DAILY INJECTIONS

“Every Rep is an Injection of Heroism”
-MS

“A Hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sometimes we come in and take one look at the board and just say in our heads, “No fucking way.” We see deadlifts and our backs begin to quake with soreness. We see Farmers Carries and our forearms begin to lock up. We see Overhead Keg Carries and our shoulders start to seize. If we are the first to step into the arena, then the anticipation is elevated to a much greater level; the unknown taunting us with its laundry list of reps to complete. Then there is the beginning, rep 4 of 30, or rep 9 out of 21, the uphill climb seemingly too daunting to bear. But in this place we learn that on a long enough timeline the reps will end, and we will have the rest of the day or however long to look back and analyze from an armchair. I once read that the only difference between us and the super fit is not their superior genetics, or external supplements, but their willingness to venture into levels of pain that go against all self preservation mechanisms [See Jon Gilson’s article “Dedication” at AgainFaster.com]. I let that marinade for a while and came to the conclusion that it isn’t their willingness to endure pain, but their willingness to accept their fear of it. Listen to interviews of elite athletes pre and post event, such as from the recently completed Olympics or CrossFit Games, and you will hear about how they were on their last leg, barely standing. They speak of the mental obstacles they overcame or would need to overcome in order to prevail. These athletes didn’t, by blocking out the pain, remove any of these obstacles. Instead they simply acknowledged their existence and instead of bowing to them decided, consciously, to kick them in the fucking teeth. These athletes make friends with their fear, anxiety, apprehension, breath it in and breath it back out. Acknowledging that you aren’t the end all be all, unburdening yourself of those self delusions, applying common sense and logical thinking to the problem at hand will take things to a whole other level. Self Regulation is something that plagues all of us, we pull up on a lung searing 800m run, we set the weight down during Thrusters or Farmers Carries, we decide we need water or chalk at just the right moment when both our hydration and tack levels are completely sufficient. We all do this one day or another, you have to be one hard individual to come in 365 out of 365 and commit the full measure. Why do we do this? Because we are afraid, afraid of injury, failure, not measuring up, all sorts of psychobabble bullshit. So I will admit we will most likely never be a Michael Phelps, a Lance Armstrong, Cal Ripken Jr., Brett Favre, or even a member of the CrossFit super elite. It just wasn’t in the cards for us. But that being said, striving for just one more rep, 5 more strides, one more rung, 3 more leaps, will inevitably push that level of commitment back farther and farther. Until hopefully you realize that it isn’t going to kill you, and if it does, well then everyone will stand around at the pub after your funeral and toast you as one hard individual. And what’s so bad with going out like that?
Take a look in the mirror and think about why you need to put that weight down, think about why you need to get that chalk or swig of water. Is setting that Kettlebell down really going to make it any easier? Once you start digging that hole, the machine is going to keep digging, whether you’re at the helm or not.
Grab that next rep and give yourself a shot in the arm.
-whit.