This upcoming December 11th at 9:30a, my cousin Ryan and I are running in the Pere Marquette Endurance Trail Run about 50 mins from St. Louis. It’s 7.8 miles over very hilly terrain with mud, sometimes snow and ice, and portions on the road.
I’ve done it once, and it’s really not the most pleasant way to spend a Saturday morning. Sitting in our warm living room enjoying a hot coffee sounds waaaay more enjoyable on a cold December morning.
Truth be told, almost any other form of exercise sounds better to me than running. Back when we played soccer, running during the game never bothered me because your mind was on the game. Running before the season started to get fit, and during the season to stay fit was something I had to will myself to do. I knew I had to do it if I wanted to play. In fact, our coach wouldn’t let us participate in practice until we could run 2 miles in under 12 minutes. The stakes were high.
Now that I’m in my 40s, why in the world would I do a running race? It’s bad for your joints, isn’t a very efficient way to burn calories, and isn’t much fun. I do it for one reason:
It’s a challenge.
The race and training leading up to it challenge both my mind and body. That’s what gets me motivated to do it. And the satisfaction of finishing is awesome.
I bring it up because we’re always preaching to our Crew that we just need to do something to get us moving every day. We love strength training, so that’s what we do. If that isn’t your jam, find what is. And a great way to try out a number of things is to get involved in a physical challenge with a buddy or spouse.
My cousin Ryan did a 340-mile canoe race with his brother Tim. I did 53 days of no booze, only meat and veggies, and two 45-min workouts every day this past spring. There are Tough Mudders, marathons, pull-up challenges – I just Googled “best fitness challenges” and the top result listed 30.
Point is, we all need to find something that’s going to get us up and moving…every single day. If challenging yourself with an obvious end goal is what you need, then jump in with both feet. My inner, male-ego dialogue goes something like this: “I’m not a wuss. I can do that, no problem. Bring that s*** on.”
Plus, chicks dig it…says the happily married guy:)
Your #1 Fan,
Jeff Pelizzaro
PS – If strength training IS your jam, then I highly, highly recommend you start your 18STRONG Membership App trial. There are 8-week programs that map out every day for you, and put it right on your calendar.
Challenge yourself to never miss a day. The satisfaction you’ll have on day 56 will be so addicting, you’ll never want to stop. Oh yeah, 56 days of golf specific training will definitely change your game.
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