle, standing on the pedals to better attack the high gear, willing themselves to the top of the hill.
I also watched them go slower and slower, as their legs gave out. Some moved so slowy they came perilously close to toppling over. Finally at the top, the ecstasy of flying down the steep hill was short lived, as the cyclist would find themselves at the base of yet another climb.
This continued for 56 mountainous miles.
Eventually, some of those cyclists realized too late that their high-gear tactics resulted in completely empty muscles. Instead of going faster, their average cycling speed began to dwidle, even on the flat sections.
Shift Writing Gears
On the other hand, racers that shifted to easier gears for the hill climbs generally finished the bike ride in better shape, with energy left for the run to the finish line.
I see this same phenomenon with many writers who feel the need to power through their writing goals, regardless of their uphill battles, climbing out of that saddle in high gear to type more, write more, pitch more, submit more, blog more.
And some are burning themselves out. They’re writing muscles are almost empty. And they aren’t prepared to make that next climb.
Gearing Down
The normal ebb and flow of imagination, of writing inspiration, begs for writers to take some time to sit back, gear down, and take in the world around them. To pull back from the uphill grind and save some energy and enjoyment for the next climb. Without gearing down, writer’s can face writer’s block, unfinished manuscripts, and empty emotional reserves to create.
Resources to Revitalize Your Writing
Take a lesson from the smart hill climbers: gear down when times are tough. Check here for ideas on how to gear down and revitalise those writing muscles to avoid burnout. For tips to get through those days when everything seems ot be going wrong, check here.
By tapping into some resources, maybe you can ward off the sourness of constantly doing/writing/editing to sit back and enjoy the ride.
Happy Writing
The post Oh, Shift! The Intersection of Writing and Triathlon first appeared on Miffie Seideman.