Yesterday I had an ergo (rowing machine) test with my squad, our rowing coach watching on. There is no hiding on a rowing machine. The scores are there for all to see.
Yesterday’s test was high intensity 4 x 10 minutes with a 3 minute rest periods.
Having missed several training sessions due to work commitments, I worried about my fitness levels. I knew this was going to be painful.
…
As I sat warming up, every inch of my body was screaming at me to run! Get out and go home and sit in front of the telly. I was arguing with myself, resisting with all my being the inevitable pain to come; frozen by the thought that all the flaws in my technique would be lay bare for my coach to see and doubting my ability to get through the test with any form of credible performance.
My choices were:
*RUN!!! (that felt like such a comforting idea) *Feign illness (well I did have a sore hand) *do it half heartedly (at least I tried) *Do it to the best of my ability from beginning to end and accept myself just as I am with open arms and open heart.
I made a decision. to give it my all. I made three conscious changes:
Focus – the team and winning Physicality – core strength and power My thoughts – break it down – 2.5 mins, 2.5 mins, 2.5 mins… I can do this! I will do this! I want to do this!
I’ll be honest with you, it was hard. It hurt. It felt relentless. I put my whole self into every single stroke. I accepted the pain. I accepted my imperfections and I rowed to the best of my ability. I reminded myself that each stroke was making me stronger and I told myself “just do this stroke well, just do this stroke well”.
49 minutes later and we were done.
Relief, elation, fatigue – my face red as a beetroot and a sense of achievement in my heart. We had, each of us, faced our own personal challenges and succeeded. We were a step forward from where we were yesterday and just a step away from where we will be tomorrow.
At The Performance Business, our coaches are the catalyst for our clients to make their own dramatic breakthroughs, no matter how high the bar they have set or how difficult their challenges may be.
We provide the structure, focus and belief of success even when our clients are wanting to run in the other direction.
We all go there at times and for different reasons – the fear of not being enough.
We blame, we resist, we hide, we defend, we get angry, we get despondent, when really we need only to accept, appreciate, focus and move forward.
Lucy