I’m still here; just hasn’t been a lot to say. I want to change that. I want to change a lot of things. I’m kinda’ fed up with the status quo and the direction I’ve been taking. Big picture; family is healthy and happy, bills are paid and there’s a roof over our head. I’m very content with all of that. It’s all the rest; my daily routine, my responses to everyday stresses, my new, unhealthy habits and how often I’ve been letting that negative little voice run things around here.
I’m trying to change a lot of that.
Tomorrow, 9/11/17, I’m starting the 8 Weeks to Sealfit program. I’m not sponsored or paid or in contact with Sealfit in any way (but, if you want to talk, I’m willing to chat) and I’m going to do my best to follow the book for the next 16 weeks. At that time, it will be time for New Years Resolutions and a review of what I’ve learned on this program.
But, Sean, why? And, for the record, isn’t this the 300th post about new beginnings and getting back on track? Aren’t you going to punk out in a week or so and 6 more months will go by until something fires you up again and you post how you’re going to change everything?
Um…..
Well….
I hope not?
Hey, all of that is part of what’s driving me here. Those aborted attempts at improvement are symptoms of an underlying problem. That’s what got me thinking about trying this program: it’s really just Crossfit, as far as the exercises go. I’m interested in the “mental toughness’ part of this. My mind and body are so very similar. I’m physically strong as an ox but my endurance SUCKS. I’ve nailed the ‘wall of meat‘ thing. Mentally, the same; I’m confident that I can handle a situation and I don’t rattle too easily, but if I can’t make it all better RIGHT NOW, then I’m useless until things get back to normal. Yeah, I get through it, but not without heaping misery and frustration on those around me because I just can’t deal.
When the going gets tough…I’m awesome, at first. I want to be awesome after that too, and THAT is what drew me to this program.
So, where does this begin? With a baseline. I think the paragraph above covers my mental baseline. What about physical? There’s a workout in the book that you do before you start. I did better than I thought:
- max pushups in 2 minutes, then a 10 minute rest: 45
- max situps (with an Abmat) in 2 minutes, then a 10 minute rest: 42
- max pullups unbroken (with a green band), then a 10 minute rest: 8 (wow!!! Did NOT see that coming)
- 500 meter row, then a 10 minute rest: 2:10 at level 5
- 1.5 mile run: 22:38. Thats way better than I expected. I ran almost all of it too! Well, maybe not a run, a clunky jog (remember, Wall o’Meat.)
You know what? I’m really happy with these scores. It tells me there’s more than I give myself credit for when I need it.
I start tomorrow with the first workout, exercises and….a before pic (ughhh.) Let’s see where this goes!!!!
Sean, good luck with the new endeavor! I hear you about the…
“…how often I’ve been letting that negative little voice run things around here” …as I often catch myself engaging in far more self-criticism than I think I’d ever deem to be appropriate if it were directed at someone else. For whatever reason, I think many of us gives our (negative) selves far too much slack. Maybe it’s part of being a driven person. Maybe it’s Catholic guilt (well that’s definitely true for me). Regardless, I suspect that it’s a life-time struggle…and as such, there may not be as much of a victory as there will eventually be a kind of truce. Let’s just hope the terms of the truce are good.
– Steve