Ever watched a dog try to get out of a pool using only its front legs? It’s a kind of sad and not so pretty thing to watch.
Well that’s what I looked like yesterday trying to get myself back on the lounge after trying to stretch out my legs.
So let’s backtrack a little bit… Why was I in such pain?
So yesterday I ran my first half marathon… not a big deal right? Plenty of people can run that with a bit of training.
Well there’s the catch. Only 7 days earlier I was competing in a powerlifting meet, basically the most opposite sport from running to be competing in a week apart. And while I’m not great at either one I was much better prepared for lifting heavy weights than to take on a distance running event. Actually I had only ran once since last October.
So as you can imagine I got what I deserved from my lack of preparation, my body wasn’t ready for the joint stress and left me pretty beaten up. But, what it did provide me with was a challenge to get out of my comfort zone once again and prove to myself what I can do when I’m placed in an unfamiliar situation.
A guy named Zach Even-Esh that I have followed for years always pushed the idea of getting comfortable being uncomfortable. Something I have taken on board for myself and try to instill in the clients I work with.
So why should we be chasing discomfort?
Here’s my 3 reasons why I choose to take on these challenges.
Creating connection and inspiration
We’re living in this world of social media now where everyone posts their highlight reel, their big wins or whatever else they WANT you to see. We don’t often see the tough days, the mental barriers that get in our way or the things that test us.
Sure I could stick to what I’m good at and I’d help inspire some people to want more out of their training through their lifting. But, we have all known someone who wants to get started on their journey towards health and fitness but don’t believe they can do it. Don’t believe they can be successful. What do they see of the fitness world, they see abs, heavy weights, people laying on the floor after a tough but “great” workout. They see people who are comfortable in their own challenges however hard they may be.
I want to tell a different story. I want to show that I still know what it feels like to be a beginner. Every time I take on a distance event I turn up and get those newbie nerves. Everyone else looks so serious, I feel like I can’t keep up, like I don’t fit in. But, I always make sure to see it through and at the end, it doesn’t matter that I wasn’t as fast or I didn’t look like I fit in with the rest of the runners. What matters is that I overcame those mental barriers and came away successful.
Think about this for a second, if placing yourself in a position of discomfort inspires someone to put themselves in their own discomfort and moves them towards a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle then does that make your pain worth it? For me it sure does.
Changing your frame of reference
If you have ever heard of Spartan Race you might have heard that its founder Joe De Sena starts his day every morning at 4am with 300 burpees! Yep that’s right 300!!
I remember reading Joe’s book ‘Spartan Up!’ where he talked of this and his reason for this brutal wake up was to change his frame of reference. And if you think about it for a second, if you started your day with 300 burpees is anything else that happens that day really that big of a deal? Whether it’s forgetting to pack your lunch for work or getting stuck in traffic not a lot compares to those 300 burpees before.
I feel the same way about taking yourself out of your comfort zone regularly. Those little frustrations you deal with in daily life aren’t anywhere near as bad when you put yourself in a much higher level of discomfort voluntarily. Now I have the luxury for the next few months to think back and tell myself it isn’t as bad as those last few km’s of the half marathon. I guarantee that will help me deal with it better.
Need some convincing that this will work for you? Try out Joe’s 300 burpees and see if anything else gets to you that day.
Want to feel more alive
Ever got complacent with the fact that you get to live in this world that has nearly everything available for you at the reach of your pocket? There’s never been a time where I have been more grateful that I could get in my car to drive home than after my legs didn’t want to work on me any more after the run. Nor more grateful to be able to breathe than when I got to stop running and catch my breath.
We forget about appreciating the little things or the luxuries we have in our society until we are placed into a position where we need it. You want to see how much this helps first hand, go into your bathroom right now and get under a cold shower. You’re guaranteed to have your heart rate through the roof, your breathing will go crazy and then it comes back to normal and you get to feel relaxed. Taking yourself out of your comfort zone helps you appreciate these moments.
Where to now?
For me I’m not sure yet. But I know there will be something that will catch my eye ready for me to jump at it. Have a think about this and share with us what you’re going to do to take yourself out of your comfort zone.