There are some days when you see the workout and get excited.
You just know you’re going to get a PR (personal record).
Last week, I saw the workout Nancy come up.
I was so excited. I waited days for it. I rearranged my schedule to make sure I could do it. I saw my score from June 2019.
I knew I was faster. I knew I was stronger.
I was certain I was going to hit a PR.
But I didn’t.
Nancy
5 rounds for time
400m Run
15 Overhead Squats (95/65#)
It was somewhere in the third round where I realized there was no way I was going to PR.
Sometimes it can be defeating. You feel like you haven’t made any progress. Why am I not making progress when it’s been a whole year?
It didn’t help that I had to continue running in 400M increments, which always gets my mind reeling.
I was disappointed in myself at first.
But then I wasn’t.
When it comes to anything in life you’re going to have good days and you’re going to have bad days.
Am I stronger than I was a year ago? Yes.
Am I faster than I was a year ago? Yes.
Did I have several excuses as to why that day didn’t go as planned? Also a big fat yes.
There will be bad days.
There will always be bad days at the gym. It does not mean that you aren’t making progress.
There could be 1,000,000 reasons why today wasn’t your day for the PR.
If you don’t hit the PR you thought you would, ask yourself a few questions:
- Did I eat well today?
- Did I sleep well last night?
- How are my stress levels?
- How is my recovery?
- Have I taken enough rest recently?
You still showed up.
Even if there was absolutely zero reason you didn’t PR.
Even if you’re getting weaker.
Even if you’re getting slower.
It. Doesn’t. Matter.
You know why?
Because you still showed up.
You’re still stronger than the you that sat at home and did nothing. You’re still stronger than the you that took it easy. You’re still faster than the you that didn’t run at all.
Your SCF Community is there to support you.
Last week when I realized I wasn’t going to get that PR, I wanted to quit.
But I didn’t.
I came back in from my last run with one minute to spare before I hit the time cap.
I was the very last one.
And every single person in that room was cheering me on. Every single person pushed me to do those last 15 overhead squats.
It felt a little like a movie. It had to be a buzzer beater. If I dropped the bar, I wouldn’t make it.
I faltered on rep 8. I almost dropped it. But I got my positioning back, and I went for it.
I finished with 8 seconds to spare.
It might not have been a PR, but it still felt like a win.