This weekend is busy with tons of sports and activities for the Schlenker family. So, I'll start in order starting with Saturday morning.My wife and 9 year old daughter are training with 50 other kids (and adults) to swim from Alcatraz to SanFrancisco. Saturday morning was their second "cold water" training swim. The training goal: swim for 60mins in Bartlett Lake.
It's amazing to see the fire and determination in the hearts and minds of all participants reduced to shivering, and tears of uncertainty in much less than 60mins. However, they all keep swimming and push their bodies forward as best they can. I know my daughter is thinking of Dora from Finding Nemo..."just keep swimming. just keep swimming. just keep swimming".
Have you pushed yourself today? What are your limits? What do we learn from pushing beyond what is comfortable?
5 comments:
How about a 12 mile marathon training run when it's -18 F outside ... oh yes, let's not forget the windchill factor. Minnesota rules!
Wow! Reminds me why I love AZ.
But, to the point...why do we do things like that? Is there an inner drive within us all that pushes us to learn from pushing our limits? And here's another question...why is it okay for "games" to push us "because its part of the game", but learning is supposed to be easy?
We push ourselves...sometimes taking great risk to life and limb to learn what our bodies can do, and discover how much we are willing to endure. Are those things we learn about ourselves measurable? Do we care?
Brent, I learned a lot about pushing limits when I loss 42 pounds in 8 weeks then went on to completed my first marathon last year. I am now finding it interesting how, now that I know what it takes, I haven't been able to motivate myself to do it again this year. I thought it would be easier...
I don't think learning is easy. I hear myself saying "this is easy" to people in an effort to motivate, but deep down I know it requires a lot of self-imposed structure just like running a marathon. But if you ask me "How do you run a marathon?" I would say, "It's easy. Just do it!"
Lee...very well stated. I'm impressed with your accomplishment. I do know hard that is, and completely relate to the inner conflict: Once you do it, is does seem easy. But in reflecting on doing it again, you remember the hard parts more clearly.
My favorite quote came from a professional trainer that boiled training secrets down to this...if you want to be a runner...RUN! It's much less about the gadgets, the plan, the support, the mental crap, and ALL ABOUT just doing it!
Although marathons, and other types of extreme physical training is painful ... and that is part of the experience (pushing yourself farther than you thought possible). Learning should not have to be painful. I was always amazed and disappointed at how many engineering colleges in the USA expect (maybe even want) a certain number of students not to make the grade. It isn't only the engineering educators who think this way.
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