I recently decided to shift my fitness goals to accommodate personal happiness. In early fall 2017, I registered for a customized spaceflight focused fitness coaching program. It was one of the best and most scientifically backed programs out there, however I realized it was missing one key element I needed; socialization. The program was conducted remotely and that was a new concept for me. Although I was starting to see significant fitness gains, I noticed myself coming up with excuses to cut a workout short. This was self sabotaging behavior and something I needed to fix.
A year ago I joined a Phoenix area triathlon team, Racelab, and absolutely loved it. It not only showed me fitness gains, but it provided me with a motivating and inspiring community. The team is family owned and the atmosphere is extremely inclusive. Once I started my graduate studies I found it difficult to balance with the triathlon training and took a break from the sport.
As I started to feel conflicted about the spaceflight specific fitness training, a friend from the Racelab team sent me message asking when I was coming back to triathlon. My initial response was to say I was already committed to another fitness program and I would not be able to return for another year. A day or two passed and I started to really think about what was causing my lack of motivation and what I could do to fix it. I kept coming back to how much I missed the team atmosphere and camaraderie. Only in that moment did I realize how important socialization was for me. It was more important than fitness itself.
With this realization, I decided to return to Racelab for my fitness training. I will be participating in triathlon training and have not yet set any race goals. Moving forward, I plan to look at fitness as a fun community activity and not a daunting one. My first week back will be in December 2017 and something I am really looking forward to.
As I think about civilian space travel and the challenges it will present, socialization is a huge element to be considered. This is something to be examined from the moment of commitment to flight, throughout training, and as participants readjust to life post-flight. I will personally keep this in mind as I go through my spaceflight training journey.
