02.20.08
Posted in Andy's living testimonial at 5:37 pm by Andy
Winter traction
In more ways than one, it’s tough to keep on keepin’ on in weather like we’ve seen in the last few days. Freezing rain, slush, snow, and ice all make for sketchy footing out on the running path, and they also make it a little tricky to maintain a steady workout schedule.
I feel comfortable handling any of rain, snow, or cold as a single obstacle. It’s when they combine that things get tricky. I’m willing to suffer a little bit in the comfort department, but when discomfort gives way to a dangerous situation I tend to back off.
I dusted off one of my mom’s favorite cold weather tricks last week, when I put my feet inside plastic newspaper bags (inside my shoes) to keep them dry during a particularly slushy run in the rain. The looks I got from passing motorists as I splashed around on the sidewalk were classic. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s a little over the top to train in weather like we’ve been having, but it’s amusing to me how far removed many people are from regular exercise that I get those looks no matter the weather. The rain and slush just solidify the insanity.
I’ve tried to be more consistent in my running, and have made efforts to strike while the iron is hot. In other words, if there is a time I feel like going out I don’t question it and just go. This seems to help. If I stop to think about how cold it is, or is it going to rain, or do I really need to bundle up with twelve items of clothing to run for 30 minutes, I lose the nerve.
Less thinking, more doing. This should be my motto.
There is still plenty of “winter” to contend with, so I’ll have to suck it up some days. I’m counting on the reward coming much later, but it will be worth it.
Attitude and approach
In the last few weeks, I’ve come to a realization that I was going into my weekly workout with an unhealthy attitude. I was expecting pain, I was expecting the workout to suck, and in general I really wasn’t looking forward to being there. As my mom would happily tell me, a lot of time in life you get what you expect. I’d anticipate the worst, and that’s what I’d get.
The last few weeks I’ve tried to be a bit more positive. Two weeks ago, it was a partly feigned enthusiasm, but it helped. This past week, I was even better and there were some faint hints of actually looking forward to a workout. It was a brutally hard session, but I maintained a confidence throughout that made it a great workout as well.
It’s worth it for me to remember that I’m not forced to be there, and I started coming to Equivita because I wanted to.
Recovery
Another item that has helped me in my last two workouts has been my post-workout hydration choice. Adam mentioned that after a one of his own hard workout he would drink Kool-Aid (or sugar water) to help alleviate the soreness. I tried it after each of my last two, and it’s seemed to help with a lot of the excruciating pain I’ve had after a few of my previous sessions.
Or maybe it’s all mental. Who knows?
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02.07.08
Posted in Andy's living testimonial at 1:29 pm by Andy
Last week I talked a bit about developing mental toughness. I discussed with Adam my theory about this being an underlying theme in my recent workouts, and he confirmed that this was something he was forcing me to address.
I hate when I’m right.
I wanted to get in three runs last week, and when Sunday came and went, I only had my run the previous Monday to tally. Sometimes life gets in the way, and it’s up to you what you do with it. I’ve learned that for me, some things are worth letting go. There is enough to fret about in my life that I don’t need to let a missed run take top priority. That said, I still want to get in two or three runs in the next four to five days.
Another item I briefly mentioned in my last post was this:
This isn’t to say that any of this (mental and physical fitness) has been or will be easy. Thoughts of self-doubt, anger, and fear are ever-present while being pushed by the staff at Equivita.
I wanted to expand a little more on this, because it’s been on my mind lately.
Self doubt. “I don’t think I can.” We’ve all said it, each one of us. Even the most sure person you know has thought that about something or another. It’s a thought that enters my mind more than I like. In relation to my fitness, running specifically, there may be things that I can’t do at this very moment in time but could be acheivable with work, such as running a 5-K race in under 20 minutes. And there may be things that I will not likely ever be able to do due to limitations I have no control over, such as making the Olympic team. In itself, I don’t think a little self-doubt is a bad thing for me, provided I challenge myself to work towards the goal. Maybe I never get there, but I definitely can’t if I don’t try.
Anger. Anger pops up in response to many things in my fitness world. It’s not blinding rage anger, just being angry at something. Pain is a big anger catalyst for me. When I’m sore or get hurt, that generally triggers a bit of an angry response. It seems weird to say that I kind of like the anger emotion in my athletic pursuits, but it’s true for me as long as the anger is properly channeled. Overreacting as a result can be problematic, but I’ve found that a bit of anger used to intensify focus can be very effective for me. Each time in the last year that I’ve broken my previous record in a mile run (most recently, yesterday), it was in response to a controlled anger I had that I used to focus on my new goal and set a plan to make it happen. People telling me something can’t be done also causes a little bit of anger in me as well. It’s interesting to me that when I tell myself that something is not possible I listen intently, but if someone else tells me that I can’t do something I tend to bear down and make it happen. I’m not suggesting that anger is the way to reach my goals, that’s shortsighted and naive. But a little controlled burn doesn’t always scream negative consequences.
Fear. To me, this one quite often seems a lot like self-doubt. But when I really think about it, fear is a precursor to my self-doubt. There are many things I fear in my training. Some are slightly rational, like fearing injury. Most seem to be more irrational, like fearing not meeting goals, looking dumb, disappointing others, etc. Fearing injury seems normal to me, and if I wasn’t at all concerned about getting hurt I’d be a bit crazy. But if I take a deep breath and think about most of the other things I’m “afraid” of, they’re quite dumb. Afraid of not meeting a goal, whether it’s lifting a weight, running a specific time, or whatever else? There is no need to be. The world is not going to end, nor is my family going to disown me if I can’t ever run a mile under 6:00. Worried about looking dumb while running, working out, or stretching? This is a fun one for me to get past, as I remember that one of the things I always tell myself is that if I look hard enough, any action humans perform can start to look just a little funny. (If I make all the readers self-conscious about everything in life as a result of this statement, I truly apologize.) Afraid of disappointing others with my performance? This is my most egregious transgression of irrational fear. I’m not working out, running, or improving for anyone but me and shouldn’t be concerned that I may be letting others down by not meeting their expectations.
The only judge that matters in this competition is me.
And I think that is what ties everything together. When I went through my fitness assessment with Adam and started training at Equivita, the one question which I probably treated as throwaway but in hindsight may be the most important of all was when I was asked “what do you hope to accomplish with your training here at Equivita?” They asked, I answered, and off we went. All the sore muscles, hard workouts, and learning was done with one overall direction in mind: helping me to work towards my goal.
Self-doubt, anger, and fear are among the many emotions that can pass through someone making a difficult journey. The key for me is knowing what to do when these things crop up, how to use them effectively, and never losing sight of what it is I’m working towards.
Which might make you wonder, “what are you working for, Andy?”
Truth be told, I don’t remember what I said, but it must have been a doozy because I’ve been run through the wringer the last few weeks!
I need to stay strong, be focused, and not forget that I am the only one who can determine true success or failure for me. Until next time…
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