One of the things I love the most about lifting (and derby and crossfit) is the mental game. Yeah, you're pushing your body, but it can pretty much always go further than your brain wants to believe. And so we come up with tricks to outsmart ourselves. Many of us go to our zen place when we're doing a hold. (Mine is the Gryffindor common room.) Others give themselves a mental pep talk. (A derby friend relives her sister screaming "You're an ANIMAL!" at her from the sidelines of a childhood soccer game.) I'm also known to make faces at the barbell. (Sometimes a fist pump is involved.)
But lately, I've been looking outside myself for inspiration. Specifically, I've been wtahcing a woman at crossfit. She's probably in her 50s, and had surgery about a month ago. While recovering, her doctors told her she wasn't allowed to do anything but walk. So she comes to crossfit with her son, and while he works out, she walks the local trails for an hour. She is there, everyday, without fail.
Yesterday, her doctors cleared her to return to traniing. Our trainer, Josh, modified the workout for her, and as she was rowing, I walked over to cheer her on. When I got there, I noticed she was doing it one handed. "One-handed row?" I asked, incredulously. "Ambitious.
"Didn't you know?" she replied, "My left arm is paralyzed."
And bam. Like that, my mental barriers have been destroyed. Watching her, there's really nothing I can say to convince myself I can't do something, when it's so clear that it's my mind and not my body holding me back.
This is her son, Matt. He gets his bad-assery from his mom.
This morning, I watched her deadlift for max, using a custom-made hook that Josh created to attach to her paralyzed arm. She never lost form. She never faltered. She never complained.
But lately, I've been looking outside myself for inspiration. Specifically, I've been wtahcing a woman at crossfit. She's probably in her 50s, and had surgery about a month ago. While recovering, her doctors told her she wasn't allowed to do anything but walk. So she comes to crossfit with her son, and while he works out, she walks the local trails for an hour. She is there, everyday, without fail.
Yesterday, her doctors cleared her to return to traniing. Our trainer, Josh, modified the workout for her, and as she was rowing, I walked over to cheer her on. When I got there, I noticed she was doing it one handed. "One-handed row?" I asked, incredulously. "Ambitious.
"Didn't you know?" she replied, "My left arm is paralyzed."
And bam. Like that, my mental barriers have been destroyed. Watching her, there's really nothing I can say to convince myself I can't do something, when it's so clear that it's my mind and not my body holding me back.
This is her son, Matt. He gets his bad-assery from his mom.
This morning, I watched her deadlift for max, using a custom-made hook that Josh created to attach to her paralyzed arm. She never lost form. She never faltered. She never complained.
No comments:
Post a Comment