It's official: all of my 2020 races have been cancelled. So many of us are in the same boat. Perhaps you feel untethered, as I did a few weeks ago. For the first time in my entire fitness career, I have nothing to train for. No goal to anchor my daily workouts. I don't need to build mileage for a marathon. I don't need to practice Spartan obstacles for a Beast. I don't need to build up my burpees. For the first time ever I can just...have fun out there.
Since becoming an adult (meaning, since age 25 or so), I have enjoyed exercise for its own sake. It feels good to strive, to push my body, to get faster, stronger, better than I was a week ago, or a month ago, or a year ago. I like the process as much as the result. I enjoy sweating, breathing hard, being sore. I like learning how my body responds, what it needs from me based on how it's feeling at any given moment. But one thing I have always encouraged in my clients is to pick a goal that they can work towards, since it's always worked for me. It keeps me motivated to know there's an event coming up, so I'd better either be in shape for it or I'm gonna have a lousy time.
With COVID cancelling everything, our priorities must shift when it comes to fitness. So here is my revolutionary idea.
DO WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WANT.
That's right. Work out just for the sake of working out. I hate the term "joyful movement" because it sounds ridiculous, but that's what it comes down to. You don't have to slog through endless road miles...unless you want to. You don't need to practice triathlon transitions or moving from obstacle to obstacle...unless that excites you. What sounds good to you today? Go do that.
In the last several weeks, there have been many workouts where I left the house not knowing exactly what I was going to do or how long the workout would last. I figured it out as I went along. "Oh, I think I'll scale that fence, then do a lap, then crawl a bit, and repeat." "Huh, this track workout is boring, let me put my backpack back on and I'll go through the neighborhood instead." "My left forearm hurts today, I'll do something right-handed like throw a spear 100 times."
DO IT. WHO CARES?!
Now is your chance to get in the best shape of your entire life, FOR NO DAMN REASON. And frankly, it is awesome. The workouts have zero pressure attached. I don't HAVE to run 5 miles in 50 minutes, but if I do, that is dope. I don't need to get up to 75% with the spear throw, but if I do, awesome! Unlike when we have a race as a goal, when you are totally untethered to concrete metrics, you do not have to meet any kind of standards for greatness unless you WANT TO. And it is the best feeling in the world. Go out there and jog until you get tired, then walk instead. Take a break mid workout and sit in front of some stranger's lawn sprinkler. Enjoy the process of fitness for fitness's sake. If you embrace the lack of goals, you might find that you improve anyway, and have more fun along the way. And that's a goal we can all get behind.
No comments:
Post a Comment