How pulling back can move us forward
Should you do the workout? Here’s a test case for skipping it.
I was lacing my shoes for a run the other day and thought “should I actually do this?”
It was flipping hot (and humid!) out there. And it was only 7:30am.
I decided to try it, but only because I knew I’d stop if it became too much.
There was a time in my fitness journey where that wouldn’t have been the case.
Where I would have pushed to check the box of the run. Or, pushed just to say that I did it. Where I would have turned off what my body was actually telling me to prove that I was in control. (Spoiler alert: I wasn’t in control in the least).
The fitness industry (especially the running side of it) often comes to the table with an underlying layer of shame in pulling back. Think phrases like “no pain, no gain,” “pain is just weakness leaving the body,” “the only bad workout is the one that you didn’t do…”
Ugh.
In reality? Pulling back is often what actually propels us forward.
I get that it’s not easy to overcome (heck, I still struggle with it myself and I’m a coach!). But it is why having someone to hold you accountable can be so beneficial.
I know, it sounds counterintuitive to work with a coach to have them help you rein it in. But letting go of that fitness industry shame is no joke. I’ve worked with clients where we’ve specifically focused their workout efforts on the pull back. Here’s what’s happened…
They felt stronger after being more strategic with their strength training.
They found they got faster by running fewer miles.
They hit PRs after re-evalutaing the “why” behind their goal in the first place.
That last one is an important starting point for all of us. In fact, it’s usually where I start with all of my clients, regardless of the activity we’re taking on.
