Birthday Wisdom: Lessons I Wish I Learned Sooner

May is my birthday month, and yes, in the words of NSYNC, “it’s gonna be May.” So I'm kicking things off by sharing some birthday wisdom, including a few lessons I wish I’d learned sooner as an athlete.

1. You don’t need more motivation; you need fewer barriers.

   It’s not always about willpower. Sometimes it's about engineering your environment so training becomes the default, not the battle. Barriers show up in all kinds of ways: decision fatigue at 5 am when you’re trying to choose a workout, no fuel available in the house, or realizing your gym commute will eat up half your sesh and talking yourself out of it. These are the tiny friction points that make training harder, slower, or easier to skip.

   When I first started training, if a workout wasn’t planned, it probably wasn’t happening. I’d spend so long debating what to do that I’d run out of time to actually do it. Now, with a coach and a weekly structure, I know exactly what’s coming. I set out my fuel and gear the night before, and in the morning I’m on autopilot - out the door or into the workout without thinking.

   For time-crunched athletes, reducing barriers can also mean structuring workouts around your environment. If you’re already at the pool, knock out a strength sesh while you’re there. If you’re home-based, keep your trainer or strength setup ready to go so you can start in under a minute.

   The fewer obstacles between you and starting, the more consistent you become and consistency is where the real progress happens!

2. If you're sick, don’t push through it.

   Training on a compromised system doesn’t build toughness, it just delays your comeback. 

   When I was building toward my first Ironman, I got really sick but was so locked in on race day that I kept pushing through anyway. Instead of helping, it sidelined me even longer because I never gave my body the time it needed to recover. That lesson stuck with me. 

   So, rest early, recover fully, and you’ll return stronger than if you tried to grind through it. 

3. Enjoy the journey: Training is a marathon, not a sprint.

   We all want quick results, but endurance can’t be built overnight. Sometimes it takes years of steady, patient work to see the

   breakthroughs you're truly chasing. 

   So my best advice? Soak it all in and enjoy the process. Embrace where you are today and what your body is capable of right now. Celebrate the big and little wins, the hard days, the imperfections, and even the moments that feel insignificant, like bonking on your first century ride, swimming with a new friend (but maybe forgetting your goggles), or stopping to smell the flowers on your long run.

   You’ll never experience training the same way you are in this moment again. Don't rush to the finish line. The process of getting there is something truly remarkable. Enjoy it!