So as of late, I have been working on trying to improve my
mobility and flexibility. I honestly say it is one of the hardest things that I
have ever taken on. Seriously.
“Just stretch out and put your foot right there behind your
head.” You want me to put my foot where? Give your head a shakeJ Who the F@$K do I look
like? Gumby? I bend like a piece of 1 inch steal plate that someone has taken
the time to harden. In other words. I do not. Or at least very well.
Over the years I have been able to usually push through
certain challenges that have been placed before me, by over coming some of my
mobility/flexibility limitations with shear hard headedness. And for the most
part have come out the other end of the tunnel no worse for wear.
Or so I thought. Enter “older” age.
Side bar; I will say “older” as I do not believe anyone is
ever old, just older, and that your age is just a number. What you believe is
all that matters. Age therefore is just a state of mind. And until I have the
big one, and my heart stops, that is how I will continue to roll.
Carrying on with getting “older”. Over the past couple of
years, this getting older phenomenon has started to hit home like Mark McGuire
on crank. For those who do not know who Mr. McGuire is, just think about
stepping out in front of a speeding locomotive. Hopefully that adds some
clarity for ya. Suddenly getting properly warmed up for physical activity is a
must. And I mean properly warmed up. A good lather if you will. And taking the
time to cool down and stretch afterwards is essential. Some of these
compromising positions that I was able to get away with prior, are sure letting
me know I am out of whack now. And I usually end up with a few trips to a chiro
or some other type of manual therapy to help remedy the situation if I continue
to push it.
Anyhoo, with all this feed back my body has been giving me
over the past couple of years, it has all pointed at my shit ass
mobility/flexibility. Plain and simple. And I can no longer get away with crap
arse form. So I have been working with Jenn and Dave to help sort out some of
my glaring mobility issues. And my god are they a pain in the ass.
Literally and figuratively.
Needless to say, it has been a painfully slow process.
Things are improving, just slower than what I would like to see. (over night
would have been great) You see, these issues developed over 30 years, and I
would like to think I should be able to clear them bitches up in 3 hoursJ Not likely.
So today at the end of my lifting session in the garage, I
was quite cranky with myself. Was working on deadlifts and still am having a
miserable time getting myself into proper position. Utter failure I was
thinking to myself. If I could have thrown that bar out into the Pacific Ocean,
I probably would have done it with one hell of a smile on my face.
After calling it quits for the day, and grabbing a cold
cider, my aggravation finally gave way and my improvements, although small,
came to the forefront. Where they should be. And the fact that I may have
failed today, just adds more fuel to the fire for tomorrow.
That was the longest intro ever for what I actually wanted
to chat quickly about. HA!
Failure.
Something that everyone is going to experience throughout
life, over and over. It is part of the journey. And when looked upon properly,
can quite often teach all of us the largest and most valuable lessons in life.
Failure not only expresses a weakness in our plan, but also challenges our
character and how we can handle adversity when things are not going our way. Do
you throw your hands in the air and say “I can’t do this.” Storming off never
to try again. Or do you take the lessons from the failed attempt, apply them to
the next go around, and hit that sucker head on again. We all have those
choices, and when the latter is taken, you come out the other side 10 times the
person that you would have ever been, if you had been successful with your
first attempt.
Nothing in life that is anywhere monumental or worth your
time is easy. The sooner you get your head around that the better. Becoming
better takes work, and work is hard.
That being said, failure is something that needs to be
expected. Whenever you are pushing your boundaries becoming a better person in
any aspect of your life, failure is always going to be around the corner with
any ugly little smile on its face. Just learn to take a running double-footed
ghetto style drop kick at that miserable SOBs face, and take the lessons
learned from it throughout the rest of your life.
Failure should always be expected; But never sincerely
accepted. Adapt, Overcome, and become Awesome.
AJ
AJ
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