By David Smith
With the Gay Games
taking place every 4 years it is definitely a big event. With more time
to anticipate, the event has a lot of build up from the organizers and
athletes alike. There is a lot to do and a lot that has to get done in
order to make the event a success.
Coming off a successful Gay Games or other quadrennial event is like climbing up a mountain to the top and then hopping on a sled and riding it back down. There’s a lot of work in anticipation and the event itself is the reward, after the event concludes people head home feeling excited and motivated to work hard and keep that passion going into the next one.
Coming off a successful Gay Games or other quadrennial event is like climbing up a mountain to the top and then hopping on a sled and riding it back down. There’s a lot of work in anticipation and the event itself is the reward, after the event concludes people head home feeling excited and motivated to work hard and keep that passion going into the next one.
One
year after the event concludes, a lot of that momentum dies down as
people have returned to their daily grind. The excitement of the event
has passed and the next one, 3 years away feels like an eternity. Two
years later and most people don’t even have it in their thoughts that
the next quadrennial is still two years out. It won’t be another year
that people start getting excited again. However there is still much
work being done by the organizers behind the scenes to make the event as
remarkable as the last.
This is known as the quadrennial lull and with the Paris 2018 Gay Games still 2 years away we are in that lull, for most people this just means a lot of waiting. Waiting until 2017 to start training again and making their plans to the event. Some people won’t even get that going until 2018.
So what can you do to overcome the quadrennial lull and stay motivated to succeed at your personal best, better than you have ever done before when it comes time for Paris 2018?
This is known as the quadrennial lull and with the Paris 2018 Gay Games still 2 years away we are in that lull, for most people this just means a lot of waiting. Waiting until 2017 to start training again and making their plans to the event. Some people won’t even get that going until 2018.
So what can you do to overcome the quadrennial lull and stay motivated to succeed at your personal best, better than you have ever done before when it comes time for Paris 2018?
- Learn to Love the Grind.
- Every day showing up to practice and staying consistent with your training and eating habits. Make it a habit and part of your day to get your training in regardless of your circumstances.
- Set Annual Goals
- Every year take a sheet of paper and write down the things you want to accomplish. This is good to do for all aspects of your life. Personal, professional and athletic goals.
- Don’t make to many goals, last thing you want to do is overwhelm yourself. Instead focusing on the quality of your goals. Be specific in what exactly you want to accomplish. Be it a personal best time, 1 Rep Max or even learning a new skill.
- Break your goals down into realistic and timely chunks. Where do you want to be 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months from now?
- Find other events to participate in to hone your skills.
- The
Gay Games is an international, multi-sport competition that takes place
every 4 years. However there are many events that take place annually,
both LGBT and non-LGBT events. Depending on your specific sport you can
find competitions from the local to the international level.
- Choose 1 or 2 events per year for you to “Peak” at, where you focus your training and competition to lead up to and at the “peak event” is where you plan to compete and accomplish your absolute personal best.
- Make the quadrennial into your peak event when the time comes. Accomplish your personal best at the event, it makes the whole experience that much more memorable.
- Don’t give up! 4 years in between events can be a long time, but the time will pass anyway. Ride that momentum off of event and keep it going right into the next one. You’ll be setting yourself up for success on levels you’ve never experienced so keep it going!
- The
Gay Games is an international, multi-sport competition that takes place
every 4 years. However there are many events that take place annually,
both LGBT and non-LGBT events. Depending on your specific sport you can
find competitions from the local to the international level.
See you in Paris!
David Smith is an exercise professional, athlete, blogger and owner of Stonewall Fitness. He is a certified personal trainer and holds a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science and Nutrition. He is an active athlete and Gay Games medalist training and competing in triathlon and swimming. He is passionate about bringing the LGBT community together through exercise and fitness. Help support David with his athletic endeavors! Visit www.gofundme.com/bttrflyr and Read more here...
