Exercise Summary: 4km run - 24 minutes; 100 Push Up Challenge: 16, 13, 11, 11, 16
Wow! Day 2 of Week 2 and it was certainly a challenge.
Technically I was meant to complete this set yesterday but completing Jacob’s Ladder on Monday did things to my legs and didn’t feel I’d be giving myself a fair go.
Interestingly, the pain from Jacob’s Ladder set in today so I’m not sure I was doing myself any favours.
Add to that, when I got home I got the togs on and did a quick 24 minute 4km run. Pretty crisp in Perth at the moment but the run warmed me up.
The Push Up Challenge was more of a mental challenge tonight. I didn’t think much about it. I just got stuck into it, remembering to keep a good posture and push from the chest, breathing in on the way down and out on the way up.
I also find that it helps if I close my eyes when in gets harder. No idea why, just does.
The first set of 16 started well but ended up a struggle by the time I hit the 13th push up.
I resolved to just get through the next 3 sets of 13, 11 and 11 as a start and deal with the final set when I got there. Remember that the last time I set a goal for the last set before I started. So I wasn’t overly confident at how I was approaching this set.
Getting to the final set (min of 15) I decided that the 15 would be enough. If I completed the full set that would do. Well, on 14 I got the same feeling of “I’m not gonna get back up” as I started the upward push. But, eyes closed, resolved to finish I got there and did the 15.
Then, I just had to do one more. Just one. But more than the minimum. I decided to get it over with and the final push up as fast as I could. Not think about the pain, the shaking arms or the fact that I might be flat on my face.
Done … 16!
On to Day 3.
What Am I Learning?
The biggest thing I have learnt with all of my training is it really is a case of “mind over matter.”
If I set my mind to it, with no choice of backing out, I am able to achieve a realistic goal. Note that I say “realistic”. I could have said the last set would have been 25. But in my heart and in my mind I would have known from the beginning that I wasn’t going to make it.
So…
- set a realistic goal,
- commit to it and;
- determine that, no matter, what you’re going to achieve it and, voila! it will be amazing how “easily” the goal is achieved.
Bill
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Andrew is getting fit 06.25.08 at 11:04 pm
Well done! I’ll have to give the eyes shut technique a go.
I think the pushup challenge is similar to starting to run. It’s mainly in the mind!