gettin movin

I think any athlete has a continuous battle against his or her mind and body. This week I did some reading on Dean Karnazes, who for those of you who don't know, is an ultramarathon runner. Some think he's run more miles than any other human being on earth. Maybe, maybe not, but the guy is an undeniable mutha-falcon badass. Most of his athletic exploits I already knew about, it was the way he started running that was new to me to me and very interesing. He got super drunk on his 30th birthday and decided to strip down to his drawers at the end of the night and just run. He ended up running about 30 miles and his wife had to come pick him up in the morning at a gas station. Now we, or more specifically I, have done many a crazy things under the influence, but I think that is beyond impressive. It was the moment that changed his life too.
To be able to go out and run 30 miles when you're not really a runner (or even if you are) is not normal, so next time you have a few too many do not try it...you'll probably just pass out somewhere along the line and end up in a not so pleasant place be it the hospital, or jail. Most of us are not that genetically gifted to have such abilities, however the human body is amazing. Besides the horse, we are the greatest endurance athletes on land. No other land mamal can do what we can do, or have the potential to do at least. I say potential because most people do not even come close to fulfilling that potential. Yesterday we sat and watched an interesting story of a 550lb woman work her way down to a mere 280lbs over a period of a couple of years. While I do applaud her dedication to losing weight, as it was certainly no small feat for her, one thing she said stuck out in my mind and that was, " I don't like to do anything hard." Hmm.
Back to Dean, this guy is on the far end of the mindset spectrum. He started believing he could do anything. He quit drinking and turned his life around. Perhaps he replaced one addiction with another, but at least he found a healthy replacement. I find myself fighting with what I think is plausable for me and my body, and struggling with that little hint of doubt that sits in the back of my mind. Part of me wonders how good I can be? Can I get a win at a 70.3, can I qualify for Kona on my first shot? I think so, I've been successful at shorter distances, why not longer? But I often think I am just not working hard enough. Why? Why don't I work harder? But maybe thats the type of thinking that keeps me pushing. I believe the most important lesson I learned early on in my athletic career is that there is always more gas in the tank.
Last week was a good week. Got some good training in, and this week has started off pretty good. My little training partner up there (pic above) decided to get some matching tattoos with me. She did pretty good with the placement too. Her workouts have been getting intense; push-ups, squats, free weights (she has little pink 1lb weights)...she does it all, its awesome! Building good habits early in life and learning to love being active and healthy is so important. It makes me appreciate the life I had when I was a kid and how much fun it was. Thanks mom ;)

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