What do you go to when you have to dig deep to meet and exceed your expectations?

[ETFnerd]

Today I had a tough run. With 4 minutes to go in a 52 minute run, I ran out of gas. This type of thing happens all the time even with the best laid out plans. I posted about this in another thread where calismenreth said: "It takes some real strength to make it to the end when you've reached your limit."

This applies to many aspects of our lives, not just fitness but in personal relationships, professional situations, etc. In a well laid-out plan, there should be a go-to something that we pull out in these situations to get us through these tough moments when it is easy to quit. Having a no-quit attitude and outlook helps of course, but some situations are so grating and painful that you need something that really motivates you to push through. Today it was all of you, who are taking this journey with me, that pushed me through what I believed to be my limit.

My go-to motivations center around people who I can't allow to let down, including myself, my family, my community, my professional collegues and others I care about. In the past it has often been about money, a promotion, a car I wanted to buy, biceps I wanted to grow, a trophy I wanted to win, but as I make my way through life, people seem to tip the scale in the things that matter to me.

So in your fitness plan or life plan, what are your go-to motivations that you reach deep for in order to get through the tough stretches when you feel like lying down and giving up?

[smurray]

I know the feeling of running out of gas on a run since it happened to me today as well. I repeated a run from two weeks ago and did worse than I did before I got sick.

Just like everyone else here, I want to post good news and positive improvements every time I get on, and that is a strong encouragement for me in my everyday fitness challenges. My family, my faith, and my friends help me as well to gain a perspective in my purpose here and why I need to do certain things and why I crave to do other things that do not benefit me in the whole scheme of living. When the going gets tough, I have to lean on the positive influences in my life to help me get back on track or to encourage me if I am heading in the right direction.

[andygates]

In training, if I know the times, some scheduled uplifting music is good.

At an event, this is when I feed on the crowd. The best last-ditch final mile stuff I've ever had has been when there's a big crowd (best: London Triathon. Horrid run, but great atmosphere) or when there's some interaction ("Go on walrus, pick it up!"). That clears the mental fog that comes with exhaustion and I'm good to push on. (It's also one reason I enjoy marshalling newbie triathlons: I get to yell at 'em)

When I was faced with a Challenge Of Death (first offroad marathon attempt) I tried to deliberately employ the "think of all the people who rely on this" angle by getting sponsored. That didn't work so well: due to under-preparation* I got hurt and because of the mental hook, I pressed on when I should have stopped. I still didn't finish, because the very real injury got awful and I ended up moving too slowly to make the cut-off. There's probably a caveat of some sort there.

* On a bike you can pretty much double the distance you've trained to do for an epic attempt. Turns out this is mostly because the bike takes your weight, and once you're managing fatigue and energy and discomfort, you're golden. Running is not like that, and I entered a 5-6h run with a comfortable 3-3:30 and paid for it in loadbearing joint death apocalypse.

[ETFnerd]

Andy, even though you plowed fwd too far and injured yourself, do you regret that you had the determination to keep going? In other words, is grit and determination an asset or a liability and what do you think is the point where you need to shut it down to fight another day? I tend to think that there is no shame in exploring your limits as long as you are learning something.

@smurray, thanks for sharing. I was too caught up in the wrong things, chasing the brass ring. Hopefully I've learned but I doubt it. I keep thinking about iamwoman's quote: The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered: "Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money in order to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future. He lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.

[andygates]

Dumb grit is still dumb. Don't hurt yourself badly unless you're being chased by dinosaurs or are rescuing your children from pirates.

Having said that, a lot of the time we don't know injury from discomfort, just like a lot of the time we don't know what giving 100% really is -- one of the reasons I raced was because I always outperform my training, and I love finding that I have that reserve.

[aj_rock]

The key to digging deep is knowing when to push yourself and when to let off. Obviously you can't go that extra mile every time you work out. A good measuring stick for how hard to push is your resting heart rate, which is a good measure of how primed for work your system is. Get an idea where it's supposed to be, and track it every time you wake up. If you wake up on a training day and it's a little high, go easy. If it's normal, or even a little lower, you know you can push hard that day.

I know it's not really on-topic with how to dig deep, but I felt it was relevant

[ETFnerd]

That's a great way to go. I run with my polar HRM so I try to stay in the 70-80% of resting heart rate (RHR). That's the CV part, but there is also joint pain, stitches, headaches, upset stomach and other stuff unrelated to CV. Sometimes these dissipate and you have a great workout, other times you just keep rolling downhill. I have a feeling that you are pretty young, and have a better ability to spring back than the fogies like me, and maybe better genetic athletic ability to start. For me, I'm trying to mod my Pinto into a Speed Racer and it is touch and go with many, many, I repeat many potential points of failure... Wish I could have had a good head on my shoulders like you when I was in my 20s. :-)

[NukeTheUnicorns]

I dig deep by viewing my workout as a sort of active meditation. I focus intently on what I want, I focus intently on how to activate my body in order to do so, and I connect with myself. I tell myself that I can push through whatever is stopping me (which is usually just my own mental blocks), and that I only have to be better than myself. It's made for some great workouts.

[Brometheus]

Note: this is from a crossfit perspective. You may or may not find it applicable for running.

It's simply a mentality for me that I can't be beat. This workout won't beat me, the hero WoD's can't beat me, and the whiteboard can't beat me. I won't let them beat me.

I could say that I feed on the anger and rage inside of me half-way through a workout, though that wouldn't describe all of my mental attitude. I like workout music, but I don't do it just for the music. After you've worked out to aerosmith, it's easy to disconnect music and working out (BTW, not my choice in music).

I don't think I've ever done something as difficult as crossfit. But I realized that when I'm working out by myself, I don't necessarily have a tendency to push myself. There's a reason why I have a coach, that I'm graded by a stopwatch, and I work out with a group of people that I trust and respect.

I realize now that previously, I didn't respect myself. I didn't respect my efforts. I didn't respect my workouts. There's a lot of "digging deep" that requires a mental attitude and focus that I lacked because I didn't understand what it is. Now I do. It's my version of "beast mode".

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[ETFnerd]

It's really interesting that I try to channel calmness and steadyness to get through while others call on more primal, even violent (?) thoughts to push through to the goal. I remember I had more tendencies of this kind when I was younger, but mellowed out as I got older. There also seem to be tones of respect, fullfillment through the achievement of your goals every day. I look to achieve those too and the motivate me going forward. Also when I reach prolonged plateaus, I tend to believe very firmly that it will pass and I will continue on the path to gains. I only fail if I give up. Thanks for sharing.

[aj_rock]

Haha thanks ETF now I'll just avoid addressing that to avoid sounding like a pompous asshole

You're right that I forgot about non CV factors, but I guess the real final message is that no matter what you have to listen to your body, while realizing that it doesn't always know what's best for it. But if you wake up one morning feeling awesome and like you can give it 110%... then do it! Take the opportunities given to you to strive for excellence!

[King_mob]

Everyone's posts seem so badass i feel like this is going to sound very pedestrian.

I have a plan. I have a goal and a plan for getting there. I know what numbers i want my lifts to be at, i figure how long it will take me and i work backwards. I know for each workout what i need to do to get me to where i want to be. If a workout is not going great, i struggle on a few reps, i cut a squat off high or don't lockout a press, then i am walking home with 5,4,4 instead of 5,5,5 and i have only myself to blame for the setback, but its not the end of the world. The next time i workout i know what i need to do, what i didn't manage last time, and what i will most assuredly accomplish THIS time.

Then, betraying no emotion beyond cold burning hate, i attack the bar with my raw bleeding hands and see my enemies crushed before me.