It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it. - Lou Holtz
today was an exercise in perseverance for me. mentally i was off my game. distracted by the rest of my life and just struggling to stay in the moment. it happens, i know. but for some reason today it was just glaringly obvious. and so, of course, it makes me get all introspective. im normally better at compartmentalizing and pushing thru. i also like to think im a reliable game day player. i may not always BE at my best, but i do GIVE my best. if that makes sense. but today i left my best somewhere at home, in my bed, under the covers.
It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little — do what you can. ~Sydney Smith
and while i feel a bit bad for my partner in today's competition, i didnt quit. or no-show it. which is somehow also important to me. we talk a lot in the gym about showing up. the days you feel good, its easy. you WANT to be there. you kick ass, and leave feeling better for having come. but there are also days when it takes literally everything in you to make yourself walk in the door. sometimes just walking in changes your day and you still kick a little ass. but some days, its just a giant struggle. THOSE are the days that are important. pushing through the hard days is where you build yourself up. you prove that you can do the hard things, especially when they are HARD. so mentally, that's where i was today.
It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves. ~Edmund Hillary
and as a coach, sometimes it just sucks. you want to always be on your A game. push your team. inspire your crew. so when you cant, or dont, it feels super sucky. like not only did i PERSONALLY not do well, but i also didnt COACH well. ugh. but what i realized was that just like the rest of life, it still keeps on getting it. did the guys notice i wasnt on my game - sure. it was pretty obvious. but THEY were awesome. they motivated each other, kicked ass and had PR performances. without the coaching. so it was kind of nice revelation. they were prepared. they DID have IT today. and its not all about me, anyway. yay.
None of us is as smart as all of us. ~Ken Blanchard
i wish i could put video into these blogs to show you JUST how hard i struggled today. it was SUPREMELY ridiculous. all 3 of my lifts, that i have done fairly easily in the gym, were rescue operations. and while i did not PR (obviously), what i did do was NOT FAIL. which, believe me, was definitely on the table....all 3 times. but. isnt there always a but? i stuck with it. there was a little voice somewhere inside that was NOT letting me fail. that KNEW i could succeed, no matter how difficult. THAT is the voice we build on those tough days. the one that says you do that shit ANYWAY. get your ass in gear and FINISH. maybe my voice is a little meaner than yours, but you get the idea.
You learn you can do your best even when it's hard, even when you're tired and maybe hurting a little bit. It feels good to show some courage. ~Joe Namath
that voice saved me today. and my partner, if i'm being honest. so all the times i, or any other coach, pushes you when you dont feel like working hard, this is the WHY. do the hard things so you KNOW you can do them. you never know when you will be having one of those days that you need to pull on that reserve. its a skill, like any other, that requires practice. perseverance doesnt just happen. you build it - like muscle. sometimes it has to break down before it gets stronger.
Effort is only effort when it begins to hurt. ~José Ortega y Gassett
so today, while i may have carried my load poorly, i did not drop it. sometimes that is a win, in and of itself.
