You all will probably recognize the above sign from our front door where we have it posted. I'm sure that you read it when it was first posted because it stood out, but when was the last time that you stopped to read it again? I read it everyday at my house. I have a copy of it posted above my sink where I am forced to read it every single day. And everyday I try to get the correct mindset before I head off to the gym to train, and also later when I am brushing my teeth at night. It's at this time that I get to evaluate my performance that day and look for any areas to improve and give a little bit more; usually there always is. But today was the first time in a long time that I reread it on the door of the gym as I was leaving, and I realized that I didn't give even close to what we ask of you everyday.
Today was "Barbara" and due to my schedule I was finishing up with it on my own. Now let me be honest with you, I wussed out:( Maybe because I was doing the WOD alone, maybe it was because I just didn't have "the fire" today, or maybe it was because I just didn't walk into the gym with the correct mindset this time. Whatever it was (probably all three), I wussed out and didn't give 100%. I was taking unnecessary breaks, day dreaming to the point that I wasn't focusing, and generally not pushing myself at all to feel that normal CrossFit WOD feeling; I might as well have been back in a Globo Gym:( As I finished reading the sign I knew that I had not effectively utilized my training time today.
Ever been there? We all push ourselves so hard every week that it's inevitable that we all will eventually have one of those days:( What I think is important is that when we recognize when one of these days occurs, we need to honestly accept that it happened, analyze why it occurred and what could have caused it, correct those things that caused it and then we need to brush it off. Just like that. Living a life of giving 100% everyday, we need to realize that sometimes we don't, but it's these days that will help us give even more the next day and get us back on track.
So today I looked at what happens which results in me giving 100% of myself inside of CrossFit Spokane so I can minimize days like today. Hopefully you can apply these to your gym prep to continue giving 100% Here's what I came up with (Please feel free to post more in the comments if you have any. What is your mindset? What do you think 100% entails?)
- First and foremost, I have doubt. Doubt because my sights are set on a goal that I may or may not achieve; 100% will be needed to achieve them.
- I feel nervous as I read the WOD because I know what kind of pain 100% effort entails.
- I identify my strengths/weaknesses for each component of the WOD.
- I visualize my performance of each exercise, round, set, etc. and how I will feel.
- I know that there will be moments when my brain will say "Stop!" and I can now prepare for these moments and prep myself to deal with them the way I want to.
- I remind myself that I have pushed through these moments in the past so there is no reason I can't do it now.
- I also remind myself that the mental and physical pain I am about to endure is only temporary and it will be over soon no matter how hard I push it (or don't).
- I remember how horrible it feels when I am laying there on the mats afterward and the only thought in my mind is now, "I could have pushed it harder! I am fine now! I could have pushed it harder!"
- I know that the human body is capable of so much more than what that darn brain tells us it is.
So what is 100%? I believe that a true, 100% effort is this: taking yourself to the very limits of your threshold and then trying to go a little bit further.....each and every time. 100% is attempting to reach your new potential, not the one you're comfortable with.
#6) "The Spartan fears only one thing: their workout. Everything else pales in comparison to the Spartan workout. If the Spartan doesn't fear the workout, then the Spartan probably isn't preparing to give it 100%."
2 comments:
Equally important as knowing when you didn't give 100% is knowing when you did. Yes, there is some grey area between giving 95% and 100%, but you need to recognize when you are proud of the effort you gave. Never being satisfied is not practical. You need to know when you won and when you lost. I once heard an Olympic rower say, "I know after every workout whether I won or lost." He would go on to define winning as pushing his body and mind to the limit, and losing as anything short of that. He knows where the bottom of his well is and he goes there frequently. Most people never find the bottom of their well at all. For most of us, it is hard to know if we've given 100% because we aren't sure where the bottom of the well is - we simply haven't spent enough time there to recognize it. This is also tricky because we tend to think we've given 100% when we are nowhere near our true potential. But, that search for the bottom of the well is what makes CrossFit different from Oz Fitness. While Oz caters to those who want a certain appearance with little functional fitness, CrossFit offers us much more. CrossFit gives us an opportunity to find the bottom of the well. Every time you walk into a CrossFit gym, you learn something about yourself. How badly do you want to achieve your goals? How tough are you mentally? What are you willing to sacrifice to reach your full potential? Finding the bottom of the well is not the pursuit of average people. But, no one wakes up and says, "I think I'll be average today." Life is just too short to shoot for average.
Thanks to all my fellow CrossFitters. Watching each of you search for the bottom of the well inspires me to do the same.
Pat, awesome! So true, recognizing when you are kicking some a** in your training is equally important. "It's hard to know if we've given 100% cause we aren't sure where the bottom of the well is"....very true. That's a good way of describing training intensity...."trying to find the bottom of your well". Thanks for your insight on things Pat! Much appreciated!
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