I have been training for an upcoming Spartan Race. It is an obstacle course race, something I've never done before. I'm terrified I'm going to hurt myself or be out of commission for several weeks following the big event. I've discovered some serious limits in my 43 year old body as I've pushed it beyond my normal training the past few weeks. But I still sleep fine (despite a few aches & pains), wake & get on with my day, walk fine, exercise within my (sore) limits & move on. I think about my stupid knee & hamstring, trying to find the perfect combination of foam rolling, static & dynamic stretching, corrective exercises & strengthening to move myself along. Ultimately I'm still limited by some past injuries & imbalances, but I know I'll most likely be OK.
I think about extreme athletes who drive themselves beyond exhaustion or fatigue, resulting in vomiting or passing out. I read about the marathon runner who staggers across the finish line, vital signs weakened. And I realize I've got nothing on them.
Then I meet with my clients - a few of them seriously struggling with their every day health. Hyperventilating, dizzy, nauseous & sometimes even vomiting - all because they are pressing their bodies past the limits of their current fitness abilities. They struggle because their bodies are already stressed, trying to heal from disease, trying to find energy on a (medically supervised) calorie deficient diet, reeling from searing pain in their joints due to arthritis...and yet, here they are. Trying to improve their fitness. Trying to lose weight. Trying to gain strength.
Even with support of doctors, the reality is for many people with disease or health challenges, working out is REALLY hard work. Not just "I'm tired & don't want to do this," or "I'm sore from yesterday's workout," or "Can we hurry up because I have a zillion other things I need to be doing." These people are truly motivated, trying to find a way OUT of that pain, beyond the current limits of their bodies - but their bodies do not always cooperate. Their own bodies are their obstacles.
These people are my heroes. They are my clients. They motivate me to be creative. To be empathetic. To be calm. To push, but to support. To research. To understand. To find humor in non-humorous situations. Quite simply, to become a better trainer.
If you HAD to lose 20 pounds in order to have a life-saving procedure could you do it? What if you had unbearable pain every time your trainer asked you to do 12 squats? What if you were already eating a very high protein/low carb diet & the doctor told you "no fruit?" What if you vomited at the end of a 45 minute body weight workout session? Would you rather worry about how you are going to climb a rope at the Spartan race or get through a workout without passing out/crying from pain/vomiting?
You would keep working. You would envision that life after surgery, imagining less pain, more freedom of movement, more travel, more everyday athleticism. You would push through another workout. Listen to your trainer talk about why this exercise is important. You would try to humor them by listening to their mini-anatomy or digestion lesson as you crank out those reps. You would reassure them that the doctor says this is all OK. You would find a way. You would get stronger, move better & lose weight.
My job is to help these clients dig deep. To work through those obstacles. To decide how much they want that reward at the other side. Ultimately this is my job with any client, and for myself as I train for the Spartan race. The goals, rewards, the "why" is different for everyone. For me getting over that wall or pulling a huge weight uphill are obstacles I will soon overcome. However for some of my clients, the obstacle is surgery & recovery. Our workouts are preparation along the way. These clients are some of the strongest people I know. I'm fortunate to be part of their journey. Obstacles be damned - we'll come out the other side bigger, better & stronger, together.
