Being a coach means that you get to coach yourself thru many situations. You get to try methods first hand when situations pop up in your life. Wednesday was one of those days.
As a new resident to Sweden, I knew winter would be ‘fun’. Since 2016, I have been in Iceland and Faroes, but Sweden definitely is colder and the road system is much more complex. So when I needed to drive 400+ kilometres, I had taken a little extra time to prepare. Since I have been a driver only since 2019 and the voyage was in a new car… I knew that the trip would be an adventure.
At the two thirds mark, I guess my confidence was still intact. Thankfully, I was able to access a service station and have food and water before heading back out for the final leg.
The severity of the snow storm was unexpected. More than 1000 drivers on the East coast were stuck overnight. Multiple accidents blocked roads. Conditions were very rough. I was blocked for an hour on the highway before emergency services allowed us to cross the middle and turn around.
I was able to get back to that previous service station and make some decisions on what to do next.
The detour was using smaller roads. The blowing snow made visibility very challenging. Fallen trees and un-plowed areas created moments of real challenge. There were times when the map said to turn but there was nothing to turn into. Memories of driving Iceland’s Ring Road came flooding back… I just had to keep going, staying safe and not doing anything to increase risk.
Each kilometre was dictated by the navigation system. Crawling at 30 km/hr, sometimes even slower when the road markers could only be seen one at a time…
As I was trying to keep focused, certain things helped…
- Don’t do Stupid Stuff –> Control what I can. If someone needed to pass that was their responsibility so as I was doing what I needed to be safe. My speed was reflective of the conditions. Spinning off road would have been very bad so slow and steady was the plan.
- Train Smarter –> One at a time. Each marker meant I was closer to finishing another kilometre. I counted them and moved from one to the next. This is the same I would use when running long distances or shooting 200 arrows.
- Be Boring –> Posture. If you want to be strong, then know that it come from inside you. I kept adjusting the seat and checking my alignment to have a position which suited the situation. Slouching or getting all tensed up would not be wise.
- Know my Truth –> Breathe. I was constantly checking my breathing. This helped with keeping me focused whenever unhelpful thoughts popped in to my mind. I was able to tell myself that I could do this with every breathe… over and over again.
- Be GOLDEN –> Thanking the trees. The smaller roads took me to places in Sweden which I never would have seen from the highway. The old houses and villages were so sweet and there were still Christmas decorations to be seen. But there were also many amazing old trees lining the country roads. Huge majestic oaks which seemed to me my guardians as I slowly went past. The snow made them magical and I was thankful to have been able to see them.
I took a long time to get to my destination but I did get there.
Competing involves many hours of preparation in order to be ready on that day. In life, we have challenges for which we can prepare too, but during those moments when we are pushed to our limits, the same rules apply.
Find your rules so you can be ready for whatever comes your way.
Enjoy your winter.
FYI:
www.thelocal.se/20181113/sweden-essentials-winter-driving-tips-to-stay-safe-on-the-road
www.road.is/travel-info/road-conditions-and-weather/southwest-iceland-road-conditions-map/ (wind speed is shown in meters per second NOT kilometers!)
www.landsverk.fo/en-gb/home (watch out for the sheep)
Kelea Quinn 