Feels Good

In my book “Get Squared” I talk about being a GOAL Getter instead of just a goal setter. I talk about having self-discipline or better yet, the determination to succeed. I also talk about taking action and executing your plans so you can Get Them Goals!

All of these involve hard work and a lot of focused brain energy being used to keep yourself and your team on track. Let me use an analogy if I may. Since I truly believe that sports is life in fast motion, I’m going to use endurance events as an example.

Wow, just typing ‘endurance events’ gives me an uneasy feeling that brings me all the way back to junior high, believe it or not. I was a pretty decent miler back in the day but I hated the race. It was grueling and I remember the pain well. For those of you who don’t know, the mile was four laps around the track with each lap more difficult than the last. You obviously have to pace yourself and stick to your game plan or you could really get punished by early fatigue.

Every time I ran that race, and I do mean every time, I would get this thought in my head during the 2nd lap headed down the back straight away. I would think about stepping on the curb next to the inside lane and twisting my ankle so that I couldn’t finish the race. Now, I never did it, but boy was the temptation strong. Ultimately, after finishing the race, I was always happy that I didn’t give in to the temptation of causing my own fall so I could stop the pain of the race. The truth is that I wasn’t given a huge helping of the “Quit” gene in my genetic makeup. On top of that, phrases like “finish what you started”, “never give up”, “dig deep”, and the “winner’s edge” were a regular diet passed out through parents, family, teachers, and coaches.

Fellow athletes cut through the niceties and would just say “quitters are losers!” Well, I sure didn’t want to be a loser! Eventually, I moved away from the mile and started spending more time pole vaulting which fed the daredevil in me quite nicely. Wow, that was quite a digression. Let’s get back to endurance events. There is no way, after wanting to purposefully hurt myself less than a half-mile into a 1-mile race, that I thought I’d ever come back to endurance events. But somehow, riding a mountain bike during a 6 or 12-hour event or participating in a triathlon or half marathon, that’s ok.

There are a lot of mind games that you play with yourself. You also take in plenty of fluids and electrolyte replacements to keep you going. You also might consume Hammer Gel packets or Gu to give you a calorie spike. And then there’s the music. Oh, the music.

Everybody’s different and someone might be able to listen to Mozart’s greatest concertos or something calm and relaxing but not me.

My preference is upbeat music with a great backbeat. Sometimes that’s rock but most likely it’s R&B/Hip Hop. Whatever your preference, music seems to get you going and during a grueling section, it helps make the time pass and the pain seem less while you’re focusing on your favorite tunes. Bottom line, the right music for you makes you feel good! It can pick up your spirits and help you soar! We always listened to the theme of Rocky, “Goa Fly Now” before our wrestling meets.

What gets you pumped up to help you perform at your best? What is your Hammer Gel or electrolyte replacement? How do you make sure that you stay focused and never give up or take the easy way out? To keep pushing when times are the most difficult. Here’s a couple of great ones to add to your playlist because it Feels Good: ,,CLICK HERE and you’re Goa Fly Now! ,,CLICK HERE

Have a great week! By the way, if you’re a dork like me and the theme song to Rocky causes you to tear up, leave a comment or a thumbs up. It’ll be nice to know that I’m not alone!