Spartan Training: Day 1

As a young child I used to watch American Gladiators religiously. In addition to American Gladiators, I used to watch Nickelodeon's GUTS. Both shows put contenders against themselves in strenuous activities, all leading to a final challenge. On American Gladiators it was THE ELIMINATOR; on GUTS is was the Aggro Crag. These shows appealed to both my sadistic, bring the pain, personality and my competitive nature.

The way I looked at both the Eliminator and the Crag was simple, don't let it beat you. To me it seemed simple, assess the situation and go for it. So whether it was climbing a cargo net, swimming 25 meters, running up a treadmill, or sprinting up a mountain while big rocks came tumbling down on your head, I was down for the challenge. Unfortunately I never made it to either competition, so then I heard of adventure-type races like the Spartan, Warrior, and Tough Mudder.

So the decision has been made. The first weekend of June I will take part in the Tri-State NY Spartan Sprint. All gimmicks aside, the reason I chose to do a Spartan Race is because, well, it is the most local of these obstacle course type races.

Personally I have never been much of a runner. I could keep up with most people in a dead sprint, but once that sprint went past a few hundred yards, I was done. So a marathon/triathlete I am not, in fact I loathe running. So the next best thing to me, a Spartan Race. Not too far, enough obstacles to break up the run, and the defining factor, 30 minutes away where I live. These factors appeal to me and a group of my friends. So we will be entering the race with the thought process of beat the race, not let it beat us.

My training regimen must change as a result. No more can I ignore cardio workouts and just go through the motions. I have a goal now, a goal that I must be ready for. The plan is simple, lift heavy weights, a lot of times, and with limited rest. Cardio-wise, the plan is to progressively get to where I can run for 3-5 miles without stopping. Ya know because in most cases I'd rather re-break my ankle then to take another step. So the treadmill and arc trainer will become familiar allies, as will my jump rope and battle rope. Hopefully I will be prepared enough to perform, hopefully.

The Wall and the Hole

It is easier to push through the wall, than to pull yourself out of the hole.

I came up with this quote the other day while working out. Sometimes I sit and think about all the "motivational" speeches I have heard and told. A lot of times I am searching for a reason to push through that last set of [insert exercise here]. That's when I came up with the wall and the hole. I have two explanations of this quote, metaphoric and physical.

Obviously the wall and hole are metaphors for certain points of your life. So let's start with the metaphoric wall. This wall is an obstacle. Something that is in your way of achieving a goal. Simple enough right? You have to figure out a way to get past this wall, sometimes the easiest of which is to push through it.
Now let's take the metaphoric hole. This hole can be similar to a plateau (verb def.) in that you are stuck there. There is seemingly no way out of this hole other than climbing up a rope. The rope is whatever way out of the hole that you see fit. However it is not easy and will take some will power to climb. Now could you live in this hole, yes. Could you stay down in the hole and survive, yes. BUT WHY?! Climb your butt out of this hole and keep moving.

Now the literal PUSHING through a wall versus PULLING yourself out of a hole.
When comes to exercising, the pushing motion is probably one of the fan favorites. It is a lot easier to push a weight or your body. For the most part, there is the thought process of, if I don't push this weight up, it will fall on me and hurt me. So people are more successful when performing PUSH exercises.
The literal PULLING action is not a fan favorite. Ask your average person to do a pull-up, either they can not, or they do not want to. Why, because it is HARD. People don't like to do hard things for the most part. Also, failing when performing pulling exercises is safe. For a pull-up you just drop to the ground, no weights are falling on you. So the PULL exercises are less successful.

Just food for thought...

Mental Toughness in Sports

While I have touched on the topic before, I feel that it is very important to mention as the new year begins. CONFIDENCE.

Confidence plays a huge role in success during athletic competition. It is almost on the same level as skill and natural ability. Think about yourself, when you believe something is possible and obtainable, and you believe in yourself, a lot of the time you are about to get it done. Now of course the goals you set must be realistic and be very personal. Sometimes you can not overcome environmental factors. However, all in all, confidence is mucho importante.

Confidence is one of those things that comes naturally to some. You know the person, the one with that swagger in their walk, the one who believes anything is possible. Some of us just don't have that natural confidence.  Don't despair, confidence can be built.

Positivity breeds confidence!

Any psychology book you read will mention POSITIVE SELF TALK. Taking the word CAN'T out of your vocabulary. This is a huge aspect of being confident and successful. If you start saying that things are possible, you will begin to believe that those same things are possible. Start with obtainable goals, then build on them once they are accomplished. The smallest boost resinates everywhere, into all aspects of life.

Remember, confidence extends past the playing field into life. Doctors, Salesmen, Lawyers, Coaches, Personal Trainers, Teachers, etc all believe in themselves, so others follow suit. Kind of a big part in being a leader, no?

I leave you with this final thought:
If you do not think you can, who will?

Gobble Gobble

Turkey Day is coming up again which means, for me at least, the kick off of some serious eating. This is the time of year where you throw caution to the wind, eat foods, pastries, and gorge on things that quite frankly, you normally do not. Maybe this is the year that you take control over the cravings and instead control your intake.

So things to keep in mind as you enter the holiday season:

• Take small bites. The more you chew, the more you satisfy the hunger in your brain.
• Pass on the stuffing, eat more of the turkey, salad, fruits, and veggies.
• Smaller Portions. Sometimes our eyes are bigger than our stomachs. And when we see food, we have an urge to eat it all, especially when it is on the dinner plate. So take a small amount of food here and there. The end result will be you eat a little less, won't get sick, and won't hate yourself the next morning.
• Do something physical after dinner. It's Thanksgiving, which guarantees you have that one person in the neighborhood who already put up Christmas lights. Now I don't care what religion you are, Christmas lights are enjoyable. So go for a little walk and go see them. Unless of course your house is the one lighting up the street.

Wrestling

No one, I repeat, no one, will EVER convince me that their sport is the hardest going. I will not put down another sport and say that they don't work hard, but nothing compares to Wrestling.  I am not talking about the World Wrestling Federation (as I am a child of the 90s I can't call it the WWE). I am referring to real life, Folkstyle/Freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling. 

Wrestling is the original sport, dating back to the Ancient Greeks. It has been around for thousands of years, evolving throughout the ages. It is not for the faint of heart. Ask anyone who has wrestled, it is not for everyone. While with most sports anyone can, more or less, participate in on some level, wrestling is different. A Wrestling Match pits two people against each other, mano a mano. 

You learn a lot about someone's character watching them compete in a wrestling match. 

• External Pressures - With all eyes gazing on you, watching your every move, analyzing and critiquing all that you do, will you crack? When you make a mistake, when you win, or when you lose, everyone knows, are you able to deal with the consequences? 
• Survival Instincts - Can you go the distance in a match, if necessary? Will you fight off of your back or just quit, giving up on yourself? Can you finish a move despite the pain or can you defend a move despite pain?
• Internal Battle - Do you have the will power to make weight? Do you have the self control to maintain your weight and watch what you put in your body? Are you willing to sacrifice the night out or your favorite foods?
• Forget the Past - Can you shut off the voices in your head? Can you focus on the here and now?
• Attitude/Toughness - Do you believe in yourself? Do you expect greatness? Are you able to settle and deal with being defeated? Are you willing to grind it out for months?

These questions are something that anyone who has wrestled is able to answer in a second. Like I said before, either you've got it or you don't.