Lazy Dog

Excellent session this morning. We have ramped up, adding one 30 second all-out sprint per week for the last eight weeks, leading up to today’s official start of an(other) eight week block of our infamous Super Eights. They are hard. They are demanding. They challenge - AND they reward. 

If I had (that is a huge IF) a hundred people to poll today, I would guesstimate that the percentage of them, when asked if they had already, or plan on, completing a workout where reaching 100% effort was included in the session protocol, would be less than 10%. Maybe less than 5%.

OK I’ll broaden the search parameters and include the week (weak?), rephrasing the question slightly to: Does one or more of your scheduled workouts this week include visiting the zone known as MAX?

Broader still? OK, when was the last time your rate of perceived exertion hit 10 of 10? 

Last time. Have you ever specifically targeted a session with the specific goal of finding and holding peak value?

Again, with no research analysis other than the my collected observational data gathered personally since 1960, I can say with confidence that the percentage of folks who answer ‘no’ is far, FAR greater than those answering to the affirmative. 

Why?

Because our comfort zones are so precious, so closely guarded and so ingrained into our definition of self, that anything outside that sphere is seen as a threat, an enemy, a terrorist with bad intent. So we invent new and useful ways to sell acceptance. We steal our own wallets and sell them back to ourselves. Our comfort and the convenience in our levels of anti-quality is worth more than the challenge of becoming the person we used to want to become, but now dismiss as unattainable. It’s too hard, too much work, too far away and too expensive. Why would I want to join a fraternity, an exclusive and expensive club, where hard work, pain, humiliation and sweat are as common as a freshman pledge? I am doing fine with Dungeons and Dragons and being 60 pounds overweight isn’t that big a deal. Maybe next week. Or New Years. 

Next poll question: Do you know anyone who fits this criteria?

You probably do, or would’t have to travel far to find one. (Go to Wal-Mart and walk around if you must).

Statistics say that almost 75% of Americans are overweight, with a robust (sorry) 45% of them being clinically obese. That is about as sad a stat as can be. More then 7 of 10 people are lugging around so much unnecessary fat that the effort to add quality to their existence is a bridge too far. No can do. 

An estimated 160 million Americans are either obese or overweight. Nearly three-quarters of American men and more than 60% of women are obese or overweight. These are also major challenges for America's children – nearly 30% of boys and girls under age 20 are either obese or overweight, up from 19% in 1980.

That, then, is our challenge. We need to find a way (not a for-profit way) to get these folks up on their feet and heading in the right direction. One step at a time.

I have used this formula for many things, it is the (secret) way that we accomplish anything of value, from running a marathon to writing a book, completing an Ironman to video creation. And I will share it with you here and now.

The way that we accomplish anything is simply this: GET STARTED.

Whether or not you choose to add the highest level of intensity along your sacred path of pursuit is solely your decision. I highly recommend one or two per week. However the important, the crucial, second step following your courageous decision to START, is to…..

…..DON’T STOP.