Motiv8ers this past Friday we had another movie night. It was awesome and getting a chance to just hang out with everyone was so relaxing and fun.
And Crew, this was our very first ever POTLUCK. As you can see from the pictures below it was so successful. We had a ton of food and everyone left feeling stuffed. It was by far the healthiest potluck anyone had ever been too and it tasted amazing! As you can see below we had a bunch of finger food but some of the Motiv8ers brought a few dishes. Check out the dishes below and their recipes.
Alicia Ballew from the 7p Ramsey SET brought this amazing Kale Salad. She added to it dried cranberries and sliced almonds. Check out the recipe here. The Best Kale Salad!!
Alicia Ballew also brought an amazing chili that I really loved personally. She did not use beer however. She substituted it with vegetable broth. Check out the recipe here: Bean and Beer Chili!!
Coach Kaolin brought these delicious cookies. No joke they where by far the best cookies I have had in a long time. Check them out and check out the recipe here: Cashew Butter Cookies!!
Sara Biggs from the 5pm Zilker SET brought these amazing Spring Rolls. They were a big hit and disappeared quick! Check out the recipe here: Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Crispy Tofu!!
I brought my famous Cauliflower buffalo wings that are gluten free and vegan. They taste amazing and are a great substitute to the normal type of buffalo wings. Check out the recipe here: Cauliflower Buffalo Wings!!
Motiv8ers This Potluck was so successful that we will definitely have another one soon. Be checking your emails and talking with your Coach to see when the next potluck will be.
Now...you should just appreciate what you have! :-P
I used to have a much different life. It involved lots of long hours at what most would call a “normal job”. I wore suits every day, drank martinis every night and lived what most would call “the dream”. The pay was great, I strived to impress other people with my knowledge and wit, fringe benefits of a life as a “successful” person were everywhere.
Schmoozing clients at events and in private rooms with a smorgasbord of food and wine
People referring to Courtney and I as a “power couple”
We were the youngest people in our neighborhood with a house much too large for us
My garage was filled with cars (yes with an “s”) and expensive things I didn’t need
I had possessions that I didn’t value so I threw them in the basement for years never looking at them
I don’t say this to brag…it was awful! GUESS what I was? UN-HAPPY!!! I can honestly say I was no happier THEN than I am NOW. In fact, much less so!
I didn’t APPRECIATE any of it. I worked, toiled, stressed about creating the next big goal or making more money or impressing the next powerful person in my life that would be the catalyst for my next big milestone…I spent every day just thinking about what was next. I was never in a place of presence or appreciation…only desire (Fantasizing every day about how much better life would be if only….). We are taught from an early age that this is healthy, that if you don't strive to have bigger, better and more luxurious things that you are somehow not driven or lazy….boy is that dangerous advice! It caught up to me quickly, my body started to decline, my marriage struggled…and eventually… my psyche cracked.
It was all just fantasy and despite many of my wishes coming true, I was so engrained in fantasy I couldn’t see what was my reality and appreciate it!
Are you thinking right now with respect to your workouts that you wish you could just lose 10 more lbs? Or 5 more lbs? Do you wish you could just be a little bit faster or lift a little bit heavier? Do you wish you could eat just a little bit healthier? Or maybe have the discipline to become vegan or cut out the foods you know are unhealthy?
STOP!!!!
Think today about ONE thing you appreciate. Think about how much more energy you have. Think about what you have learned about nutrition, that you KNOW what is healthy. Think about the motivation and drive you have today to become a better you than you did before you came to Motiv8. Appreciate what you have done ALREADY and let THAT be the catalyst to your next big milestone!
You already have the power to realize all those wishes above…you just have to let go of the wanting and embrace what comes to you. Let the power of your accomplishments build and take you to the next level rather than trying to force a result thru sheer will. It’s an exhausting and disappointing way to live!
Everywhere in our lives, opportunity to grow is always out
there…we’re usually just too busy blinding ourselves with fantasy to see it.
If you clicked on this link that means you are ready to take the next step!
What is the next step?
The next step is keeping track of what you eat. That is it!
Tracking your calorie intake and keeping a journal of what you eat each day. Look if you don't know what your eating and how much then how are you ever going to be able to make a change.
For the rest of this week I want you to track everything you eat in a day. Don't worry about making a lot of changes yet. Just track your foods. By next week you should have a few days logged. Take that information to your coach and we can help you take the next step.
Ok I know keeping a dairy of the foods you eat sounds hard so I want you to use this app. MyNetDairy
David Cramer from the 7pm Ramsey Set has lost 10 pounds since Dec. 29 by just using this app and being more aware of what nutrition is in what foods. Here is his graph of his weight loss so far.
With that crew get started and let your coach see your journal next week.
Ok on to a few recipes. We have 2 for you today!
First is from Coach Billy! This is a bone broth recipe that you can cook or make soups with!
2
to 3 lbs of chicken or beef bones. You can buy beef marrow bones and
chicken backs from Whole Foods. Beef feet and knuckle bones are the
best for collagen.
2 cups of apple cider vinegar
4 halved lemons
4 stalks of celery crudely chopped
4 carrots crudely chopped
5 gloves of garlic
small piece of ginger root crudely chopped
1 onion crudely chopped
A small bit of mineral rich sea salt and cracked pepper. Pink Himalayan sea salt is fantastic.
Put all ingredients into a large crock pot and fill with filtered water until ingredients are just covered.
Cook on low heat for 24 hours.
Use a cheese cloth or fine strainer to filter and separate the vegetable and bone bits from the broth.
Store in large glass containers in the fridge. If you are not going to drink or cook with it right away, you can freeze it.
This
broth is a tasty nutrient bomb! Don't be surprised if the brith is
thick and jello like. This is from the gelatin that collagen proteins
form when they cool. Simply Heat it up and use it to cook, or drink it
straight!
Next is a sweet potato chili that I love and is super easy to make!
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Going
to SET, exercising, taking the time to take care of you is good for your
health...not just physical but EMOTIONAL health!
Watch the video below and find out why Robert Sapolsky is on my
short-list of people I would have a beer with if I could choose anyone in the
world. The guy is a literal, certified genius and has done 30+ years of
research on stress and depression in humans and other non-human primates.
The fact of the matter is...we humans live in a world of constant,
moderate stress. It comes from nearly every aspect of our lives.
From our workplaces, our bosses, our in-laws, our friends, our
government, our taxes, random strangers in traffic...the list goes on and on.
BUT...
It's all stress that is INVENTED by our cultural norms and
societal hierarchy. It DOESN'T exist in a world without titles and
promotions...success and failure constructs...honor and tradition.
This time of year can be stressful with taxes looming, planning for vacations or summer, bosses laying out new goals, kids starting new sports or activities and just being more active during these warmer months. Stress can overcome us this time of year and we often hear this question:
"How do I use exercise as a stress reliever? Right now exercise is the first thing I drop when I become stressed!"
If you're asking yourself this question right now, your biggest struggle is one of association. Your mindset is ironically backwards! ;-) In fact, you should be working out MORE when you're stressed.
The response from your body is to release hormones to cope with the stressors but this can actually lead to a compounding of your mood. Simply put a stressed psyche is poor at making decisions...which leads to more stress as things don't get done.
So here's the science behind exercise as a stress reliever:
Exercise increases endorphin levels:
Endorphins are neurotransmitters that allow your brain to function efficiently. Neurotransmitters are what make it possible for your brain's synapses to fire. If your brain can't fire the synapses it can't help you to stay focused, organized and on-task. This leads to poor cognition and more stress as you can't seem to accomplish the tasks that are putting you in this mood in first place.
Exercise decreases cortisol levels:
Cortisol is your "stress hormone" and is more commonly associated with the "flight or fight" response mechanism. As you probably know that response has ONE purpose. Survival! So when this response is triggered your body literally shuts down it's other cognitive (and even physical processes) to direct energy toward running or defending yourself. Remember that your body can't distinguish between what is physical stress and what is mental stress (we create that one) so it treats everything as physical stress. If you need creativity, planning, or any other number of higher cognitive processes they won't be available when "flight or fight" is triggered. You need exercise to calm this response so you can use the higher power of your brain again!
Start slow...don't just react.
Remind yourself that without clarity you can't accomplish your tasks...help others...cope with emotions. In order to gain that clarity you have to move and use your body. When you feel stressed instead of obsessing over what needs to get done, go outside. Go for a walk, go for a run, GO TO YOUR SET. It will help you to mitigate the "flight or fight" mechanism going haywire inside your body. You'll find after your physical activity that you can think better. So when you get back, make your priority list of things to direct your attention to (whether they be tasks needing accomplishment, a concept that needs refinement, a project that needs organization and planning or emotions to address) and place the most difficult thing at the top of the list. Once that gets done everything else you need to accomplish the rest of the day will seem easier and easier.
What about the zebras???
Zebras don't have this...they have survival. Live or Die!
There is a lion chasing them...it kills them or they live to see another
day. THAT'S IT! When it's over...so is the stress.
So how do we get out of this constant fear...this weight bearing
down on us all day? Well we don't...but we can train our bodies
(literally) to deal better with it. When you come to your SET you are
mimicking the act of running from a predator. Your body reacts by pumping out those hormones to counteract the stress induced.
You've just re-introduced the peak and valley of REAL stress response.
So, as you come to Motiv8 to run from your lions (whatever they may
be)...you walk away with an efficiently tuned hormone production system ready
to battle the stress that threatens you on a daily basis.
When it comes to exercise, there are numerous choices – swimming, cycling, the gym, running, crossfit, bootcamp. As a college athlete, I participated in many of them. But like many people, in my 30s and 40s, work and family overtook many parts of my life including my fitness. As I neared 50, I decided it was time to concentrate on getting back in shape and living a healthy lifestyle. That is when I found Motiv8.
The community that Motiv8 has developed has been key to my transformation. As with any lifestyle change, change can be slow at first. It was for me. Ultimately, it’s consistency that brings about greater change. And the Motiv8 community helps develop consistency. Knowing that I will be working out with coaches and campers that are my friends, people I can joke with, people I can compete with, is what brings me back day after day. My goal when I started was to be in better shape at 50 than I was at 30. And with the help and encouragement of my Motiv8 family, I have exceeded my expectations. Motiv8 is not just a method of exercise for me, it is an integral part of my life.
Kaci Madden!
Signing up for Motiv8 was one of the best decisions that I have made since moving to Austin. I truly enjoy waking up every morning to put in an epic workout with the wonderful Motiv8 campers and Coach Ty. So many aspects of Motiv8 keep me coming back day after day. The workouts are fun, challenging, and always different. The people who work out with Motiv8 are amazing. They are so much fun to be around (laughter is almost as guaranteed as a muscle burn), keep me accountable, and push me to do my best during each workout.
Coach Ty’s passion for improving others’ lives is contagious. He is always armed with advice about nutrition or exercise, helps us define goals to work toward, and is ready to give us the motivation we need to conquer our day. He provides us with all of the tools we need to be successful, we just have to show up to camp, work hard, and soak it all in. For all of these reasons, Motiv8 has created an atmosphere that is so welcoming, fun (and competitive if we want it to be), supportive, and always positive. I never once felt like I was alone in trying to conquer my goal of getting fit.
Now, almost a year out from starting Motiv8 classes, I almost never miss a weekday workout, have adopted a cleaner diet, and am starting to run for fun. As a result, I have lost some weight, gained muscle, and feel great! My mood has improved, my productivity at grad school has increased, and I have the motivation to go out and try new epic things (like running my first marathon). Being a part of the Motiv8 community has helped improve my quality of life and inspired me to take action toward becoming the person I want to be.
Ryan Shonts!
Prior to joining Motiv8 I thought I lived an active lifestyle; I would hike the Barton Springs Greenbelt, ride my bike, go for a swim, or walk around town lake on the weekends. In retrospect I was living a pretty sedentary lifestyle; fitness and eating well were not a huge priority in my life. The active things I would do were more of a leisure activity or opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. We are all busy, going way too fast, wrapped up in our day to day lives; working long days at the office, running errands, keeping up with a social life, and for those of you with kids - I don't know how you do it.
I love to travel, I use it as a time to check in with myself, meet interesting people, and be exposed to other cultures. I went to Ireland in August which opened my eyes to many things; most importantly, I want to be able to travel, explore, hike, and climb for a really long time. There were so many tourists in wheelchairs or overweight or with other health problems that were unable to see so much of Ireland's historical landmarks and nature. I realized that there are hundreds of reasons for the current circumstances of these other tourists; but I made up my mind that I was going to be proactive about my present and future health.
I live a few blocks from Ramsey Park and had seen the Motiv8 group a few times. I decided to do a little more research on other gyms, trainers, and programs; I finally committed to joining in mid September. My first workout was tough, but all the other Motiv8ers were positive, encouraging, and on a similar journey to the one I am on - the pursuit of a healthier life. I love a good challenge; to improve, to become more efficient, and faster. Why would I not treat my health in the same way?
What I didn't know during that first Motiv8 SET in the middle of September was that I was going to do a lot more than go to a "boot camp" a few times a week. Ty and the 7:30AM Ramsey group have become a part of my daily routine and lifestyle, we show up, we sweat, we make funny noises, we laugh; we get stronger, happier and healthier. Starting my day with Motiv8 means I am beginning the day doing something for myself. I focus on my mind and body, I don't worry about what happened yesterday or what my outlook calendar and inbox have waiting for me. I start my day with a challenge for myself, a community, and the intent to improve. Whatever happens for the rest of my day I can feel good knowing that I started out the day with a decision invest in myself.
Motiv8 has been instrumental in helping me with my fitness and diet goals; always offering helpful tips on how to improve form, eating, and overall wellness. The biggest accomplishment and benefit that Motiv8 has helped me with is a holistic approach to my health. Outside of our workout, I try to implement as many of Ty and other motiv8r's tips as possible. Other than going to SET 4-5 times a week the biggest change I have made has been my shift from eating processed foods, boxed meals, and other easy, fast prep foods. I stick to a vegetarian diet, focused on whole foods and simple ingredients; keeping track of my calories, making sure I have the proper nutrition to fuel my workouts.
With all of these changes I began to notice that I had more energy, consistently throughout the day and that my body wanted to do more. Avoiding the processed foods eliminates the "haze" or "food coma" feeling. Showing up for SET keeps me accountable and Ty constantly changing up the workout routine keeps me engaged. I have more energy during and after work to go for a walk or other light exercise and attend social events. On the weekends I still want to do all the outdoorsy things I enjoy; I have even started going for 30 minute jogs.
I have enjoyed seeing all of the progress I have made in my health in just 5 months and learning what motiv8's me. I look forward to seeing what I can accomplish in the future and enjoy getting to motiv8 others along the way."
Julia Howell!
I'm 35 and have spent years trying to achieve somesense of health or self or some sense of control over my life. So I spent some time chatting with my Coach Joe and I started realizing that if nothing changes, nothing can change. What I really wanted from myself was to be strong and confident in my own body. I knew I had to do several things:
1. Be consistent: show up everyday, try, and push myself daily 2. Treat my body like a tool: eat right, drink lots of water, stretch and not be disappointed if I couldn't do something yet. 3. Accept where I was at the moment: self acceptance was huge for me, realizing where I was, pointed me in the direction to where I wanted to go.
Once I knew what I wanted to do I started looking for inspiration and got to work. I made it a mission to get my 4 SETS in a week, eating healthy and clean, and started listening to Joe's tips of the day and trying to incorporate that into my daily life, the results are amazing! I started feeling better, more relaxed, less anxiety and most importantly stronger. That's not to say that it suddenly was easy because it wasn't, old habits die hard and I'm no exception. But what I think helped push through those really hard moments, those dreaded plateaus was the community I had surrounded myself with. My fellow Motiv8ers are truly my heroes, we've created a community that truly embraces who we are and encourages what we are capable of. The accountability and responsibility to be the person that my friends know I can be has helped shape me to be a better person, I'm forever thankful.
Along with my 4 SETS a week (Zilker 8am), I've also been utilizing their running program. With Coach Joe's and Coach Ty's help I've gone from not really being able to run a 5k to running a 30k. Both coaches have also helped me reshape my nutrition habits, going from a day full of processed foods and snacking, to a day of fresh whole foods that help fuel me for my workouts and help me recover as well.
As a result so far with Motiv8 I've lost 10lbs, gone from a size 12 to about a size 8-10, I've improved my mile time from around 9:30 mins to 7:40 mins. I've also established a close knit support system that I know I can rely on for Motiv8-tion, support, or just people to hang out with. I couldn't recommend these guys enough!
Last week Coach Joe talked about putting more focus on the process versus the goal to help you learn to love life more versus always struggling and stressing over trying to hit your goals. And, the week before that I talked about allowing yourself to commit and actually do the process versus resisting it and creating excuses about why you can't start.
Crew if you haven't read those blog posts yet please do. They are so inspiring.
Today I want to talk about my story on how I surrendered to the process and how doing that, helped me come out of my latest 100 miler and 100k successful, happy with my results, and injury free.
But first, I want you to watch this quick video. Her name is Gemma Dawkins and her words are so motiv8ing and hits this topic on the dot!
Motiv8ers one of my long term goals is to one day run the Hard Rock 100 miler in Colorado. It is considered to be the hardest mountain race in the United States and it excites me every time I think about it. The thought of pushing myself to my limit on one of the hardest races in the world just sounds so EPIC and I can't wait to run that course.
But, in order to get into this race you have to run a qualifying race so you can put your name in for a lottery. But not just any race, another 100 mile race that is almost just as hard as Hard Rock. So in the beginning of 2016 I signed up for the Run Rabbit Run 100 miler in Steamboat Colorado. This would be my first attempt in trying to get into Hard Rock.
This race was held in September of 2016. So plenty of time to train for it. That gave me 9 months to get ready. I totally had this. So I put the training plan together, started laying out the travel plans, and put my support crew together over the months that followed.
But as I traveled through the months I began to face a problem. I just didn't have the personal time to put in the training. Motiv8 wasn't even a year old yet and between coaching clients and handling the business side of things with Motiv8, I just didn't have the time to put in the miles needed to train for this race.
This problem really put me in a negative place. So much so that I gave up on my goal. 3 months before the start of the race I gave up and told everyone I wasn't going to do Run Rabbit Run 100. I told myself, and everyone else, that Motiv8, my clients, and my passion, which is my business, needed my full attention. I just didn't have the time to put in the miles.
For three weeks I was depressed. I didn't show it to others but I was. I even tried to hide the depression from myself. Told myself that giving up this goal was a good thing. But it just kept eating me up inside. it was driving me crazy that I gave up on this personal goal.
At the end of the third week though I had two people reach out to me. My girlfriend Alicia Ballew just looked into my eyes, noticing how stressed out I was, and said ,"You need to run that 100 miler no matter what. I think it is stupid that you gave up on it." Then later that day Jeremy Gosnell, my business partner, came to my 5pm Zilker SET and said, "Ty you have to do this race and I'll help you. Just tell me how I can help" These two people shocked me because they kinda agreed with me when I made the decision three weeks ago but their shift in mindset stirred the fire in me.
So now I have a little less than three months to train. I asked myself, "How am I going to get ready for a 100 miler without being able to put in the miles?" There just isn't enough time to get ready and I haven't really done any training yet. This problem was still frustrating the hell out of me because I wasn't going to change my schedule any to fit in the personal runs.
What was I going to do!?!?!?!?!
Well I asked myself what can I do? What exercise was I getting in?
The answer to that was. HIIT TRAINING! And I was getting a lot of it.
I coach five Motiv8 SETs almost every day and I came up with the idea that if I hit the HIIT training workouts hard with my clients maybe I can make my body strong enough, through the strength training, to be able to handle the 100 mile distance.
This idea sounded crazy but in that moment I let all my stress go and I fully committed to hitting the workouts hard every day and I made the commitment to myself that no matter how ready I was I going to show up to that starting line and give it my best effort.
I allowed myself to let my insecurities go and just allow myself to follow the process that I give my clients every day. The Motiv8 Training Program! =)
I started the process. I made the noon Motiv8 workouts the workouts I would work the hardest at. I found the heaviest weights I could find and I started smashing the workouts hard. I had two races coming up to test out my new training plan. The Tejas Trails Colorado Bend 60k and the Reveille 60k. I went into both races with no expectations because the most mileage I had done per week is just 30 miles.
The first race was Colorado Bend 60k and I finished that race in 8 hours and 57 minutes. The slowest 60k I had ever ran. Years before I ran it in 6 hours and 20 minutes. But I came out of that race injury free and feeling ok. Which gave me hope for my 100 miler. Then I did Reveille Peak 60k three weeks later with a little bit more running training and a lot more strength training and I did 7 hours and 47 minutes. Over an hour better then the last one and my legs felt great after this race. No soreness or pains. Which means my plan was working. I didn't have really any leg speed during these races but through the strength training I was becoming very durable and I was still injury free. Which, gave me a lot of hope for my 100 miler.
On September 16th 2016 I tolled the line with some of the best ultra runners in the world and I went for it. I started the Run Rabbit Run 100. I went into this race thinking I was greatly under trained but to my surprise that was hardly the case. Mile after mile went by. Up a mountain then down a mountain. 20 miles went by then 40 miles then 60 miles. My body was holding up. After 60 miles I was just waiting for my body to give up on me but it never did. My legs held up, joints held up, and there was nothing stopping me from running when I needed to run. Yes it was painful and really hard but I could still run. Unlike the 100 miler from the year before where I suffered from an IT band injury for 50 miles. It was so painful.
My support crew was there every step of the way and I found myself in the last 10 miles of the race running 8 minute mile pace down the side of a mountain with my pacer Leslie Elliot. It was ridiculous! I finished that race in 29 hours and 17 minutes conquering my goal time of 30 hours.
A training regiment I thought would never work totally got me into the best shape of my life. And I did it all with the Motiv8 HIIT Training! Here is the finish line pictue with the best crew ever. Love those guys.
Ok so that race was a success, which had me wanting to put it to the test again with the Bandera 100k race that just happened this January 8th. Here was the plan:
1. Do at least four Motiv8 HIIT Training workouts a week with my clients and work really hard!
2. Do at least three running workouts a week on your own or with the Motiv8 Running Crew. One Speed or Hill workout, one easy run but kinda long, and a long run on the weekends.
3. Make sure to eat at least 3500 or 4000 calories a day from real whole plant based foods. No processed foods.
4. For recovery, since I don't get enough sleep, I focused on making sure I had a window of at least 12 hours of not eating so my body had plenty of time to repair itself. Digestion takes up a lot of the body's energy and and when it is digesting it isn't repairing. So I made sure I had at least that 12 hour window in my day so my stomach could be empty and my body could work on other things. Ask me more about this in SET.
5. Make sure I get in at least one Yoga session or see Dr. Dave, who is a Sports therapist who works out of our indoor space, a week to help my body stay in alignment and workout any tightness.
I put this plan to the test at the Bandera 100k and it totally worked. I went into the race injury free and finished the race injury free, which is a huge accomplishment in itself. Finished the race in 11 hours and 24 minutes which was a 51 minute PR from the last time I did this race back in 2014. Here is a pic at the finish line with Motiv8 Crew and my support crew. Love these guys!
The difference between this plan and in past plans, is that in the past I would back off on my strength training so I wouldn't sabotage my runs during the week and I would focus more on making sure I hit a certain mileage goal each week. With this mindset towards training I would always have some type of injury during the training process. Which was so frustrating. With this new plan the focus is on strength training and making sure I get in those good quality runs making it quality over quantity. The focus is on the workouts not on the amount of miles put in each week. this new mindset has made me stronger then ever and has left me injury free for the past 8 months! Which is unbelievable! =)
So Motiv8ers there is two points in this story. First one is the easiest. HIIT Training totally works. It can make you so crazy strong. My journey has shown that. It will help you get strong enough to do anything you put your mind to. Even a 100 mile race. =)
The second point is to not put all your focus on the the end goal. As you could see above it gave me so much stress and heart ache. Once I finally gave up on the goal and just said what ever happens happens, I began to enjoy life and that is when the success came. I allowed myself to follow the process laid out in front of me instead of creating excuses or forcing something I couldn't do. Setting a goal helps you find the process but I learned to love the process more then trying to hit the goal. And you might find the goal comes much easier when you are enjoying the process! =)
Motiv8ers today all you have to do is step up to what ever is stressing you out. let that stress go. Leave your insecurities at home. Walk out that door and just follow the process that you know you should follow and learn to LOVE IT!
Love the Process!
This is what it takes!
Motiv8ers if you have questions post below. If not I will see you at your Motiv8 SET!
This time of year we all tend to start thinking about what we want our end result to be.
Maybe we have an idea of what we will look like for spring break or we envision having enough energy to conquer a busy summer full of plans. Or maybe we even just want to FINALLY make that change that we've been telling ourselves could get us to "who we want to be".
It's easy to think you are separate from other people, that your struggle is unique and different. We are all taught to accept our differences from one another. There are times however when this mindset can make us feel like we aren't capable of having what others do.
It's tempting to figure that some people are just naturally gifted. It's convincing to look at someone and think they have it easy. It's even been said..."they don't have to work for it, like I do" or "they've always been that way".
I'm here to tell you that it's NOT true. Nobody is ELITE! We may all have different origins but our focus is always to better ourselves!
When I struggled with my weight and my depression I used to make rationales all the time as to why I couldn't get what I wanted. My excuses usually were placed in some outside factor that I didn't have control over. This made it easier for me to tell myself that no matter how hard I worked I couldn't have what others did. I would tell myself that they were the "elites" and I was just a "normal" person.
So naturally, given this mindset, I took the position of "Why bother?"
But there were BIG issues with my outlook. Comparing myself to others was just the start of it. But why was I giving SO much creedence to "genes" and "talent" and "luck"? Why were my comparisons always so focused on one end of the spectrum versus the other? Why is it because I couldn't see myself being a 2:10 marathoner or 18 minute 5Ker I figured it wasn't worth trying to be a runner at all? Why is it that I looked in the mirror and told myself I just didn't have the genes to have a nice body or that I just wasn't lucky enough to be as happy as others?
But we do this all the time!
The fact of the matter is we are all living unique lives with inconceivable circumstances. Our gifts as well as our limitations are as exclusive to us as our eye color or our artistic ability. We aren't only valuable if we can run a 5 minute mile or can wear a size 4. But we CAN make the most of the circumstances in our lives and strive for optimizing our experience with what we've been given.
As I've gotten to know more and more people in fitness and running I've had some BIG realizations and probably the most important is the idea that MY experience is completely relative to anyone else's! This was reinforced for me recently when I had a client tell me, "I never knew you struggled with your weight, I just figured you were always this way". My how the tables had turned!
I've met some incredible athletes and even had an opportunity to workout with or even race some of them. Being around these "elites" and learning that they struggle with their own limitations I can tell you 100% that I SEE the same frustrations, the same setbacks and the same disbelief when they achieve personal records.
It's not just what I can see now though, here's what I didn't SEE when I brushed them off as "elites":
The dedication to a clean and healthy diet that happens behind closed doors during 90% of meals.
The workouts so grueling they resulted in puking, passing out, falling down or groggy early mornings after.
The consistent behaviors that made getting to the workout and staying true to daily habits a foregone conclusion rather than a sporadic coincidence.
The sacrifices made to nights of debauchery with friends so that they were rested, fueled and mentally focused for the next day's workouts.
The mental anguish and debilitating doubt of oneself that comes from defeat in competition.
We romanticize the elite athletes among us as "superhuman" and sometimes we even criticize them if they don't show outward displays of joy, elation or amazement at their achievements. But here's the thing I've learned, they have fallen in love with the process it takes to get there. When things get hard they tell themselves "This is what it takes" and they keep pushing forward even when they can't see a vision of success right in front of them.
Your motivation should never be a body, a reward or even recognition from others. We find our trophies in the habits that make us a better person. Everything else is just veneer!
