The mantra "If you believe that you can do something, or if you believe you can't do something, you're right" has become such a cliche, but I really believe it's 100% accurate. Yes, things will get in your way and no matter how hard you try to plan for them you'll still run up against them.
But where does that spark come from? For me it was the serendipitous fusion of a bunch of different things:
1. A dear friend of mine has lost 80 pounds. I had lunch with her a couple of weeks ago and she "glowed" - not in some metaphysical BS kind of way; I mean it seemed like she literally glowed during our lunch. I left that lunch with her with a ton of admiration for her - and a belief that I could experience those feelings for myself.
2. I started working out in mid-December. Why is this significant? I was hoping to get a 2 week head start on the traditional New Year's resolution. What happened was the exact opposite - I had to stop after 2 workouts because of blisters so big (on the bottom of my right foot and on the heel of my left foot) I couldn't even walk, much less work out. Over the last two weeks of December, the blisters healed, toughened up the skin at those pressure points and I was ready to go full steam on 1/1.
3. For the last three months, I've been working (basically) from home. No commute time means more time to comfortably fit working out into my schedule.
4. I had one of those "Oh, crap!" moments a few weeks ago. I was in my local Sam's Club (for those out of the US, Sam's Club is one of those huge warehouse stores where you can buy a year's worth of Macaroni and Cheese (if that's what you're into)) and I was excited that they now carry clothing for men that goes up to size 3X. Hey, that's my size! I can buy crappy clothing at Sam's Club now! Then I caught myself - THIS is what I'm getting excited about? Oh, crap! It made me think of Bill Cosby talking about bending over to pick up a towel after taking a shower and having a half a cup of water pour out of his belly button. That's one of those "Oh, crap!" moments.
5. Chance favors a prepared mind. None of the above probably would have been enough to get me going, but because I was thinking about it, when it all did happen, I was ready for it. The motivational speaker Anthony Robbins talks about creating an "emotional flood" for yourself, where you list all the reason to "must" change and "flood" yourself with all of the positive (or negative, if that's what motivates you) messages surrounding the change you want to make.
6. Have lots of tools in your toolbelt. If you needed to hire someone to work on your home, would you hire the best worker with a screwdriver in the world (who didn't know how to use any other tool) or would you hire someone who was pretty good with a range of tools. I needed more that one form of motivation to get me focused - just using one motivational tool is bound to fail you - have as many at your disposal as you can.
Today's workout numbers:
Time: 60 min
Distance: 3.44 miles
Speed: 3.5 mph
Incline: 3.5%
Avg HR: 116
Calories: 568
Today's playlist:
M - Moderne Man
Remember Pop Muzik? M was a guy named Robin Scott - his first album wasn't too bad, actually. After U2 used Pop Muzik in the "Pop" tour, he suddenly was in fashion again. He re-recorded some of his old songs - this one got a complete makeover.
Toasters - Two Tone Army
How to describe ska to someone who's never heard it? Try blending punk and reggae - that's ska. Great song from another one-hit wonder.
Paul McCartney - Getting Closer
Has any woman ever been enchanted by being called a salamander? I didn't think so.
Paul McCartney - Jet
Heard this yesterday - damn shuffle feature!
Paul McCartney - Too Many People
Three McCartney songs in a row? WTF? My friend Gregg (three G's, thank you) insists Harrison was the most talented Beatle instrumentally, to which I say, "Bollocks" - McCartney played all of the instruments on McCartney and Ram, did the solo on Taxman when Harrison couldn't nail it, did the drums on Back In the USSR, did a guitar solo on Maybe I'm Amazed that every guitarist should study and did the swampy organ lick on Come Together. Big Macca wins hands down.
Foo Fighters - The Pretender
Where did all of the great guitar-based bands go? In America, you can listen to pop radio for hours without hearing a single guitar. Sigh.
KC & The Sunshine Band - Get Down Tonight
Danced to this song on my honeymoon cruise. Haven't danced in public since.
Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Wow. Greatness personified.
Maroon 5 - Makes Me Wonder
In theory, I should hate Maroon 5 - slick, overproduced, empty pop music. But damn, I love this song. Another radio-friendly song with the f-bomb in it.
Van Halen - Dance The Night Away
I despise David Lee Roth as a person, but the only incarnation of VH worth listening to was when he was at the helm. For some reason, I always thought this was a cover version, but nope - it's an original.
Bongos - Numbers With Wings
Local boys (Hoboken, NJ) with a special place in my heart. No bongos on any of their songs.
MAARS - Pump Up The Volume
Back when sampling songs was considered cutting edge. Still cracks me up when the Indian sample plays.
Lenny Kravitz - Dig In
Sometimes a straight-ahead, nothing-fancy rock and roll song is what you need.
Meat Loaf - All Revved Up With No Place To Go
Everybody knows Paradise By The Dashboard Light and Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad, but this is the real gem from Mr. Loaf's debut. Best saxophone sound ever.
Bruce Cockburn - Tie Me At The Crossroads
Falls into the not-really-a-workout-song category. Great, great underrated singer.
Ricky Martin - Livin La Vida Loca
Great song to finish your workout to. Any guitar solo solely on the 6th string is OK in my book.
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