What if we didn't put limits on ourselves?
I have a crapload of cleaning to get done before I pick Helen up from daycare in an hour, but I want to write.
This last week I have really been pushing myself in swimming and teaching. It is too easy to tell yourself "I am not such and such" to get out of improving. This is what I was doing with swimming. "I'm not a swimmer" so I am not going to work on swimming, even though I teach Aqua aerobics a minimum of 4x of week (and the last few weeks, 6x as I have been filling in for someone.) I had no interest in ever doing a triathalon, so why work on swimming?
But this past Sunday I ran a biathalon with a dear woman that is leaving the boat, Melissa. I ran the 5k, she would swim. My calf was acting up, so I told Melissa before I left for the start line, to look for me in 30 minutes. I had a fresh number written on my arm, and it made me feel... proud. I have seen people race before in triathalons. I have seen Steph after a tri with a number on her arm. Somehow, standing at the starting line, I felt a fire come up from my belly. I glanced around at the 100 + people, most of them doing the run and swim, and thought how brave they were for going into the open water. Weren't they afraid at all?
We start the 5k, and I find myself ever so slowly inching my way up. It didn't occur to me until halfway through that maybe I was going faster than normal. I spied two girls in front of me, and kept pace with them. When my lungs were burning and I knew I couldn't hold on to the pace, we were almost at the transition. I waved my arms wildly so Melissa could see me. As I reached her she had a puzzled look on her face, "You were smoking!" she said before darting off into the water. A lifeguard at the Y that I knew that was also doing the team duathalon came up behind me, "Wow!" he said. I found out my pace later was an 8:05, and that's probably off by about 10 seconds as that is when Melissa hit the water. Melissa and I ended up coming 4th in women's teams. Granted, there were only 5 teams, but we did good.
When I got home, I looked up a beginner swim program. That night at a Ward room meeting, I asked a former swim coach if she thought I could swim a 1000m (1k) in a month. She told me probably not, but to go for it. Monday morning I swam my first laps at the pool, after I taught. I swam 150 meters and my arms burned and I was exhausted. The exhaustion carried the rest of the day. Swimming was hard work! But that made me want it more.
Yesterday (Wednesday) I returned to the pool. I pushed it to 200m but I was dog paddling the last 50. That's okay. I did it.
I now realize that realistically, I am not going to be ready to swim 1000m by next month. But, there will be other races. And I have to start somewhere. I found a swim program that gives you 3 months to do a sprint swim (750m) ...3 months. I can do that.
The more I swim the more satisfaction I am getting from each workout. Because it is something totally unorthodox for me, I feel proud after every workout. Unlike my runs where, I've been there and done that- every time I get in the water- I am challenging myself. This girl that used to be afraid of the water is now swimming... and it feels good!
Yesterday I spent a few hours and really studied aqua aerobics. I went into class last night and showed them some new moves. My class this morning, same thing. It feels good to expand my own knowledge to give the participants a good workout. It feels good to know I am improving. And while Scott is out at sea until February, swimming gives me one more thing to work for. I have my running- and I love it. Running is me. But swimming, swimming is new. It's a challenge. And darn if I don't love a challenge.
"Nothing worthwhile in life is ever easy" I told my mom the other day when complaining how tired I was from swimming. It's true. And just like my first marathon, I will earn my first biathalon. And after a biathalon... a tri? Could this self-professed running snob really do a tri this year? I think so.
We all put limits on ourselves. We tell ourselves we can't do something because of a personality trait, or flaw. "I'm not creative" or "I'm not neat" These limits are self-prothasizing (sp.) We will NEVER move forward until we are willing to let go of our own status quo. I haven't swam before because "I am not a swimmer" -but how could I ever swim if I had already told myself I couldn't?
I have always believed that our bodies are capable of so much more than we give it credit for. That's why I love the marathon, and that is why I have the utmost respect for the Ironman. ...What if we didn't put limits on ourselves? What if we threw out what we thought we knew and just went for it? That is what I am precisely doing now. I'm not a swimmer? Okay, so let me become one. I am not a triathalete? Well, let me try that too. There is no limit to the number of hats we can wear.
I was thinking on the way home how much already in the 19 days of 2012, I have started to change. The sub-4 marathon in December started the wheels, and it continues. I honestly think that 2012 is going to be the best year of my life thus far. It isn't going to be the best because I am travelling somewhere new, or another life change such as a new child. It is going to be the best because I think I finally get it. I get that you have work hard in order to reach your goals. Not just hard though, you have to be willing to push yourself over and over and over again. I do it with running already, but if I can apply this to the rest of my life- with my marriage, for instance, there is no telling what can happen or how happy I can become.
I am done being pretentious about running. I am done being (somewhat) snobby. I am done allowing excuses and fears to over-ride possibilities. And, I invite you to join me. I invite you to really stop putting limits on yourself. I invite you take a goal, and go for it. "If the goal seems obtainable, you aren't reaching high enough" is a quote I have heard. Pick something far out of reach- and just see if you can do it. It doesn't have to be a race like me- it could be writing that novel you've always wanted to write. It could be going after that job you want but you don't think you are experienced enough. Whatever it is - all you have to do is start trying.
Until next time, my friends
This last week I have really been pushing myself in swimming and teaching. It is too easy to tell yourself "I am not such and such" to get out of improving. This is what I was doing with swimming. "I'm not a swimmer" so I am not going to work on swimming, even though I teach Aqua aerobics a minimum of 4x of week (and the last few weeks, 6x as I have been filling in for someone.) I had no interest in ever doing a triathalon, so why work on swimming?
But this past Sunday I ran a biathalon with a dear woman that is leaving the boat, Melissa. I ran the 5k, she would swim. My calf was acting up, so I told Melissa before I left for the start line, to look for me in 30 minutes. I had a fresh number written on my arm, and it made me feel... proud. I have seen people race before in triathalons. I have seen Steph after a tri with a number on her arm. Somehow, standing at the starting line, I felt a fire come up from my belly. I glanced around at the 100 + people, most of them doing the run and swim, and thought how brave they were for going into the open water. Weren't they afraid at all?
We start the 5k, and I find myself ever so slowly inching my way up. It didn't occur to me until halfway through that maybe I was going faster than normal. I spied two girls in front of me, and kept pace with them. When my lungs were burning and I knew I couldn't hold on to the pace, we were almost at the transition. I waved my arms wildly so Melissa could see me. As I reached her she had a puzzled look on her face, "You were smoking!" she said before darting off into the water. A lifeguard at the Y that I knew that was also doing the team duathalon came up behind me, "Wow!" he said. I found out my pace later was an 8:05, and that's probably off by about 10 seconds as that is when Melissa hit the water. Melissa and I ended up coming 4th in women's teams. Granted, there were only 5 teams, but we did good.
When I got home, I looked up a beginner swim program. That night at a Ward room meeting, I asked a former swim coach if she thought I could swim a 1000m (1k) in a month. She told me probably not, but to go for it. Monday morning I swam my first laps at the pool, after I taught. I swam 150 meters and my arms burned and I was exhausted. The exhaustion carried the rest of the day. Swimming was hard work! But that made me want it more.
Yesterday (Wednesday) I returned to the pool. I pushed it to 200m but I was dog paddling the last 50. That's okay. I did it.
I now realize that realistically, I am not going to be ready to swim 1000m by next month. But, there will be other races. And I have to start somewhere. I found a swim program that gives you 3 months to do a sprint swim (750m) ...3 months. I can do that.
The more I swim the more satisfaction I am getting from each workout. Because it is something totally unorthodox for me, I feel proud after every workout. Unlike my runs where, I've been there and done that- every time I get in the water- I am challenging myself. This girl that used to be afraid of the water is now swimming... and it feels good!
Yesterday I spent a few hours and really studied aqua aerobics. I went into class last night and showed them some new moves. My class this morning, same thing. It feels good to expand my own knowledge to give the participants a good workout. It feels good to know I am improving. And while Scott is out at sea until February, swimming gives me one more thing to work for. I have my running- and I love it. Running is me. But swimming, swimming is new. It's a challenge. And darn if I don't love a challenge.
"Nothing worthwhile in life is ever easy" I told my mom the other day when complaining how tired I was from swimming. It's true. And just like my first marathon, I will earn my first biathalon. And after a biathalon... a tri? Could this self-professed running snob really do a tri this year? I think so.
We all put limits on ourselves. We tell ourselves we can't do something because of a personality trait, or flaw. "I'm not creative" or "I'm not neat" These limits are self-prothasizing (sp.) We will NEVER move forward until we are willing to let go of our own status quo. I haven't swam before because "I am not a swimmer" -but how could I ever swim if I had already told myself I couldn't?
I have always believed that our bodies are capable of so much more than we give it credit for. That's why I love the marathon, and that is why I have the utmost respect for the Ironman. ...What if we didn't put limits on ourselves? What if we threw out what we thought we knew and just went for it? That is what I am precisely doing now. I'm not a swimmer? Okay, so let me become one. I am not a triathalete? Well, let me try that too. There is no limit to the number of hats we can wear.
I was thinking on the way home how much already in the 19 days of 2012, I have started to change. The sub-4 marathon in December started the wheels, and it continues. I honestly think that 2012 is going to be the best year of my life thus far. It isn't going to be the best because I am travelling somewhere new, or another life change such as a new child. It is going to be the best because I think I finally get it. I get that you have work hard in order to reach your goals. Not just hard though, you have to be willing to push yourself over and over and over again. I do it with running already, but if I can apply this to the rest of my life- with my marriage, for instance, there is no telling what can happen or how happy I can become.
I am done being pretentious about running. I am done being (somewhat) snobby. I am done allowing excuses and fears to over-ride possibilities. And, I invite you to join me. I invite you to really stop putting limits on yourself. I invite you take a goal, and go for it. "If the goal seems obtainable, you aren't reaching high enough" is a quote I have heard. Pick something far out of reach- and just see if you can do it. It doesn't have to be a race like me- it could be writing that novel you've always wanted to write. It could be going after that job you want but you don't think you are experienced enough. Whatever it is - all you have to do is start trying.
Until next time, my friends