As we hang onto the final bits of a Summer that seemed to fly by so fast, we are able to look back on all that we did.

Fall is a great time for reflection.

I discovered this when we moved here to Montana.

In California, it is the perpetual hamster wheel of “sunny and 75” (big bummer) that keeps you constantly going for the sake of going!

We have much to learn from the seasons. How each one is a natural progression from the last and essential for the next.

This is very similar to what we need to do with regard to our training/exercise/activity. We need to allow for shift in our focus. Not just “rest” or “cross-training”, but actually re-connecting and caring for our bodies.

Here is an illustration. You park a car and DON’T DO ANYTHING to it for 10 years. Or. For 10 years (if it even lasts that long), you DRIVE IT INTO THE GROUND - don’t do any maintenance work, no new tires, no balancing, no rotations, no new fluids. Both of these scenarios have bad outcomes - at least not high expectations for performance. I think we would all agree that in order for a vehicle to run well, it needs constant attention. Cars that are meticulously cared for are reliable and last a long time. BUT, worse case scenario, you can always buy a new car right? WELL, WE CANNOT GET A NEW BODY. WE CAN ONLY TAKE CARE OF THE ONE WE HAVE. AND ITS PERFORMANCE WILL REFLECT THE TIME AND ATTENTION INVESTED IN IT.

All of that being said ;) Let’s talk about cause and effect.

Cause. A verb. To make happen.

Effect. Noun. A change that is a result of an action.

The snow must come in order for the earth to rest and the Spring to follow with its magic.

This is positive cause and effect.

In the body, what we feel is the effect of what we do (or don’t do).

Training causes positive adaptations to occur regarding muscle strength and cardiovascular endurance (to put it most simply) and we feel the effect as our fitness is improved.

Training also causes negative adaptations - cumulative inflammation, micro-tearing of the tissue, progressive binding and adhesions. The effect is pain, soreness, ongoing injury.

So I guess here is what I am getting at: let’s not think just about what the next season is and, by default, let it dictate what we do. Let’s not continue going from one race to the next, one season to the next, expecting change (an effect) that has not been caused. Instead, let’s think deeper about what we can start putting into practice this present season in order to positively effect the next.