Excuses

Excuses. Everywhere.

The mental side of training is equally important as the physical side. There will be pain. How you deal with it often determines if you win or if you don't. If winning isn't your cup of tea, please stop here and read no further, because what I am about to suggest my offend your sense of propriety.

We have, for many years been breeding losers. We even celebrate those being the Biggest. We find every conceivable excuse possible to somehow spin a loss into victory of sorts. They are excuses. They are soft and they are weak. They mirror our lazy society. The price of success is high. Work is mandatory. Most cannot or will not face the reality that they are not prepared to give the type of effort necessary to win. The curriculum is too hard, too long, too often, too fast and too demanding. You have to dig too deep and many times what you find there isn't gold or a degree. Easier to just go home and turn on the big screen. Watch some Scooby Do in High Def.

Folks, there is a reason the Marines are fanatical about being Marines (A Few Good Men). It is demanding, relentless and bonding. You don't let yourself down and you don't let your buddies beside you down. It is 110% all the time. That is your code. A standard of excellence.

You better get tough. Get outta that plastic illusion of comfort and convenience. Give what it takes. And it is going to take a lot. A lot often and often a lot more than what you are used to. We'll ramp it up, one day (sometimes twice a day) at a time, with proper rest and recovery. We'll give you the tools to succeed. We will attempt to change the way you look at the game. We'll try to change the way you look at those who play the game. We respect our enemy as he makes us better. We accept the challenge and the road. We respect ourselves. We give 110%. Still....

...we will lose.

But we will analyze the whys and develop strategies to better them, strengthen our weakness and live to fight another day.

That is what champions do. Be it the battlefield of war or sport or business.

So let's please dispel one more myth while we're at it shall we? There is no such thing as overtraining. Ask a Marine, or Kate Major (pictured at left in Boise last year) or Chrissy Wellington (pictured at right at Timberman 70.3). Train like a Marine or put in 25 hour weeks like Kate & Chrissy and you can use overtraining in a sentence, otherwise, it's a very weak excuse.

Here is an excellent example:

1. Purpose - They have a clear and definite purpose associated with the task that gives all of their efforts meaning.

2. Belief - Their belief in both themselves and a the value of the pilgrimage to their goal of attaining enlightenment keeps them putting one foot in front of the other

3. Meditation - The daily practice of meditation strengthens their inner selves to the degree that what their outer selves experience becomes irrelevant

4. Expectation - They simply expect this of themselves and their brothers and the expectation is so high that they don't doubt the possibility

5. Proof - As well as having an amazing belief system, these outstanding men have proof that what is expected can indeed be done. It has been on numerous occasions before and continues to be done even as they and their brothers are doing so.


And another one from a SEAL:

1. Your diet is optimum
2. You are eating enough protein (1 gram per pound of body weight)
3. You vary your intensity (don’t use ridiculous things like forced reps everyday)
4. You are eating enough overall calories
5. You are getting enough sleep (6-8 hours is optimum)

And lastly from an Age Group Triathlete.

The day that I am overtrained is the day I am ready to fight. Semper Fi.