Thursday, October 29, 2009

Things I'm Learning...


1. When I would watch swim club kids swim in the lanes next to me, I was always amazed how their little arms would windmill through the water so quickly...I've just started to get that feeling!!! YAY!!! :) :) :)

2. Whilst biking, my legs feel like they are working independently of my body -- I didn't think I swayed my body all over the place before, but my back and bum are locked down on the bike seat and it feels like it's just my legs that are moving now -- I know this description will contradict what I just said, but it feels like I am biking from my back now...


3. Pedaling feels like my legs are going down a water slide or a ski jump...


4. Running faster feels GOOD (even when I'
m breathing hard and my muscles are burning.) :) :) :) :)

5. When it's that time of the month, my ankles and knees are weaker for a few days - I have to be a little cautious for that time.

6. Fatigue can be a largely mental thing. Listening to your body is often confused with listening to your mind. The body can go through a heck of a lot more than we think it can. The mind reacts how we teach it to react --- If I was truly in control of the electrical impulses that carried ideas around my head, I would never have to battle thoughts like, "My muscles are burning, I should just slow down a little," or "Man, I'm bagged! Maybe I won't push myself as much." I would send constant positive thoughts to myself -- this is a work in progress! :)


I'm learning to ignore these thoughts as REAL
thoughts. They are chemical reactions in my brain in response to external stimuli -- Take away the emotional attachments I have to the words "hard" and "easy" and the workout becomes a blank canvas.... :) :) :) :)

7. Forcibly analyzing and changing (for the better) my instinctual reactions to people, situations, workouts, etc. is an extremely liberating thing - both physically and mentally.
:) :) :) :)

9 comments:

Jenna said...

Just waiting til biking feels like my feet are going down a water slide over here.... I agree though, running hard andfast feels so GOOD when things click, when they do not click - i think it is a rhythm thing - just one thing screws it all up if it is off a bit.

Cath said...

coolio julio - it's clicking all over in the pass! i'm v v v happy for you :)

xx

ps running fast feels gooood eh - i think it's because it's one sport that feels like it's really down to the basics of you and your body

Keith said...

I see people windmilling their arms while swimming. There is lots of splash and froth, but I can only see it for a few seconds because they swim so slow. I'm not sure how they do it. I think they are just sending their arms round and round without any sense of catching water.

Even when I first saw you on the bike your upper body was still, except when munching nutrition, of course. Would be interesting to see you now, I suspect you're like a tree growing out of your bike.

Eventually I will figure out this running faster thing. But even now I'm finding a stride, every now and then, and it feels great. Everybody else at the camp should be happy to see me there, since they will know they won't be the slowest runner.

Being open to seeing what really is, as opposed to seeing what you think is, then accepting it for what it is, and acting appropriately. That's a difficult thing to do. We have to overcome all that we've been taught, and our own brain's habit of sampling information, taking shortcuts to get to conclusions, and applying old conclusions to new situations.

Beth said...

Can I learn these things too? Please?

Melissa said...

I like what you say about biking, how did you start to feel those things? Especially the part about your feet? Sounds like you are doing well and feeling good with training!

Missy said...

If I can just keep my upper body still climbing up a hill, I'll be golden. OK, maybe not golden but much much better. Looks like some great learnings!

Julie said...

Melissa --

I think it is a matter of getting stronger on the bike -- being able to push bigger gears, and then after a while I noticed that I felt like I knew what I was doing! LOL!!!

Kelly B. said...

Honestly...I don't really get the waterslide thing...? I don't! Is that what it is supposed to feel like? Pushing more with your heel? Is that what you mean?

Unknown said...

Kelly -- A lot of people describe pedaling as "scraping dog poop off your foot." That's how it feels to them. For me, it's like at the top of the pedal stroke, my foot is going "down" the waterslide and then smoothly takes off, back up to go around again.

I think it might be a little like swimming -- you need to find YOUR groove? All I know, is that what it feels like to me! :) :)