“If each of us could have the tally of his future years set before him, as we have the tally of our past years, how alarmed would be those who only saw a few years ahead, and how carefully would they use them.” – Seneca
Tanner joined a CrossFit gym this year. Based on the stories he told me about the workouts, most of me didn’t want anything to do with it. On July 1st, I had a strong moment and some time and I went to check it out. I had the race at the end of the year and I was hoping this would help me.
At first, it was awkward. I didn’t feel like I belonged at a gym with all those people who did. I was out of my comfort zone. There were certain movements that my body type didn’t like at all. But that’s how it is when we try something new, isn’t it? I pushed myself to go until it became a habit. While it hurt each time, I grew to like it much faster than I thought I would. I really liked what it was doing to me. Stronger; more confident.
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I was on the homestretch of another Spartan race in August. Spartan races are running/obstacle course races. Around here they are usually at ski areas or mountains so they can take you up and down steep terrain and include rocks, mud, and the woods. Spartan races are in four distances. A “Sprint” is 3-5 miles and the logo on the finisher shirts is red. A “Super” is 9-10 miles and the logo is blue. A “Beast” is 13-14 miles and has a green logo. For the best of the best, an “Ultra Beast” is two laps of a beast course – 28-30 miles! Tanner has completed a number of “Ultra Beast” races.
This was a “Super” race – about 10 miles. I felt good. Three years ago I didn’t know what a Spartan race was, and hadn’t run more than a block since I was in my twenties. I didn’t think I could run much anymore. Kinda scary. What’s a guy to do – never run again because he’s too old and thinks he can’t do it? That would be giving up part of your human capacity voluntarily. You start doing that and what’s next? It’s probably not a good idea to get started saying you can’t do things because you won’t.
Then we ran a 5K as a family. I didn’t even have running shoes. Then a few years ago my friend Mike Lane asked if Tanner and I wanted to run a five-mile road race. Five miles? That’s a lot more than 5K (which is 3.2 miles)! But I figured if Mike was doing it, I could too.
It’s like back in 2008 when Mike asked me to race motocross. I figured if he was doing it, I could too. Or when my brother Rick got me to jump a metal freestyle ramp with my motorcycle. It’s good to have friends introduce you to new things and pull you out of your comfort zone. Of course, it has to be the right things that are positive and stretch you.
Now I crossed the finish line at the Spartan Super obstacle course race in the top 6% of all 5000 runners that day. I felt good. Real good. All the work, running, pain – on some days it seemed to pay off well. If I gave an accurate account, I’d say on all days I felt stronger and my energy lasted until the end of the day than it would have otherwise. I could bound up stairs easier, stood up straighter, and felt better. When the body is strong, the mind is more confident.
But in the forefront of my mind was the biggest challenge of all – the Baja 1000. I had to be in peak physical condition on November 15th at midnight. That’s when the race starts this year – midnight.
With a 48-hour time limit, we’d line up in staging at 10:30 pm, and get the green flag at 1:00 am. We’d race through the night to dawn. We’d race all day to dark. We’d race all night again. We’d race all day again. Then we’d race through the third night until we finish before the 1:00 a.m. deadline.
I wondered if it was possible to fall asleep while riding a motorcycle…
We have to be careful how we use our minds. That’s what I teach and that’s what I kept telling myself. We construct walls and demons and manufactured fears. I tried not to do that. I tried to be positive. But I had to be real too. Sometimes I’d be going about my day and remember what was coming, and a shot of adrenaline would fill my blood.
Calm down. That’s not useful. What is right now? Keep working…
Resistance develops strength. Great post Larry.
Hi Larry- one of the best you’ve written! and one of the best I’ve read! So true re “That would be giving up part of your human capacity voluntarily. You start doing that and what’s next? It’s probably not a good idea to get started saying you can’t do things because you won’t”. Don’t that happen in your mind!
thanks!
I don’t know, but there is something about a team of spartan racers that makes a recovering fragile girl to push herself to start running more in the woods and to do some exercises. I may not be a spartan but I can train myself to become a tougher amazon. Any running is better than nothing. Also, I keep telling myself what Tanner told Larry, give me 4 sets of 10 reps. When I think about it like that it is really not that hard to do a variety of abdominal exercises fueled by some awesome chia seed drink (thanks again Larry and Tanner).