First things first! I apologize to anyone visiting Florida right now. I feel personally responsible for our weather, and it has been COLD!!! Down to the 40s at night… and that’s here in South Florida. I can’t imagine what it’s like in northern Florida… they’re probably getting out their parkas.
Last night I thought, “I don’t want to run in 40 degree weather. I’ll do my run later in the day.” Then I thought about the book I’m reading, Living With a Seal, where Jesse Itzler has a Navy SEAL come live with him for a month to train him. He refers to the SEAL in the book as “SEAL” but we now know it was David Goggins.
I imagined what David Goggins would say if I told him I didn’t want to run when it’s 46 degrees. He would probably swear at me and tell me to get my shorts on. So… I ran, and was glad I did it. But I am reminded why I live in Florida… I don’t like being cold! Looking at the forecast, it’s going to warm up a little…
But what in the world is that low temperature on Sunday?????? Once again… I apologize to anyone visiting the Sunshine State this week.
I’m about 3/4 of the way through Living With a Seal, and my main takeaway is that I don’t push myself hard enough. I think that would be anyone’s takeaway from this book. On the first day “SEAL” came to live with Jesse, they went to the gym and SEAL told Jesse to do pull-ups. Jesse pushed himself as hard as he could and did seventeen, which is more than he ever thought he could do. Then SEAL told him they weren’t leaving the gym until Jesse completed 100.
Although Jesse believed it was impossible, an hour and a half later he did indeed complete 100 pull-ups. That’s the lesson on Day #1 and is the theme of the book- your body is capable of much, much more than you think. When your mind is telling you you’re done, you’re really only about 40% done.
While I believe that most of us could be pushing ourselves harder, I have mixed feelings about this message. David Goggins is the guy who completed an ultramarathon with broken bones in his feet. When Jesse complains of being sore, or needing to rest, Goggins says “If you want to be pushed to your limits, you have to train to your limits. If you get hurt, you will recover.”
Well… true. However! I don’t know about him, but I don’t heal instantaneously. Taking time off for being injured is no fun, and- guess what- you’ll lose fitness while you’re on your forced time off for injury. So I don’t think I’m quite ready for Navy SEAL training, but I do see that there’s something in between.
About seven years ago, I worked with a trainer at my gym. I had a running injury- what a surprise, and interestingly it was to my right foot, not my left foot which I have now- and I figured I would go all in on strength training while it healed. My trainer wasn’t quite as strict as a Navy SEAL, but close. He pushed me way, way farther than I ever would have pushed myself. I would be shaking by the end of his workouts.
Guess what? I got so much stronger. He actually called me one of his greatest success stories because I made so much progress with him. After seven months though I was back to running, and figured I could continue to strength work on my own. Honestly we didn’t have the same goals. He thought I did “too much cardio” and didn’t really get the whole running thing, so it was time for us to part ways. But I miss those intense workouts, which I’ve never been able to duplicate on my own.
So let’s see. I won’t be having a Navy SEAL move in with me, but I realize how much harder I could be pushing myself. Running will always be my love, but I need to stop being a wimp with my strength training. Yep, I’ve been a wimp, and I have all sorts of excuses. No more excuses! It’s time to get stronger.
Do you like strength training? Do you feel like you’re pushing yourself as hard as you could be?
Have you ever worked with a trainer? Do you now? How do you like it?
24 Responses
I do not as you know do any strength training. I don’t own anything. I used pre-pandemic go to the gym on occasion. I loved the machines.
Never worked with a trainer. But I think they are very helpful ad I would if I could afford it and had the time to put into strength training.
We had -6 Sat am so Florida seems balmy. But I know what you meant. When I go to Florida in the winter I am pissed if I cannot go to the beach. I want at last 70 degrees and sunshine. It’s hit or miss. I’m praying for hit when I go this year.
Yes, anyone who doesn’t believe it gets cold in Florida should read Kim’s last race recap! I know it’s now cold compared to up north- but people down here are expecting to wear shorts and go to the beach. 45 is a little too cold!
I’m only doing strength because I feel like I have to! If you told me I could run as much as I wanted, never do any strength training, and never be injured again, I would do it! But… no one’s telling me that and as a matter of fact my body is telling me the exact opposite, so… sigh.
It took me a long time to dip my foot in the strength pool (how’s that for a metaphor, LOL), but I am SO GLAD I made that venture. My intro to strength training was the P90X series. The first 10 days or so, my entire body was so sore and I couldn’t lift either arm to brush my teeth (truth!), but after those 90 days I was hooked. I don’t consider myself a slave to the weights, but I do find a way to get in at least one (usually 2 or 3) strength workouts a week. My workouts are fairly short (20-30 minutes) because those fit my schedule best, and their short length allows for me to do multiple ones (thus working different muscles) without needing an excess amount of time to recover. The key is finding what works for YOU 😉 Good luck!!!!
Thanks Kim! It’s actually encouraging that you were a reluctant strength trainer and now you like it. It gives me hope!
Oh, I like strength training way more than cardio, but I don’t push myself as hard as I could because I’m nervous about hurting myself. I could probably do a little bit more…
(Also, I’m so jealous of your temps. We’ll be luck to get above zero today. At least it’s sunny, I guess.)
Ah, you’re one of “those” people! I’m definitely more of a cardio person. As a matter of fact I could run every single day and never do any strength again, and I would be ecstatic. But… I force myself to do strength. When I worked with that trainer, I actually did have some workouts that gave me endorphins, and I got a little glimmer of understanding why people like it.
I did not know that David Goggins was the SEAL. I’ve never read any of his stuff, but I certainly know the name and have been turned off by a few stories about him (like the running on broken bones). There is no doubt that I would be in better shape if I trained harder, and also no doubt that I would be less likely to bother if I was getting injured, so I’m definitely on Team Inbetween.
Yes, in the epilogue he reveals that “SEAL” is David Goggins. But I already knew that because I heard Jesse talking about this book on a podcast years ago. Yes, there are some questionable stories- but I’m still going to push myself harder (while staying on this side of sanity.)
In the past, when I was in the Navy, I met many members of S.Marco (Italian Seal) and we made many runs together but, of course, they followed a different training.
And always in the past I worked with a trainer and I made strength training in a boxing gym but now I am too old to push myself. My only goal is “running as I can”.
From what I understand, the Navy SEAL training is insanely hard!
I agre that age is a factor- but even taking that into consideration, I think I’m too easy on myself. I’m going to try and step it up a little!
For a few months, I went to a Crossfit box in Florida and I LOVED it! Every time I see Wendy’s photos from her strength training classes I’m always slightly envious. I would love to attend Crossfit regularly.
I tend to push myself too much – past the point of exhaustion. Twice, it got to the point that I fainted in a race. While I’m a big fan of Goggins’ advice, I know I have to be careful that I don’t overdo it. But then again maybe he would say that I didn’t train hard enough! 😉
Actually I have a feeling Goggins would be proud of you! He probably approves of pushing so hard that you faint.
Yes- Wendy’s strength training is always an inspiration to me. I know I would be so much stronger if I had a coach, and went to a class like that. She’s a badass!
I feel like David’s mentality can be applied incorrectly in some aspects but I definitely agree that our minds will give up before our bodies actually will. During my last training cycle, I would be battling myself mentally in some workouts. I push myself (wisely) and love to see improvement!
Yes, there are situations where pushing past our limits just won’t work. But for most of us, we aren’t coming anywhere near our true limits, and I think that’s the point he’s trying to make.
You’re wearing shorts, so it would probably feel like the middle of summer to me. We were in full winter mode here with temperatures below -15 Celcius most of the week. Sigh.
I do love our summers/fall here, though, so I guess it can’t all be sunshine and roses.
I really do feel like I want to push myself harder physically but my health challenges have made that basically impossible lately and I’m trying to be content with eating healthfully and staying active. I don’t know if I could even do a single pushup right now, but I walk every day, could run a 5K if I had to…and I’m trying to embrace that though I’m driven, I really have to give myself a break sometimes. But that’s hard.
I also have a sister who regularly does Ironman competitions, so I feel like a COMPLETE slacker compared to her…she texts me she’s done a brisk 20 km run to work through snowdrifts while I’m still nursing my first cup of tea in a bathrobe.
Well, you make another good point. A lot of it is mental, but there still is a physical component which can be limiting. Like, if I tried to tough it out mentally and run 50 miles, I would really hurt my foot. That’s what frustrates me sometimes with books, and advice, like this. There are things you just can’t push through by willpower alone.
I have a rule- I live in Florida, so I ALWAYS wear shorts for running. It will never be too cold. For the rest of the day I was in cozy sweatpants though!
This totally cracked me up. Last weekend we had a freakishly warm day, it was about 8 degrees C, which is 46 degrees F, and my sons were on the trampoline with no socks or coats, and my older son also had no shirt and was wearing only shorts. If it is above zero here, there are people walking around in shorts. Then again, we would probably all melt and die in your summers, so it evens out, I guess.
I do strength training and it has helped me a lot. I’m doing upper body work now as well and I haaaaaaaaaaate it. But I do it because I think it’s important. The strength/ core/ lower body work has made me stronger and helped keep injuries at bay, I think. It’s also made my ass a lot peachier. Which is good?
Ha ha… I’ve given up on my ass, at least the way it looks. But I want it to be strong! Yes, strength training is important for us as we get older, especially.
Yes, your freakishly warm day is our freakishly cold day! It’s all what you’re used to. But! I did grow up near Chicago so I know what REAL cold is like! I’ve just forgotten over the years.
I have listened to some of Goggins book (not the book you’re reading). I don’t know, he really turns me off.
Many years ago I worked with a trainer. I loved that! Just like working with a running coach! Or taking group classes. You always work out harder in a group or with someone to push you.
I think that’s great up until about your 50s or so. Then I think most (not all) of us don’t react so well to pushing so hard. Which of course doesn’t mean turning into a couch potato either!
My husband read Goggins’ book a few years ago and really liked it. I had no interest, but I did enjoy Jesse Itzler’s book. There’s definitely something in between Navy SEAL training and what I’ve been doing!
I enjoy strength training and have definitely experienced the benefits of it in regards to my running. I’d have never thought it made that much of a difference. I have only briefly worked with a trainer. I have a degree in P.E. and usually feel like I can be my own trainer, but I do see benefits of having an “outsider” tell you things and make you work harder… not necessarily Navy Seal-like (I feel like that should be reserved for combat situations, where you don’t have a choice LOL) .
There’s no denying the benefits of strength training- I just wish I enjoyed it more! I think with your P.E. degree you know what to do, but I still think it helps having someone else push you. Maybe the Peloton classes achieve that, to a certain degree.
I love strength-training more than cardio, but I know cardio is better for my heart so I do more cardio than strength. Wah. I mainly cycle through full-body routines on the Peloton app. I’ve worked with trainers before and I just do not work well with trainers who try to eek everything out of you and yell at you to do more. It’s not my style! I need encouragement (#typicalmillenial)! But I’m also not training to become a Navy SEAL, hahaha.
I agree you need cardio, but strength training is also good for you so if you enjoy it, I say do more of it! I wish I enjoyed it- I feel like I should be doing more.