In talking with people day in and day out, there is a misconception about me. Everyone seems to think that I always want to run, workout or eat right. In reality, that's not true. There are some things that are easier than other for me but I'm human just like everyone else.
I got a message this week from someone asking me how do I “kick myself in the pants” when it comes to getting back into a workout routine. I wish I had a really good answer for this question but I don't. When motivation is lost, we have to rely on being disciplined to get things done. I know, it's easier said than done.
This past week has been absolutely crazy. Our bank account information was stolen along with several hundred dollars. Then my car broke down. And all of this happened within 24 hours. Not only that, this past Wednesday was my wife's birthday. To say the least, we were pretty stressed out and working out was the last thing on my mind.
Wednesday also happens to be the day I hit the gym for my personal training session. A couple hours before my session, my trainer contacted me and asked if I needed to reschedule our session because of my wife's birthday. I read that message and sat there for a minute going over every single excuse that I had for not going but I realized that none of them were valid. It wouldn't do me any good to skip that workout. We were not celebrating my wife's birthday, we were going to wait until the weekend. I would've probably made food and sat in front of the tv. So I went to the gym. And I want to tell you that it was the best workout I've ever had but it wasn't. I was tired. I felt weak. I hadn't fueled right. It was a struggle. With as bad as I felt, I actually made progress on the weights.
No one is immune to the stresses that life puts on us. How we react to it is what matters. When the motivation isn't there, we need to stick to our routine. If I don't run or work out, I know that I'll regret it. Trust me, there's been several regrets this past week. As much as I write this for everyone else to read, I'm writing this for myself too. I need to push myself just as much as anyone else does.
There are a few things that I put in place to help me along the way. I have a trainer that expects me at certain time every week. I register for races that force me to train. There's a group of cyclists that rides every Saturday that I try meet up with as much as my schedule allows. One of the reasons I started this blog was to hold myself accountable. I knew that if I put myself out there, I would have to do it. Even with all these things in place, I still struggle with training. I go through slumps like everyone else.
So, when you feel like you're in a slump, just know that everyone goes through it. When motivation disappears, be disciplined and crush your goals.