Its 2:30 and I have about 45 minutes of down-time before my next client. TJ Maxx is just across the street and calling my name like caffeine at 5am, and yet here I am practicing restraint. Truth is, I honestly do not want to move. My legs are killing me. Even while training clients this morning I've been on the foam roller...back and forth...back and forth...sweating and wanting to curse the whole time. My right hamstring is the worst. Its been throbbing all morning. Blah...enough of that...onward we go.
Had an interesting conversation with a woman this morning about "pushing through" and mentally being tuned-in while working out. She kept losing focus and getting distracted by things she simply could not change right there in the gym. Personally, I believe women struggle with this more than men. We tend to multi-task throughout the day like its a competition with ourselves to see how much we can think about, do, and plan-to-do at one time. We make it an Olympic sport. Its a horrible habit that truly robs us of living in the moment. And from a workout standpoint, the mind-muscle connection is CRITICAL. Going through the motions is pointless and leaves you feeling disconnected. Moreover, bringing all the "outside" issues into your workout time places all those things above yourself,...instead of owning that hour and allowing you to be the center focus. Its your time to experience challenge and struggle, but also the beauty of accomplishment and strength.
Yes, briefly putting aside the burdens of everyday life as a mother, wife, friend, employee, etc can be hard, but the fact is that we cannot be great at any of those roles if we do not first believe we are worth the time to take care of ourselves.
Here's a little strategy I use when I start to think I always need to be busy and not allow any "me" time...
I tell myself "I can do that later....or think about that in 3 hours..." Sounds silly, but what it does is 2-fold: It acknowledges that what I intend to get done or think about is still important (instead of completely disregarding it), and also it "gives me permission" to relax or unwind for a few hours without feeling guilty because I've already told myself I can do the other stuff later. Ironically, when the time comes for me to think about or do those other things later, I realize they were not that big of a deal to begin with and my "need" to accomplish them as quickly as possible was an overreaction. Funny how that happens. Oh the joys of OCD...
Hope that helps some of you...meanwhile, others of you are already making your list for tomorrow. Ha, I totally get it.
Workout today was great. No, I didn't do any cardio. Day 4 baby. I still do not miss it. Honestly, many competitors do ZERO cardio in the off season to focus on building muscle and simply recovering from months of dieting. When I was at my absolute leanest, I was ~11% bodyfat and doing cardio only twice a week for 30-40 minutes. That sounds like my kind of plan. HOWEVER, my diet was to the T and extremely strict. Not an ounce of alcohol in 18 months....and this was during college. Does anyone still do that? It should almost be outlawed. I made plenty of friends...it was a permanent DD situation. They all still owe me...big time...
Anyway, I did 16 sets worth of chest exercises and finished up with some core work. My chest is raw right now....but taking my mind off of my legs. Core work was decent, but due to the fact that I've eaten 2 heads of cabbage in the past 4 days, I'm a little bloated. Ok, a lot of bloated. I love it, but apparently the feeling is not mutual. Tonight I'll have to go with squash...
Whew, ok time to get back to work...its been a rainy, but great day thus far. Remember, FOCUS, be in the moment, and realize its your time!!
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