Chandler: "She's insane; the woman is insane. It's before work, it's after work, it's during work. She's got me doing butt clenches at my desk. And now, they won't bring me my mail anymore."

 

While running 5 miles, one has plenty of time to think.  These are the truths about running, working out, Erwin Park, etc. that I have discovered on my road (long road) to fitness:

 

1.  My mind gives up way before my body does.  My mind has been my biggest hurdle on this quest to complete that dang trail called Erwin Park.  I can feel it as soon as we turn onto that back road.  I start getting nervous about not running well, not meeting the goal I have set in my mind, having to stop early due to some ailment or needing to go to the bathroom (this has happened several times), falling behind Philip, struggling to the point where I give up.  Erwin Park is an extremely hard course that is meant for mountain biking.  So many hills, winding trail, horribly long inclines and rough terrain.  I have come to realize that I will have good and bad days out there - some days I will finish strong and some I will stop because, well, I jsut have to!  But, if I focus my mind on just powering through for as long as I can then generally I come out on top.  Worked out well today so I think I will try to hang on to this frame of mind.

 



 

2.  It will get easier, but it needs to always feel difficult.  Otherwise, what is the point.  I have to remember that there should ALWAYS be sections of my workout where I huff and puff and want to stop.  I should always reach a point where I think my legs might fall off - in fact, this should happen several times during a workout.  Whether it be Erwin or ZCUT or just a run around Town Lake, I need to be pushing it to that point.  I need that intensity to keep moving forward towards my goals, and so do you.  I think ZCUT has been the regimen that has helped teach me this.  HIIT is literally high intensity interval training - this means periods of pure torture.  The more you do it, the more you begin to enjoy the torture and appreciate it for what it gives you: progress.

 

 

3.  Music is not always necessary or good for working out.  It may sound silly, but I think music was one of the things holding me back in my running.  Philip was the first to suggest that I stop listening to music whilst running.  Unless you can plan out the tempos in your music to go with the differnt intensities of your run, the music you listen to could very well hinder your efforts.  When I would listen to music it would effect my breathing.  Fast music I would breath faster, slower music I would breath slower.  My breathing would sync up with the music I was hearing, which did not always match the breathing I needed for that leg of my run or workout.  Once I got rid of the music, my breathing improved as did my running.  When I purchased my ZCUT DVDs I read the reviews.  Many people had complained that there was not music in the workouts.  I find this funny becuase I actually enjoy these intense workouts without the music.  I am able to focus on what I am doing and pushing myself for max reps and intensity.

 

4.  I will probably always have lulls in my drive to workout.  Life happens.  It gets in the way of the things we want to do or need to do.  But, I think I have learned that each time I fall of course I always come back.  The more progress I make, the less time it takes for me to get back on course.