Amber, Me, A.G.Last week I wrote about the solace and calm of the run…the peacefulness…the restoration. But here is the deal...if all you have is calm…and you never get out of the comfort zone, there is no growth. In running, in academics, in life!
You need that…forces that push you out of the calm of the eye and into the chaos of a Cat 5 Hurricane…the winds of the storm that buffet you viciously until you cannot take any more….and then…growth…strength...perseverance.
After my completion of Palo Duro 50 mile Ultra in 2009, I vowed to become more overall fit…core, upper body…strength in the legs….not just stamina. That called for me to do more work in the gym…and so I began to attend 2 to 3 boot camps a week at our Y.
It is a full body workout…dealing with core, upper body, balance, footwork…speed…quick burst. It is not the solace of a run…but quick paced...fast rhythm…no recovery.
My bud A.G, a brother from a different mother... played collegiate football…he runs the boot camp. I remember when we started…falling into a calm rhythm was not permitted. It was constant…no rest. Amber, a bodybuilder and spin instructor at the Y… she would attend the boot camp as well….and A.G noticed that we never let the other get complacent…we pushed each other…if A.G told the class to do 20 push ups…we did 30…the class was to do 50 jump ropes…we would do 60…it was competitive…don’t let Amber get ahead of you in the run….”Dave don’t cheat yourselves on the planks” Amber would admonish.
There would be times when Amber would put together a kettle bell work out...constant…the chaos...relentless….kettle bell swings….clean-jerk-press…squats…dead lifts…dead hang pull ups…run….more running...suicides…close out with hand stand push ups…5 sets…20 reps a set…the arms go dead…the heart is redlined…and keep pushing…keep…going into the HURRICANE!
This past year I have gotten stronger…I have been pushed…I have been thrown into the chaos of discomfort…and the fire has refined. So I ask you, who pushes you to be better…who makes you go out through the storm…quit being complacent…PRESS ON!
