I must admit, that there are two conflicting sides to me when it comes to stepping forward and stepping back.
On the one hand, there’s Paolo Viloria, executive class professional who likes to remain in the background, resents the responsibility of leadership and likes to be hands-on with everything, even when the need to delegate and step back is very clear.
On the other hand, there’s Paolo Viloria, former athlete and forever adventurous soul who cannot sit still, prefers competition over spectating, who has such a purist’s perspective of competitive sports that he rubs A LOT of people the wrong way (I don’t care), and who will always step forward to participate in activities he has a love for.
The twelve weeks from October 12, 2015 were the most trying twelve weeks of my life (so far).
For one thing, I was afraid I had finally run myself broken after playing so hard all these years. Injury heaped upon injury during the prime of my youth–swimming, water polo, Judo, and freediving. I knew it was all bound to catch-up to me some day.
All that waiting, therapy, resting, recovery… I was never good at sitting still then, and I am not good at sitting still now–although my swimming and water polo coaches taught me that recovery is as much a part of training and improvement. But our kind of recovery was always ACTIVE and nothing like the lying-down-and-doing-nothing kind of recovery I had to endure while I waited to see if my back would let me continue to pursue my dream of solo ocean racing.
I was never one to enjoy being sidelined when it came to sports, so imagine my elation when I finally got to get back out on the water again, with Team Karakoa none-the-less.
As a precaution I HAVE to wear a back brace from now on. I literally had to brace myself for my first training run of the year. I know that prior to my injury some friends were already advising me to wear one of those hard leather kidney belts when I race, but I had always disregarded that bit of advice since it’s another piece of kit that I find uncomfortably warm when below deck during hot summer races.
So now, I am all the wiser (though a bit more battered) and have found some armor protection and back support that has very good ventilation. It’s so tech-y, I feel like one of those fully armored America’s Cup guys (sans helmet and shin guards). Well, if it’s good enough for the America’s Cup sailors, its MORE than good enough for me.
A word of advice for people like me who have a rapid metabolism: “Just because you don’t grow a gut like everybody else it doesn’t mean you don’t have to work-out as much. Don’t get lazy.”
I have a tendency to learn things the hard way (sadly), so I will diligently work-out from now on–which will also bolster my argument with my wife that I can STILL eat whatever I want.
Happy New Year everyone– HAPPY TO BE BACK IN ACTION!
