Wouldn’t it be nice if we were all born ready to take on the world 100 miles at a time and never got tired? Wouldn’t it be nice if our muscle mass and stamina were always on par and it didn’t matter our season of life (young, middle-aged, old, tired, mid-life-crisis), we would always be race-ready?
The truth of the matter is that life isn’t like that for 100% of the population. This means that we must start somewhere and find ways to maintain and improve our fitness levels with significant life hurdles ready and willing to trip us up and knock us down.
As an ultra-distance runner and a coach who trains athletes from all walks of life, I want to let you in on a little secret: there have been times in my life when I haven’t been in peak condition. In fact, despite growing up in a home where playing sports year-round was encouraged. Despite being a fit teenager and young adult, life found a way to derail my positive physical health trajectory.
Throughout my twenties, as a newlywed father of two, while working a full-time night job and a part-time day job to help put my wife through school, I found myself struggling to be consistent with my workouts. When I did make it to the gym, I always felt so much better. I handled my crazy overnight work schedule, had more energy to play with my kids, and the stress and anxiety of life didn’t seem to weigh me down as much. The contrast to the way I felt was obvious and I endeavored to make working out a part of my everyday life.
Close to my thirties, however, I noticed that I started to gain unwanted weight even though I was lifting weights on a consistent basis. Yes, I built a strong body lifting heavy weights, but I was carrying more marbled mass than the lean muscle mass I was hoping for. Due to this, I decided to integrate more cardio into my fitness regimen. I tried running, but the weight of my body made it extremely uncomfortable. My knees, back, and feet would scream at me far quicker than my heart or lungs did. I began to integrate swimming for a few months to help reduce my weight so that I could be conditioned enough to run.
As the years have gone on, I may not have tapped into the eternal resilience I wish I had, but I am most always race-ready, whether it is competing in races or helping others complete theirs. Over these years as an athlete and coach, I have come up with the following tried and true tips to help you achieve your health and fitness goals
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DEFINE Your Goal(s)
Just like any destination, you need to know where you’re headed if you intend on getting there. The same goes for fitness goals. You can’t just say that you want to get into shape if you don’t know what that means or looks like for you. Be specific with what you want to achieve.
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BELIEVE
You are fully capable of achieving your goal. I like to ask, “Does the math add up?” This means, is it humanly possible for you to do this? If the math adds up, it does take “a little bit of pixie dust” as Peter Pan says. Belief really can go a long way when coupled with determination, consistent effort, and unbridled grit.
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Establish Your WHY
A goal is only as good as the reason or reasons for achieving it. This is why it is so important to establish your why. Ask yourself what the driving force behind your goal is. That driving force or your “WHY” will help you push into the “unknown” or past what you have ever experienced. The strength of your WHY will help you drive forward when you are faced with unforeseen challenges.
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Create a SCHEDULE
Flying by the seat of your pants is fun, but time has a way of taking over anything that isn’t written in stone. When creating a schedule, work backward to establish milestones along the way. Once your schedule is planned out, you have a better picture of each day as you plan out your weeks. This will help you plan your workouts around your family and work schedule. Start with smaller achievable goals to create synergy, then slowly increase your daily/weekly/monthly goals to increase your momentum as your physical capacity increases along with your mental confidence in yourself.
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CONSISTENCY is King
There will be days when your schedule doesn’t pan out, but something is always better than nothing. If you had an hour run planned, but only have 20 minutes, take the 20 minutes. At least you got your body moving, and you’re maintaining those healthy habits.
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Focused EFFORT
Focused effort is not just putting in work and showing up; it’s refining your motion by zeroing in on how you can do the exercises better and more efficiently. As you become more efficient, your capacity to do more grows. Be intentional about your workouts and think — quality over quantity.
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Expect Challenges
It’s important to know that if you are stepping outside of your comfort zone, you are going to experience challenges. If you already know to expect challenges, you can look at them as opportunities for growth to help you gain knowledge that will empower you against future obstacles.
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Finish the Workout
One of the things I say to my personal training clients is that finishing the workout is more important than starting the workout. You don’t do the workout for the warmup or even the middle of the run or set of reps; you do the whole workout. When fatigue sets in and it becomes more challenging and taxing, that’s when you are right on the edge of growth. That’s where the magic happens.
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Be Patient
So many people give up on their goals because they want instant gratification and lack the patience to see it through to the end. When you start your goal, understand that patience is going to be a key factor in seeing that goal through to the end. It takes time. True transformation doesn’t happen overnight; it happens over time. There are no quick and easy shortcuts.
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RECOVERY is 50% of Training
After you do your workout, muscles need time to repair and recover before doing another one. You need to repair your muscles. You need to have that rest. You need to eat proper nutrition.
Achieving your health and fitness goals may not come easy, but over time, it can become a way of life. Soon, you will be race-ready —perhaps even on a consistent basis.
More Info:
For more helpful tips or coaching, and to follow along on my many endurance and training adventures, I can be found on Instagram @adventure.your.potential or visit my website adventureyourpotential.com
