The Power of Momentum
By
July 7, 2015
12-9-6
Deadlift (315/205)
Strict HSPU
Strict Pull Ups
Clean and Jerk: 1-1-1-1-1
Have you ever found yourself in the zone where exercise is so a part of your life and routine that you find any little window of opportunity to get it in? You squeeze it into the 30 minutes before dinner or set your alarm earlier than you want to because you just NEED to get your workout done. Motivation is not hard to find because it is part of the rhythm of your life and you deeply miss it when life gets in the way. I love being in that place and have been there many times.
But I have also been at the opposite end. You know the one that I'm talking about, right? A couple of days off turns into a week. There are endless reasons (excuses) why you don't get that workout in then all of a sudden, it is no longer part of your routine. Motivation is at a low and you start to feel bad about the fitness you have lost. Then the bargaining starts...you tell yourself that you will start back after vacation, or when the kids go back to school. After all, if you can't be consistent, you probably shouldn't even try.
What is the difference in these 2 places? I believe it is momentum. When I have momentum going in the right direction, nothing stops me from accomplishing what I have set out to do. When it is not, the slightest inconvenience or the voices in my head are enough to keep me from even going for a 15 minute jog.
After three weeks of downtime (injury from a bike crash plus vacation), I recently found momentum working against me. I loved the idea of going for a run or working out, but the actual execution of those activities was lacking. Just like everything else in life, there is no magic answer. The only way to shift the momentum is one step in the right direction at a time. And boy are those first few steps challenging. It is humbling to acknowledge the fitness lost from a few weeks of downtime combined with less than ideal nutrition (tecate and corn chips anyone?) But just like the many times before, I know the way back is shorter than it seems from where I stand now. And just like all of you, I will lean on the Catacombs family to hold me accountable to the standards I have set for myself.
At least until momentum takes over. See you all in the gym this week. Ignore the whimpering coach in the corner crawling her way back to fitness.
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