Want to Get Back in Shape?
There’s no question about it: getting back in shape is just plain tough.
Photo by Julie Anne Photography
If you’re anything like me, we make it so much harder on ourselves than it needs to be because of the mindset that we bring to the endeavor. To “get back in shape” means that we have a reference point. When we start out again—gearing up for another race, another season, or just trying to find our fitness again—we have a standard of where we used to be.
Usually, that reference point is that person that we were when we were at our peak.
As such, every time we step out the door to get in a workout, we revert back, in our mind, to that old self.
And then, we look at the watch…
…and we start beating ourselves up. We say things like…
“This pace used to feel so easy.”
Or…
“Really!?! I thought I was running way faster than that.”
And even…
“Well, I’ll never get back to where I was before…this was a dumb idea.”
Time: We’re obsessed with it.
There’s either not enough or there is too much.
We’re either ahead or we’re behind.
We’re either too fast or too slow.
As endurance athletes, we’ve allowed time to dictate our workouts, our days, our weeks, and our seasons. On a regular basis in workouts, rather than simply letting time pass by and allowing our bodies to move as they want to—by feel—we’ve ingrained a habit of constantly checking in on time.
It’s a safety net. A crutch. A tick. A point of pride.
Time: We check it to make sure we’re good enough.
Time: We check it to make sure we’re on point.
Time: We check it to share our successes with others.
Time: We check it…
…and check it…
…and check it.
And, time—data—does serve a purpose.
There are points in our fitness journey, in our training blocks, and in our races when time and other data can really help our performance.
But, when we’re trying to get back in shape, time—our watches—may be
our worst enemy.
We’re already battling a hill that requires us to find a routine again, build up the number of workouts that we do in a day or a week, figure out a schedule that works for us with our changed lives, eat the right types of food, get rest…the list could go on.
So, why make getting back in shape harder by adding an unrealistic reference point?
Now, that reference point is always going to be there. There is no way of forgetting how we felt when we were at our peak. But, we don’t have to repeatedly remind ourselves of it by looking at our watch when we’re just trying to find the joy of fitness again.
So, a challenge to you as you strive to get back in shape.
A test.
A game.
Something fun.
Something that gets you in tune with you—how you feel in the moment—that will benefit you as you find your fitness and, yes, even benefit you when you need to test your fitness.
Want to get back in shape? Ditch your watch. Ditch it for the first month.
Just get out…
Just swim…
Just bike…
Just run…
Just move…and allow yourself to enjoy the process.
