Keep Working

The owner of the boxing gym where I train sometimes shouts that out at me when I'm working on the heavy bag. If you've ever watched a boxing bout or some type of physical combat sport, maybe you've said things like "why doesn't he keep punching?" or something similar.

The truth is, 3 minutes is a long time, especially when you're throwing punches. It's not just the arms, it's your back muscles, your shoulders, and your legs all working together to generate power. Believe me, one gets tired.

But today, when I was shadowboxing, it struck me that you just need to keep working. Even if you need to slow your pace or adjust your position/technique, keep working through the hard parts in your workout.

It's not the easiest thing to keep in mind when you're in the middle of a run, or smack in the middle of a hill on your bike, and you just want to stop. There's so much mental value to push through and keep working.

I don't get runner's high, this buzz that some people claim to feel when they're motoring along. I get a post-workout high. When I am recovering and I can truly enjoy the rest because I know I pushed through the hard parts. I didn't hold back.

It doesn't always work that way. Often I feel like I didn't put out enough effort or energy into a workout. But I keep working.

My knee seems to be back to normal and I'll put in some miles tomorrow. Today's boxing workout kept me on my routine of activity. Next week I'll keep to a more dictated pace. I've already accomplished what I wanted for these first two weeks - my cardio capacity is where it needs to be to keep working.