Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot
I interact with hundreds of patients each week and get asked a lot of questions. On Fridays I like to share some of the answers I give and hope it has value for you.
A recent reflection? As most of you know I’ve been training for my next 100-mile race on March 14th and 15th. During a recent training run of about 13 miles, I thought back to my first half marathon about 10 years ago. I remember being so nervous for that race and whether I could finish it, run a decent time, etc. I also remember very clearly finishing the race and thinking “there’s no way I could run that again and do a marathon”, I even figured that would be my biggest race ever. A decade later, I often will run that far just to train and come race day, will run nearly 8 consecutive half marathons without stopping. What has struck me about this isn’t that I’ve become an unbelievable runner because I haven’t. I’m slower now to be sure and am about 30 pounds heavier than the average runners I compete against. But mentally I am much stronger than I was back then. By challenging myself and both succeeding and failing many times, I have redefined what I see as possible. I think redefining your mindset like this is important in many aspects of life.
A piece of training advice I follow? I am a huge believer in getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. As a result, I often run very early, when it’s cold, when it’s hot, in blizzards, up mountains, etc. As you endure more difficult circumstances, the things you used to see as hard suddenly become easier. Regardless of what you’re getting ready for, if you make the preparation for it even slightly more difficult it will go easier. A quote I think of with this is “sweat more in training, bleed less in battle.”
Something inspiring? Our massage therapist Kim has been doing my wife’s Perfect 20 workouts for the past 7 weeks and is making an incredible transformation (check out the Perfect 20 on Instagram to see). This alone is inspiring but what I saw recently that was cool is that her 6-year-old son has now started doing exercise after seeing his mom do it. He has begun asking to go with her and do exercises that he likes with his mom. I absolutely love this because I think as parents it is always more important to show them the way rather than tell them. When kids pick up on great examples like this, I think it’s awesome!
A movie I love? “Cinderella Man” is one of my top 10 all time favorites. This is the story of a boxer who loses everything during the Depression. He slowly climbs his way back up through boxing and inspires those around him in the process. I’ve used this movie as inspiration in my own life for many years.
A quote I love? “Blood, sweat and respect. First two you give, last one you earn.” – The Rock’s Project Under Armour slogan
Want more?
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