Before I go any further, I'm not about to suggest that anyone should push through a training session when they're exhausted and know that rest is the sensible option. As someone who is not very good at giving myself a break, I have learned over time, how important it is to take rest days on a regular basis. However, I have been considering how much of that feeling of tiredness / grogginess / general "can't be bothered-ness" is truly genuine and how much is mindset.
On one particular day recently, when I felt sluggish and low on energy but had planned to do a workout, I put myself to the test. Despite my head trying to coerce my body into a mid-morning doze on the sofa, I decided to ignore the messages and crack on with some training anyway. Opting for a pretty challenging bodyweight workout, it wasn't going to be an easy test but 45 push ups, 90 lunges, 90 burpees and 180 squat jumps later, I felt so much more energised and the feeling lasted for the rest of the day! I proved to myself that I can push through those weary moods and actually turn it around by doing the last thing my body thinks it wants.
It got me thinking about my 24hr Challenge: how would I feel if the pre-event nerves sabotaged my sleep the night before? What if the event landed on a less than ideal day of my menstrual cycle? How do I make sure I don't have one of those days where I'm on the verge of passing out with the simple act of standing up (a fairly regular issue for me)? Of course, I'll be spending the next six months getting as much expert advice as possible around rest and nutrition in order to feel my best on the day, but on doing a bit of reading, I found a great article by Olympic Medalist, Courtney Thompson. It was entitled "8 Reasons No-one Cares You're Tired" and as a volleyball player, Courtney explained that playing in a team means it's not just about you so you have to get over how you feel, go out there and give it your all regardless of how much "all" you have at the time.
Reading Courtney's article explaining that getting through a training session or game required selflessness, a commitment to show up and the ability to embrace the fatigue of pushing to your limits was inspiring. I may not be doing this challenge as part of a team but I am doing it to raise money and awareness for a charity and committing to support the gym and community who are facilitating the event. That makes me accountable - to all those people and myself - so I need to show up and push through for that team of people!
Courtney's article goes on to highlight the power of the mind and how we can train our brains to overcome our physical feelings. It also reminds us to be realistic and understand that we won't be able to perform at 100% every day but not to let that worry us and instead, focus on maximising what we are able to give. There are so many factors that can impact our energy and motivation but I am determined to give this challenge my 100% wherever possible - that includes the fundraising, training, promotion of the gym, event and supporters and, of course, the challenge itself.
The eighth and final point in the article was "Remember: the pain of not going all out is much bigger than the pain of holding back." It was a great reminder that regardless of winning or losing, the real satisfaction comes with knowing that you gave it everything you had to support your teammates in reaching your shared goal. I will be keeping that thought at the forefront of my mind throughout my training and the event day - however I feel, I have made a commitment to achieve something and I'm damn well going to do it... for everyone!
