Zen and the Art of Speedskating

Even though the mind knows better, sometimes a new workout program that one is REALLY BAD at, can seem a Sisyphean task. According to what research says, it can take from 14 to 21 days for a workout to actually result in increased fitness (anything you feel before that, is most likely improved neuro-muscular connections)… I started this horrendous jump program about two and a half weeks ago, my physical reaction to it, and my emotional discouragement, should be no surprise, but holy shredded quads batman!! it’s hard!!

Then yesterday felt suddenly different, like my body had clicked into gear and all the buttons were in the “right places”, I slammed & pounded through the whole 3 hours in the gym with power, physical snap & emotional clarity. It was still hard, but it was good pain, not bad awkward wanna crumble pain. I can really see what this is driving at, now I want to keep working on this hard stuff, to keep breaking myself down & rebuilding my body to be more skate-efficient.

My coach Boris has many gifts, and one of them is believing in his athletes, and getting them to believe in themselves. Like Bjarne Ris did for Bobby Julich (who after his bronze medal in the Olympics, just won paris-nice and the criterium international) and right now this is really working for me, and creating a new belief in myself that I will be a cruise missile of 500m precision this winter. Bobby is 34, same age as me.

Winning does not matter as much as hope/belief, as much as that daily confident stride down the path you choose.

Filed under: from the coffee shop