I keep coming upon the words 'Hope' and 'Challenge'. Whether it is reading it, hearing it or seeing it in action. It keeps me in constant motion and faith to seek out inspiration in my life.
My life feels small compared to those with true limitations and hardships. I think this is why I in some sense I push myself so hard when I train. That old adage, "Someone in worse shape than you is training harder and longer than you right now." Its a challenge and it inspires me.
I know I am not a gifted endurance athlete. Look at me. I'm built like a linebacker. I have broad shoulders, wide hips and thick quads. And every time I did better than someone 2/3's my weight and a 1/4 my body fat, I smirked in satisfaction.
My secret weapon in all that I do that is physical is endure more pain than anyone I know. I have photographs and eye witnesses to me being in excruciating pain and yet I am in a deep, dark, yes angry place, that blocks all that pain out. I feel its drain on my body, yet it annoys me only as much as too much sweat in my eyes. It is only later than I pay for the price of my reckless abandon.
It is a gift and a curse. I have run the 10k portion of an Olympic distance triathlon with a stress fracture created on the same races bike course. Running with shin splits is bad enough, running with it busted shin is unthinkable. So I just don't think about it. I just do it.
I have mastered how to puke over my handlebars and dry heave while I run. Once in a fitness competition I leg pressed 650 pound 35 times a personal best for me and then went to that place in my head and did 20 more without stopping so I could Place. I blew an ear drum, some blood vessels in an eye, strained my larynx and received a standing ovation for my effort. I later trained two contestants on my technique who won the event.
Mind over matter? Maybe. Heart? Sure. Stupidity? I plead not-guilty but the jury always hangs me. My own body betrays me now. Mocking my former self with a condition that is still very iffy on a recovery that allows even quarter speed performance. I am the cautionary tale of not listening to your body. But I am also the tale of possibility. If I, a man of no obvious, discernible talent, can do something extraordinary, then why can't you?
I will hopefully be the man you think of when you think to yourself, "Someone in worse shape than me is training harder than me, right now." God I hope I'm right.
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7 comments:
Did you say 650lbs..wow!!!!
NO doubt! 650lbs..... OMGosh!
Great post.
It truly is amazing the power that the mind has over the body and the upper limit of strength and endurance. I'm constantly amazed at what some people can accomplish just because no one said that they couldn't and their mind said "hey, sure you can" "try it"
I think that I have a small fraction of that same voice inside me. Usually, it helps to push me through some workouts that I would rather not be doing.
Good post. I think it's also applicable to my non-athletic life. Thanks for the motivation to improve other areas of my life.
In my former gym rat life I could and would leg press 1100 pounds for 10 reps. It wasn't pretty.
I could also press 125 pound dumb bells for sets of 10. Later I progressed my way up to 85 pound dumb bells using a Swiss ball instead of a bench (much more unstable). Neither however helped improve my lagging bench presses.
Its not so much about talent as it is guts. Not holding one ounce back. Every minute, every second, every rep is the ultimate in effort.
I thought you looked awesome when I met you in November up at IM AZ.
Do it smart...do it right! You are doing it!
Thanks for the post Comm. You always make me think and encourage me in my journey.
I was just telling my personal trainer the other day that most of the training is mind over matter. I have told myself for years that I can't and now he's telling me I can and I'm telling me I can and guess what? I am. ;-)
Wow. I didn't know all THAT. And to think... there's plenty of time to get even better.
Stay tuned...
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