This is the ONLY question you have to ask yourself. "HOW GREAT DO YOU WANT TO BE"
http://youtu.be/V6xLYt265ZM
Friday, 12 August 2011
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
DO YOU WANT TO BE A LANCER
http://youtu.be/vqreLg46h9k
Great video: Remove the word fighter and insert LANCER. QUICK AND TO THE POINT. "Take these words to heart"
"I've always been crazy but it helps me from going insane"
Coach Mac
Great video: Remove the word fighter and insert LANCER. QUICK AND TO THE POINT. "Take these words to heart"
"I've always been crazy but it helps me from going insane"
Coach Mac
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Badwater 135
This is a video detailing the Badwater 135 "The toughest roadrace on the planet. Just watch the first part and pay special attention to the quote at 5:30 where the athlete states that "The person who is sitting here today could never finish Badwater but he is confident that he can create THAT person through proper training and ultimately accomplish this goal".
Hey, the time is getting short to "Create That Person" who is going to help the Lancer Football team be as successful as I believe we can be. Suck it up with no excuses and only results.
Enjoy
Coach Mac
"I've always been crazy but it helps me from going insane"
http://youtu.be/rFAnSCyN6cc
Hey, the time is getting short to "Create That Person" who is going to help the Lancer Football team be as successful as I believe we can be. Suck it up with no excuses and only results.
Enjoy
Coach Mac
"I've always been crazy but it helps me from going insane"
http://youtu.be/rFAnSCyN6cc
Sunday, 10 July 2011
He is The Greatest
"IT AIN'T BRAGGING IF YOU CAN DO IT"
http://youtu.be/iyhqZNcF9pM
My boyhood hero and the greates athlete of all time as well as being one of the most important social figures of the 20th century.
http://youtu.be/iyhqZNcF9pM
My boyhood hero and the greates athlete of all time as well as being one of the most important social figures of the 20th century.
Sunday, 3 July 2011
It's a Mans Game
http://youtu.be/vc_kqxVg8Nc
Lancer Football
1. Do what you are supposed to do!
2. Do it when you are supposed to do it!
Pretty simple rules to live by
Lancer Football
1. Do what you are supposed to do!
2. Do it when you are supposed to do it!
Pretty simple rules to live by
Sunday, 26 June 2011
The Team
I am NOT a U of M fan but I am a huge Bo Schembechler FAN
http://youtu.be/bOmQJhHfGf8
A FEW TRUTHS by JIMMY MAC
The following list stems from my recent successes and failures as an athlete and a coach, and I hope you find it useful. Because it is my list, it is more for me than it is for you, but there is no harm in sharing.
1.) It is always possible to work harder. Not necessarily longer or more often--just harder.
2.) If you try to accomplish everything, you won't accomplish anything. Pick a single goal, and dedicate yourself to achieving that goal.
3.) The further you go from your home gym, the more likely you are to run into someone who is faster, stronger, and more powerful than you. Travel, and bring your humility.
4.) You must surround yourself with those who share and support your goals. If your friends scoff when you leave for the gym at 5 a.m., get new friends.
5.) You cannot coach yourself. "Coaching by mirror" is a great way to know what a movement looks like and a horrible way to know what a movement feels like.
6.) You need to analyze your training, qualitatively and quantitatively. If you don't know why you're doing what you're doing, stop doing it.
7.) On a related note, human beings are capable of rationalizing anything. If you go looking for proof that you're on the right track, you'll find it.
8.) Easy fixes are few and far between. If it's easy, chances are it's incorrect, incomplete, or both.
9.) It is human nature to get where you want to be and immediately stop doing the things that got you there. This is a fantastic way to stay right where you are.
All lessons can't be bright and cheery. Get rid of the crap that's holding you back, and have the courage to realize that a healthy dose of self-criticism can go a long way toward making you a better athlete. We all need a kick in the ass once in a while.
"I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CRAZY BUT IT HELPS ME FROM GOING INSANE"
http://youtu.be/bOmQJhHfGf8
A FEW TRUTHS by JIMMY MAC
The following list stems from my recent successes and failures as an athlete and a coach, and I hope you find it useful. Because it is my list, it is more for me than it is for you, but there is no harm in sharing.
1.) It is always possible to work harder. Not necessarily longer or more often--just harder.
2.) If you try to accomplish everything, you won't accomplish anything. Pick a single goal, and dedicate yourself to achieving that goal.
3.) The further you go from your home gym, the more likely you are to run into someone who is faster, stronger, and more powerful than you. Travel, and bring your humility.
4.) You must surround yourself with those who share and support your goals. If your friends scoff when you leave for the gym at 5 a.m., get new friends.
5.) You cannot coach yourself. "Coaching by mirror" is a great way to know what a movement looks like and a horrible way to know what a movement feels like.
6.) You need to analyze your training, qualitatively and quantitatively. If you don't know why you're doing what you're doing, stop doing it.
7.) On a related note, human beings are capable of rationalizing anything. If you go looking for proof that you're on the right track, you'll find it.
8.) Easy fixes are few and far between. If it's easy, chances are it's incorrect, incomplete, or both.
9.) It is human nature to get where you want to be and immediately stop doing the things that got you there. This is a fantastic way to stay right where you are.
All lessons can't be bright and cheery. Get rid of the crap that's holding you back, and have the courage to realize that a healthy dose of self-criticism can go a long way toward making you a better athlete. We all need a kick in the ass once in a while.
"I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CRAZY BUT IT HELPS ME FROM GOING INSANE"
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
The Heart and The Fist
No video post this week as I want all of you to read this.
-I just finished a book titled "The Heart and The Fist". It is about a Rhodes Scholar who becomes a Navy Seal and proceeds to fight in Afganastan and Iraq an at the same time is able to complete amazing huminatarian efforts around the world. As an aside I am not a war proponent by any stratch but I am very interested in all areas that involve Team Building Through Extraordinary Effort!
-The author Eric Greitens describes in detail BUDS (Basic Underwater Demolition Training) and specifically "Hell Week" which is the final Physical, Mental and Emotinal test in becoming a Navy Seal. This is a program in which the strongest and best American soldiers join and still less than 30% will pass.
-Greitens was asked "What kind of people make it through Hell Week? "I found his answer to be extremely relevant to where we are going as a FOOTBALL PROGRAM. The author states: " I don't know." - I know generally-who won't make it through Hell Week. There are a dozen types that fail. The weightlifting meatheads who think that the size of their biceps is an indication of their strength; they usually fail. The kids covered in tatoos announcing to the world how tough they are; they usually fail. The pretend leaders who don't want to get dirty; they usually fail. The me-first, look at me, I'm the best former athlete who have always been told they are the best; they usually fail. The blowhards who have a thousand stories about what they are going to do, but a thin record of what they have actually done; they usually fail. The men who make excuses; they usually fail. The whiners, the "This is Not Fair" guys, they self pitying criers; they usually fail. The talkers who have always looked good or sounded good, rather than actually been good; they usually fail. In short, all of the men who focus on show fail. THE VICIOUS BEAUTY OF BUD/S IS THAT THERE ARE NO EXCUSES, NO EXPLANATIONS. YOU DO OR DO'T THAT'S IT!!!
-I just finished a book titled "The Heart and The Fist". It is about a Rhodes Scholar who becomes a Navy Seal and proceeds to fight in Afganastan and Iraq an at the same time is able to complete amazing huminatarian efforts around the world. As an aside I am not a war proponent by any stratch but I am very interested in all areas that involve Team Building Through Extraordinary Effort!
-The author Eric Greitens describes in detail BUDS (Basic Underwater Demolition Training) and specifically "Hell Week" which is the final Physical, Mental and Emotinal test in becoming a Navy Seal. This is a program in which the strongest and best American soldiers join and still less than 30% will pass.
-Greitens was asked "What kind of people make it through Hell Week? "I found his answer to be extremely relevant to where we are going as a FOOTBALL PROGRAM. The author states: " I don't know." - I know generally-who won't make it through Hell Week. There are a dozen types that fail. The weightlifting meatheads who think that the size of their biceps is an indication of their strength; they usually fail. The kids covered in tatoos announcing to the world how tough they are; they usually fail. The pretend leaders who don't want to get dirty; they usually fail. The me-first, look at me, I'm the best former athlete who have always been told they are the best; they usually fail. The blowhards who have a thousand stories about what they are going to do, but a thin record of what they have actually done; they usually fail. The men who make excuses; they usually fail. The whiners, the "This is Not Fair" guys, they self pitying criers; they usually fail. The talkers who have always looked good or sounded good, rather than actually been good; they usually fail. In short, all of the men who focus on show fail. THE VICIOUS BEAUTY OF BUD/S IS THAT THERE ARE NO EXCUSES, NO EXPLANATIONS. YOU DO OR DO'T THAT'S IT!!!
Monday, 13 June 2011
Just Keep Competing
http://youtu.be/imZaiGJgbsw
BY MARK TWIGHT (My mountain climber mentor)
We used to joke about "buying the ticket" as a way of making the commitment to a big climbing trip. Until we made the financial commitment, which at times meant rather a lot of sacrifice, the expedition was nothing but talk. Moreover, until it was executed, it was also just talk. Our operational maxim beginning in about 1998 was "Talk - Action = Zero" or a variation on the same. In the training environment, or anything involving modification of behavior, we believe it imperative to determine an objective beforehand otherwise the effort may be misspent. However, we also believe imposing rewards or penalties an essential component of the process - otherwise it's all talk and one can evade the hard work if self-discipline flags.
Often people imagine that the declaration of intent, especially to peers, binds one to the effort and ensures the motivation to accomplish the stated objective. However, this is at best talk, maybe even posturing, and words are nothing compared to the financial commitment of "buying the ticket" or establishing an "effective" penalty for failure. Talk is a two-edged sword, sure peers might help, and maybe the notion that someone else gives a shit holds one on course, but should one fail it can be easy to share the responsibility when others were involved (in a real or imaginary way).
Recently, psychologists studied the effects of announcing one's intent to do something on their actual output and execution. It's one study, done on law students in an academic environment but enlightening nonetheless. They created a "laboratory version of the public pronouncement" and tied it to a work challenge to measure students' effort. The outcome? "Those who had made their intentions known to the experimenter—that is, to the public—failed to follow through with intensity. They talked the talk, but given the opportunity to walk the walk, they dodged it."
I read this and began laughing out loud.
It's easy to pretend to be someone when it's all talk. Few will ever call bullshit when an obvious do-nothing exclaims of a sudden his or her intent to do something. It's not nice to slag people, and we never know when someone might actually overcome their bad habits. Some forget the exclamation altogether, why bother paying attention to someone who is full of shit anyway? Others take note then quietly observe the process and outcome, watching as their "friend" fails yet again to live up to the words. But when all that's riding on the outcome is a 50/50 toss-up between being ignored and being judged, hey why not flip the coin and announce the intent? Maybe, in that moment, someone will mistake the words for having already done the thing, which, according to the study is often how the talker treats it: by confusing the symbolism of the announcement with doing the work.
The study concluded that, "simply stating a strategy for becoming a good lawyer made them feel like they were real lawyers, and this inflated self-image paradoxically made them less hard working. They had become legends in their own minds ..."
The goal is not the thing itself. Broadcasting it is not execution. The fellow I wrote about in the Self Delusion essay on the public site confuses announcements about his goals and plans with the actual doing of things. I don't ever say "just do it" (it's trademarked anyway). I say SHUT THE FUCK UP AND DO IT. Then you can write your blog. Internet declarations of intent carry as much weight as the excuses used when one falls short. Besides, you can always do more than you think so announcing your intentions can be self-limiting.
What the world needs is less talk and more action.
WALK IT
Declaring Intent Is Not ExecutionBY MARK TWIGHT (My mountain climber mentor)
We used to joke about "buying the ticket" as a way of making the commitment to a big climbing trip. Until we made the financial commitment, which at times meant rather a lot of sacrifice, the expedition was nothing but talk. Moreover, until it was executed, it was also just talk. Our operational maxim beginning in about 1998 was "Talk - Action = Zero" or a variation on the same. In the training environment, or anything involving modification of behavior, we believe it imperative to determine an objective beforehand otherwise the effort may be misspent. However, we also believe imposing rewards or penalties an essential component of the process - otherwise it's all talk and one can evade the hard work if self-discipline flags.
Often people imagine that the declaration of intent, especially to peers, binds one to the effort and ensures the motivation to accomplish the stated objective. However, this is at best talk, maybe even posturing, and words are nothing compared to the financial commitment of "buying the ticket" or establishing an "effective" penalty for failure. Talk is a two-edged sword, sure peers might help, and maybe the notion that someone else gives a shit holds one on course, but should one fail it can be easy to share the responsibility when others were involved (in a real or imaginary way).
Recently, psychologists studied the effects of announcing one's intent to do something on their actual output and execution. It's one study, done on law students in an academic environment but enlightening nonetheless. They created a "laboratory version of the public pronouncement" and tied it to a work challenge to measure students' effort. The outcome? "Those who had made their intentions known to the experimenter—that is, to the public—failed to follow through with intensity. They talked the talk, but given the opportunity to walk the walk, they dodged it."
I read this and began laughing out loud.
It's easy to pretend to be someone when it's all talk. Few will ever call bullshit when an obvious do-nothing exclaims of a sudden his or her intent to do something. It's not nice to slag people, and we never know when someone might actually overcome their bad habits. Some forget the exclamation altogether, why bother paying attention to someone who is full of shit anyway? Others take note then quietly observe the process and outcome, watching as their "friend" fails yet again to live up to the words. But when all that's riding on the outcome is a 50/50 toss-up between being ignored and being judged, hey why not flip the coin and announce the intent? Maybe, in that moment, someone will mistake the words for having already done the thing, which, according to the study is often how the talker treats it: by confusing the symbolism of the announcement with doing the work.
The study concluded that, "simply stating a strategy for becoming a good lawyer made them feel like they were real lawyers, and this inflated self-image paradoxically made them less hard working. They had become legends in their own minds ..."
The goal is not the thing itself. Broadcasting it is not execution. The fellow I wrote about in the Self Delusion essay on the public site confuses announcements about his goals and plans with the actual doing of things. I don't ever say "just do it" (it's trademarked anyway). I say SHUT THE FUCK UP AND DO IT. Then you can write your blog. Internet declarations of intent carry as much weight as the excuses used when one falls short. Besides, you can always do more than you think so announcing your intentions can be self-limiting.
What the world needs is less talk and more action.
Sunday, 5 June 2011
Monday, 23 May 2011
"Just Find a Fucking Way"
http://youtu.be/xOU5dogqhGc
ON RISK
There is a firm and immediate relationship between risk and reward: If you don’t take a risk, there will be no reward.
This lesson is easy in the abstract, and incredibly difficult when it’s your "ass" on the line. As we accumulate rewards, in the form of jobs, cars, spouses, and real estate, we forget the dynamic that got us there, protecting, hedging, and refusing further risk. In doing so, it’s no longer rewards on the line. It’s progress.
At some point, you’ve got what you need, be it financial or fitness, and the instinct is to stop, build the fort, and wait it out. Fight this with every ounce of your being; your duty is no longer to yourself.
Once you’re reached subsistence, you stand on the brink of amazing possibility. Where once you were concerned only with personal achievement, you now possess the wherewithal to inspire, promote, and create greatness.
If you’re the best athlete in your gym, don’t stop. Push again, rock into the breech, and be an inspiration to those that would follow. Know that you’re merely a shadow of your future self, and that risking it all is the best path out of the present. Go when you’re not ready, go when it’s unlikely, go when you should fall. Those you would inspire are watching.
If you’re financially secure, don’t stop. Create community, fund experiences, venture on. Money is not an end, but a resource, a means of doing more. Do not give to give; give to build, give to push forward, give to make something where there was nothing. Those you would elevate are waiting.
The relationship between risk and reward is not unidirectional. It is a loop, a mobius strip of achievement and reinvestment, going all in again and again. This system depends on courage, the nut to know that here is not the end, the wisdom to know that stopping is defeat.
Risk, and there will be reward
ON RISK
This lesson is easy in the abstract, and incredibly difficult when it’s your "ass" on the line. As we accumulate rewards, in the form of jobs, cars, spouses, and real estate, we forget the dynamic that got us there, protecting, hedging, and refusing further risk. In doing so, it’s no longer rewards on the line. It’s progress.
At some point, you’ve got what you need, be it financial or fitness, and the instinct is to stop, build the fort, and wait it out. Fight this with every ounce of your being; your duty is no longer to yourself.
Once you’re reached subsistence, you stand on the brink of amazing possibility. Where once you were concerned only with personal achievement, you now possess the wherewithal to inspire, promote, and create greatness.
Push again, rock into the breech, be an inspiration to those that would follow.
The men and women who change the world are not blessed with exceptional insight. They merely choose to keep pushing, risking, and betting when it would be perfectly prudent to stop. They push a new denomination of poker chips into the ante, knowing that the ultimate win is not safety, but achievement.If you’re the best athlete in your gym, don’t stop. Push again, rock into the breech, and be an inspiration to those that would follow. Know that you’re merely a shadow of your future self, and that risking it all is the best path out of the present. Go when you’re not ready, go when it’s unlikely, go when you should fall. Those you would inspire are watching.
If you’re financially secure, don’t stop. Create community, fund experiences, venture on. Money is not an end, but a resource, a means of doing more. Do not give to give; give to build, give to push forward, give to make something where there was nothing. Those you would elevate are waiting.
The relationship between risk and reward is not unidirectional. It is a loop, a mobius strip of achievement and reinvestment, going all in again and again. This system depends on courage, the nut to know that here is not the end, the wisdom to know that stopping is defeat.
Risk, and there will be reward
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Sometimes Even the Strong Get Their Ass Kicked
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vdg9gkmWsEA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Sunday, 1 May 2011
INSPIRING
<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1fw1CcxCUgg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
THE LAW OF THE JUNGLE
Now this is the Law of the Jungle — as old and as true as the sky; And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back —
FOR THE STRENGTH OF THE PACK IS THE WOLF AND THE STRENGTH OF THE WOLF IS THE PACK.
THE LAW OF THE JUNGLE
Now this is the Law of the Jungle — as old and as true as the sky; And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back —
FOR THE STRENGTH OF THE PACK IS THE WOLF AND THE STRENGTH OF THE WOLF IS THE PACK.
Sunday, 24 April 2011
PUSHING YOUR BODY AND MIND
http://youtu.be/MTn1v5TGK_w
Why Train?
What you know does not matter - what you do matters. Physical training produces physical memories - not simply muscle memory but a psychophysical imprint, knowledge that is instinctual rather than intellectual. This is useful knowledge. Automatic (instinctive) action and reaction is always faster and more energy efficient than intellectually induced action or reaction. There's already plenty to think about in confrontational situations so any response that does not require conscious thought spares intellectual energy for decisions and actions that do demand it. Train yourself to the point that particular, common actions and responses may be executed automatically.
Any deficiency in physical fitness affects confidence. When an individual realizes he does not have the fitness or skill to accomplish a particular task, or that he cannot use his tools to their utmost self-doubt weakens both intellectual and physical abilities. Flagging confidence limits flexibility, preventing appropriate adaptation to various situations. Confidence allows the audacity of original thought. Again, train such a variety of energy systems (types of fitness) that confidence in the face of any challenge is reflexive.
Strength + Confidence + Flexibility = Strategy (the ability to use it).
Physical fitness relative to the FOOTBALL environment or to any situation (physical and psychological) can have positive or negative effects on the individual, his teammates, and the overall strategy chosen to accomplish a particular goal. Get fit and stay fit to accomplish a variety of tasks. The goal of physical training can be summed up in one phrase, "to make yourself as indestructible as possible." The harder a man is to kill, the longer he will remain effective, as a climber, a soldier, or A FOOTBALL PLAYER.
Why Train?
What you know does not matter - what you do matters. Physical training produces physical memories - not simply muscle memory but a psychophysical imprint, knowledge that is instinctual rather than intellectual. This is useful knowledge. Automatic (instinctive) action and reaction is always faster and more energy efficient than intellectually induced action or reaction. There's already plenty to think about in confrontational situations so any response that does not require conscious thought spares intellectual energy for decisions and actions that do demand it. Train yourself to the point that particular, common actions and responses may be executed automatically.
Any deficiency in physical fitness affects confidence. When an individual realizes he does not have the fitness or skill to accomplish a particular task, or that he cannot use his tools to their utmost self-doubt weakens both intellectual and physical abilities. Flagging confidence limits flexibility, preventing appropriate adaptation to various situations. Confidence allows the audacity of original thought. Again, train such a variety of energy systems (types of fitness) that confidence in the face of any challenge is reflexive. Strength + Confidence + Flexibility = Strategy (the ability to use it).
Physical fitness relative to the FOOTBALL environment or to any situation (physical and psychological) can have positive or negative effects on the individual, his teammates, and the overall strategy chosen to accomplish a particular goal. Get fit and stay fit to accomplish a variety of tasks. The goal of physical training can be summed up in one phrase, "to make yourself as indestructible as possible." The harder a man is to kill, the longer he will remain effective, as a climber, a soldier, or A FOOTBALL PLAYER.
Saturday, 16 April 2011
"YOU vs YOU"
http://youtu.be/Aw6G2e5rS0Q
The next artice is one I took from Crossfit "Again Faster" and translated it to football terms.
Enjoy: Coach Mac
"I've Always Been Crazy, But it Helps Me From Going Insane"
The next artice is one I took from Crossfit "Again Faster" and translated it to football terms.
Enjoy: Coach Mac
"I've Always Been Crazy, But it Helps Me From Going Insane"
EFFORT and PAIN = SUCCESS
You think you know pain, but you have no idea. The heart thumping, chest expanding, lactic acid burn of your last workout was a walk through the meadow.
Somewhere, there’s a guy at Laurier who hoisted more weight or did it faster than you. He suffered. Plasma forced its way into his lungs, causing him to hack on repeat. He choked down bile halfway through, and ended on his back, pupils dilated to the size of dimes.
While you were walking around, telling your friends how hardcore your workout was, the player from Queens was still collapsed, the prospect of driving home as daunting as climbing K2 during a snowstorm.
When he finally stood up, he didn’t say a word.
Football is a decidedly masochistic pursuit. To be any good at it, you have to enjoy the pain. You have to push back the threshold day after day, until last year’s traumas feel like an hour-long rubdown at the Canyon Ranch. One day, you find a threshold that takes the whole thing just a little too far, and you get scared to go back.
What differentiates individuals is not a gift, but an unreasonable desire to push self-imposed EFFORT beyond its logical limits. What comes out the other side becomes legendary.
Like any human pursuit, we seek ways around the hard part. Limited range of motion and new techniques. Dropping the deadlift from the top, bouncing it off the floor. Squatting above parallel and not standing up all the way. Stopping the sprint just before the finish line.
We want the reward (SUCCESS) without the sacrifice (PAIN).
This is not conscious cowardice. It’s pure out-and-out rationalism. At somepoint, the next threshold is the one that takes it too far, leaving us in an exercise-induced hallucination that lasts a few moments too long. Our hearts bounce around our insides for one beat too many, and our lungs beg to explode for an unwanted extra second. Every exhalation coincides with a constriction of vision, and the cold taste of copper.
No sane human being would enjoy such a feeling.
Still, the glory beckons. Surely, with enough training and the right supplements, there’s a way around the Hard Part. Enough sleep and enough vitamin B will get you the sub-whatever time without the attendant pain. There’s no need to redline your heart rate or pop capillaries. No need to ache so badly at night that you can’t sleep. Surely, there are ways around this.
Fortunately, the steroids are a no-go, and the exercises are done correctly or not at all. The only way to legend is through ever-mounting piles of pain. The meadow has to tilt at 45-degrees, and the rubdown at the Ranch must be done with Brillo Pads. If you can talk, you’re not trying hard enough. If your nerves aren’t frayed and ready to rebel, you’ll never get there.
Do yourself a favor, and realize that there’s no technique in the world that will save you. There are no pills, no secrets, no passwords on the path to greatness. You’ve got to embrace the pain, push the threshold, and feel the suck, and then you’ve got to muster the courage to go back six times a week.
After all, the world is a lot brighter when your pupils are the size of dimes, and massaging your sternum with your heart starts to feel good after a while. The plasma finds its way out of your lungs, and eventually you’ll be able to drive.
You think you know pain, but you have no idea. The heart thumping, chest expanding, lactic acid burn of your last workout was a walk through the meadow.
Somewhere, there’s a guy at Laurier who hoisted more weight or did it faster than you. He suffered. Plasma forced its way into his lungs, causing him to hack on repeat. He choked down bile halfway through, and ended on his back, pupils dilated to the size of dimes.
While you were walking around, telling your friends how hardcore your workout was, the player from Queens was still collapsed, the prospect of driving home as daunting as climbing K2 during a snowstorm.
When he finally stood up, he didn’t say a word.
Football is a decidedly masochistic pursuit. To be any good at it, you have to enjoy the pain. You have to push back the threshold day after day, until last year’s traumas feel like an hour-long rubdown at the Canyon Ranch. One day, you find a threshold that takes the whole thing just a little too far, and you get scared to go back.
What differentiates individuals is not a gift, but an unreasonable desire to push self-imposed EFFORT beyond its logical limits. What comes out the other side becomes legendary.
Like any human pursuit, we seek ways around the hard part. Limited range of motion and new techniques. Dropping the deadlift from the top, bouncing it off the floor. Squatting above parallel and not standing up all the way. Stopping the sprint just before the finish line.
We want the reward (SUCCESS) without the sacrifice (PAIN).
This is not conscious cowardice. It’s pure out-and-out rationalism. At somepoint, the next threshold is the one that takes it too far, leaving us in an exercise-induced hallucination that lasts a few moments too long. Our hearts bounce around our insides for one beat too many, and our lungs beg to explode for an unwanted extra second. Every exhalation coincides with a constriction of vision, and the cold taste of copper.
No sane human being would enjoy such a feeling.
Still, the glory beckons. Surely, with enough training and the right supplements, there’s a way around the Hard Part. Enough sleep and enough vitamin B will get you the sub-whatever time without the attendant pain. There’s no need to redline your heart rate or pop capillaries. No need to ache so badly at night that you can’t sleep. Surely, there are ways around this.
Fortunately, the steroids are a no-go, and the exercises are done correctly or not at all. The only way to legend is through ever-mounting piles of pain. The meadow has to tilt at 45-degrees, and the rubdown at the Ranch must be done with Brillo Pads. If you can talk, you’re not trying hard enough. If your nerves aren’t frayed and ready to rebel, you’ll never get there.
Do yourself a favor, and realize that there’s no technique in the world that will save you. There are no pills, no secrets, no passwords on the path to greatness. You’ve got to embrace the pain, push the threshold, and feel the suck, and then you’ve got to muster the courage to go back six times a week.
After all, the world is a lot brighter when your pupils are the size of dimes, and massaging your sternum with your heart starts to feel good after a while. The plasma finds its way out of your lungs, and eventually you’ll be able to drive.
Sometimes, lying on the floor is its own reward.
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
TOUGHNESS!!!
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TURN UP THE VOLUME
This is a great article that I took (stole), from Mountain Climber and author Mark Twight, who I happen to be a big fan of.
PRIVATE
Private Does Not Mean ClosedBY MARK TWIGHT
The outcome of sports competition, actual combat and life itself is decided largely by one's attitude. Superior firepower, whether physical or technical is a contributing factor but "heart" governs the application of resources. Spirit is the most powerful force on the field.
Acquiring the spirit necessary to win, which includes a positive acceptance of pain, is difficult in a society where comfort is more highly regarded than capacity. When genuine physical fitness is the norm for so few it is hard to avoid being dragged into the morass. You become what you do. How and what you become depends on environmental influence so you become who you hang around. Raise the standard your peers must meet and you'll raise your expectations of yourself. If your environment is not making you better, change it. We did.
We surround ourselves with people like ourselves, and with those whom we admire and want to become. Instead of proscribing discomfort we prescribe it. When we exercise we also exorcise. We value horsepower ahead of appearance not vice-versa. We control our environment to produce the results we seek.
The Lancer Football Program and the Defence in particular is private. Rules and standards separate it from the norm. Private implies control, which means it is not open to everyone. However, private does not mean closed.
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