Humble Pie

I guess I'm pretty ambitious. I like to think that I'm a strong girl...perhaps stronger than most. When I watch top athletes (or even train them and put them through the paces), I believe I can do and perform the same. This mindset is very difficult to instill in some of my clients: the intrinsic drive to push yourself as hard or harder than your upper limits. Most will simply dabble with just enough to get the job done. There usually comes a point with my clients when we have to discuss the transition from simple weight loss/fitness goals to more aspiring goals. We ask the questions "how fast can I possibly sprint?", "how many times can I lift this weight?", "how high can I jump?", and "can I do it all over again for a bonus set?". This is the 110% mentality of the athlete and those who reach levels of fitness they never thought possible.

The problem, I'm realizing, is that once you maintain this attitude toward fitness for a good period of time, it's incredibly difficult to turn it off. Every workout becomes a competition with yourself. And this is where I had a taste of my bitter humble pie.

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
The other day I decided to go for another one of my two mile walks. I made sure I was well-hydrated again, saddled up my big dog Baron, and set off. I actually felt great this time. Definitely not as much back pain as before. No dizziness or lightheadedness. So, I decided to keep a pretty brisk pace the whole way and go a little further. When I got home, my dog was exhausted, but I felt pretty good.

My muscles felt nice and warm, and a little more wouldn't hurt, right? I popped on the TV and did one session of my Namaste Yoga. This particular routine consisted of hamstring, glute, and adductor stretching. As soon as it was over, I stood for a good 20 minutes folding laundry, made a protein smoothie, then took a shower where I went ahead and shaved my legs (which is now quite a workout in itself!). Throughout all of this I felt great and energetic. Unfortunately, this feeling did not last very long. Within 30 minutes, I was nauseous and lightheaded...sort of the same feeling I've experienced after completing an 18+ mile marathon training run. Just sitting on the couch watching TV seemed too strenuous. I really felt ill.

Not only did I feel sick, but my baby was completely asleep. Of course, this freaked me out. Here I am sitting on the couch trying not to throw up and pass out, and my baby is motionless. I desperately prayed for God to make him do some of his crazy somersaults right there to give me some assurance, but nothing. My ridiculous drive to put out 110% has possibly put my baby in danger. I am an idiot.

INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
Within an hour I felt much better, and my little guy was back to his break dancing. I was completely relieved but learned a valuable lesson. This is certainly not the time to prove anything...I'll compete with myself later. This is the time to alter my motivation. My motivation can still be intrinsic, or coming from within. It should just be coming from the baby that I have been gifted to carry. Yes, I should still try to stay healthy...not because I'm trying to be an all-star, but because I need to be a safe harbor for my growing son.