This past Thursday, as I was on the rower suffering through the 2000m row benchmark workout, the instructor was telling us, “Know what the biggest muscle is that you need to get going? It’s your mind! Gotta get the mind right and the body will follow!”
I didn’t think too much of it – after all, I was ready to puke and/or fall off the rower (or both, perhaps) as I pushed through the workout. But it (later) occurred to me that she was spot on. It never feels like it, but the science is there; the brain works as a governor so you don’t do anything too stupid, but it always leaves a little in the tank, just in case. And the trick is learning how to access that little bit more.
Back in the days when I was in good shape, I’d be racing and when it got tough, I’d tell myself, “It’s not SUPPOSED to be easy! If it were easy, everyone would do it.” That would help me suck it up and suffer through, eking out the last bit of my body. Or as close as I could get, at least.
I’m not sure if my brain has changed or if age makes it more difficult, but these days it’s much harder to go beyond the suck and do more. Maybe it’s that my lack of fitness means that I truly don’t have much in reserve? Or maybe I’ve just gotten out of practice at pushing myself.
I certainly know that when it comes to the sport of eating a moderate number of calories, I’ve lost the ability to do the tough thing and put down the snacks. I used to be better at this, too. Now I can hold off for five, maybe ten minutes and then I’m back in the kitchen wondering what’s left to eat. Not helpful, that much I know.
I wonder if I keep doing the work – doing the workouts, being mindful of the calories – if the practice will help me get better at this stuff again?
Honestly, I look back at my old life and wonder how I did it, with all the training and eating healthy and such. I feel like I’m not even related to that person anymore.
So I’ll keep on keepin’ on in this new mind new body thing I’ve got going on and see what happens. At some point I’ve got to get it figured out, right?