Stop: The Lifetime Endurance Story

I used to move all of the time. I never never stopped. Not because I wanted to necessarily, but because I felt I needed to in order to survive. To manage chronic pain, to pay the bills, to be 'good enough' for the imaginary standards I made for myself. I pushed myself to the breaking point, and I broke. And it took a lot of time to put me back together.

My name is Tyler Greenwood, your coach at Lifetime Endurance. Today I want to share with you a small piece of my story. A few paragraphs so that you can understand what I believe in and why I feel so convicted. So you know why I coach the way I do, and why endurance sport means so much to me.

My coaching philosophy is several pages long, but can be boiled down to simply:

Sport should be for life.

I have spent a lot of my life trying to 'define' myself as something. Once I became that something, I would be the best, then I would be enough. I told myself that I was a cabinetmaker, then a university student, then a biathlon coach. I tried to be a boyfriend, a homeowner, and a pillar of my community, a triathlete. I studied nine years to be a teacher, and I let my whole life revolve around my career and the need to prove myself. Be good enough for the kids, the parents, the colleagues, and this standard that I set for myself. If I only worked hard enough, did all the right things, did all of the things that I was 'supposed' to do to be successful, then I would be happy.

But I crashed and burned, and my life became a mess. For many years, I have struggled with severe depression, anxiety, loneliness, worthlessness, and the feeling of floating without direction, without passion or conviction. Keeping up with bills and my mortgage while on a mental health leave from teaching had me spiralling. All while dealing with chronic pain from an arthritic condition that, in my teens, kept me from functionally walking. To survive I worked three jobs, was still trying to keep up with my triathlon training, and was falling into a worse and worse headspace.

Defining myself: as a burnout, a failure, a quitter, and never good enough at anything.

While at my absolute lowest, and grasping at straws for who I was, I decided to try starting a coaching business. If I didn't already have enough on my plate. Nonetheless, Lifetime Endurance was born. Would this finally define me? Would this make me feel like enough?

Short answer? No. Left me with even more bills, more work, and more stress. But, developing my coaching and business philosophy forced me to reflect on pieces missing from my life. While trying to build a business to help others, I was abruptly made aware of all the things that I should have been doing for myself.

This rude awakening changed me a lot. I learned so much, but some of the most impactful changes I made for myself ended up becoming the core of my coaching philosophy. And now, looking back, I can share those things with you:

Number 1 - You NEED a Coach

Some mentor who does more than just 'believes in you'. They help you develop a plan that you both believe in together. They keep you accountable. They pick you up when your down. They push you, they comfort you when you fall. They share in your failure, and help you turn that experience into learning and fuel for the fight. Alone, your struggles and doubts begin to win over you.

You need someone to remind you to think about the best possible scenario in a world where you are constantly worrying about the worst.

Number 2 - You NEED a Plan

Even on your worst day, you have something that you believe in. Something that tells you exactly what to do when you are feeling lost. Something that breaks down the big picture into little, tiny, attainable steps that you can tackle one at a time, so you don't have to see the big picture all at once.

This is often something hard to develop on your own. From years down the line to even just one day, this can be the most overwhelming thing to accomplish. You are in the driver's seat, but your coach has a gentle voice to give suggestions and advice.

Number Three - You NEED Rest Days

It is so easy to dig in for the fight, hold up the wall, and never give an inch. But for both sport and life, your body will not hold up if you don't take rest days in your week. Rest days give you time to heal, recover, think, plan, be inspired, and sit back and see the bigger picture. Without someone keeping you accountable, it is so easy to keep your head down and grind along, giving no thought to your health.

In my experience, few people put themselves before others. They are always taking on more, helping others, and neglecting themselves. You know what your body needs, but a coach won't let you ignore it.

After being at my worst for so long, feeling like there was no way out, I am now breathing lighter. Feeling joy, hope, and growing every day closer to the person that I want to be. Something I only accomplished with my own coach, a progressive plan, and A LOT of new attention to rest. And because of it, I am racing faster and finding more stoke for this amazing sport every single day.

I'm going to say it again: Sport should be for life. And life is a long time. You can't do sport if you are broken & burned out. Be good to yourself. Be patient. Let yourself stop.