Are You Slacking Off On Your Fitness Dream?

Last updated on January 2nd, 2014 at 12:44 pm

 

 

For every huge step in dreaming there are a million tiny ones that add up to that next goal. Health and fitness dreams can add up real steps along the way too.

You see results and are motivated, but are you slacking off along the way?

A couple months ago, a started an accidental part-time job. I say that jokingly since this was a step toward a big goal in my fitness dream – to get my personal training certificate so I could train.

I got the opportunity a little quicker than I had planned with my local bootcamp that I have been a member of for a year.

I added this task to my plate while in my last 60 days of triathlon training countdown.

This past week I was set free to run the training sessions on my own. The process was exciting and the feedback amazing.

I learned some incredible lessons this week:

• motivating people to work up a sweat at 6 am at the top of my lungs is a very cathardic way to start my day
• after 4 straight days of training, I was losing my voice

Cracking voice or not, one thing did get kicked off the top of my list this week.

My own triathlon training workouts.

When you are a week away from a major dream challenge, the voices in your head
can sometimes take over. In my dream path, those voices can be nagging reminders of dream plans gone awry.

You’ve got a plan to your dream. You may just have it in your head, or you’ve been very brave and have shared it with the world already. No matter where it is, you know deep in your gut when you are slacking off.

You know when you are slacking off of your dream.

My dream plan heading into my next triathlon was to:

• Increase my running minute/mile
• Bike a ton of hills to build my endurance
• Increase my swim speed
• Get into some open water in my brand new wetsuit (I’m counting lakes or our local Russian River)

I did manage to bike quite a bit, thanks to my new cycling workout buddy. Swim training has kept me going in the pool, faster than ever. Running has suffered. A lot.

I knew that taking on a second job, no matter how part-time, would impact the time I have to train for my own goals, and I was right.

Training to be a trainer killed my morning time entirely. I replaced it with running in the evening after work on the days I wasn’t swimming. It reminded me why I switched my workouts to the morning in the first place.

I really hate working out after work.

Adding on to your dream goals for long term payoffs can have some negative short term effects and the timing may not always be perfect. The trick is to keep those long term payoffs in sight.

Psyching up for your dream race

When you have a hard date on the calendar, like a race day that you can not reschedule, it gets easier to kill off those voices that tell you to take a day off. Letting yourself slack off  is, well, easy. Slacking off on your dream starts to feel bad. You have probably already felt the difference in your own dreams.

As I sit here getting ready for my race, which as you read this was officially yesterday September 8th, I can tell you my dream plan of race day preparation did not happen.

I am looking at my bike still locked into the trainer for a couple last minute adjustments. Staring at the clock with the dread that I will have to make myself fall asleep in just a few short hours to make my 4 am wake up time.

Feeling ready? Yes and no.

Ready to take it on? Hell YES!

I guess that is how you can tell you are chasing your dream. Ready or not, you are willing to take on that next challenge.

More next week on how my second triathlon went. Until then, dig deep and share – have you been slacking off on your dream?

Go get your fit on – Heather