Marshall Ramsey

Imagine three basketball courts side by side.  Now, lay folded towels on the edge of the far court. Run the width of two courts, bend over and push the towel the width of the third. Turn around and push it back to where you found it. Then get up and run back the width of two courts. When you get to where you started, do either squats, jumping jacks or some other exercise. Then repeat. Over and over and over.  I think I did six reps.  I might have done seven.

That was our first of five stations today.

I used to get ill when I saw towels folded on the court. The first time I ever did them, I hit my knees when I collapsed and hurt my kneecap. Now, I own them.  Flat out own them.

Towels are hard, don’t get me wrong. But a big part of them is mental. I think that’s a pretty good metaphor for many other things in life.

On our 3rd station, we ran at 6.5 mph for eight minutes. Then we did core in the aerobics room. That room was very hot and I started to sweat profusely.  My last station was the weight equipment and I was very conscientious about wiping the equipment off.  I’m sorry I sweat. But I try to be thoughtful about it.  Guess I need to spend some time in a sauna to get acclimated to the sudden hot gym conditions.  Until then, I just have one thing to say:

Sweat happens.

The heat’s on. No, I don’t mean from Paul — although he has been pushing us hard the last few days. No I mean since the temperatures are no longer Arctic-cold outside, the gym is now quite toasty inside.  And if sweat is your fat crying, mine is pitching a hissy fit.

The very first thing I did after warm-ups was Chips & Salsa. Line 1 starts with Leonard’s circuit and I purposefully choose the thing that I think it the hardest.  I have gotten so much better at Chips & Salsa in the past year. With two bad rotator cuffs, I’m quite amazed I can walk down a basketball court only using my hands. But it’s a lesson I’ve learned in life — take on the hardest thing first and get it out of the way.  I did Chips & Salsa twice. The second time, I did to half court and back in the time I had. It was my victory of the day.

I mentioned Line 1.  Paul breaks us up into lines.  You end up working out with the same people (for the most part) based on athletic ability and build a bond of friendship and competition. If you are lucky, you get in with some good athletes who will make you better.  I am lucky.  Line 1 this time is fantastic.  Everyone has their strength and will push you to make you better. They also will support you when you are struggling.  We all struggle.  There are bad days along with the good ones. I am honored to be Line 1. Paul and the coaches push us the hardest because the most is expected from us.  Halfway through the 12-week program, I am better shape than I have been at this point during any PLS training.  I am blessed to get to workout with my friends.  It is what gives me strength when I am about to give in.  And there have been some rough days.  Paul complimented our line and said we had great team spirit. I know we were all proud of that.

Brandon joined us today from Line 2.  He is as good of an athlete as I am and probably better in some ways. It is good to have him aboard.  He will push all of us. He is a great addition to our team.

We did the W-drill, sprints with bear crawls and inch-worms, the Gauntlet with 25-lb weights and the treadmill. By the time I was on the treadmill, I was a sweaty mess.

The heat’s on.  It’s time to make that fat cry.

It’s Monday and we had PLS. We don’t normally do this on Monday — at least in the winter — but today was a make-up day for the rain/ice from last week. Normally, I sleep until 6 on Mondays — but I was up a 3:40 this morning.  The hardest part of PLS is waking up so early.  Fatigue sits on my shoulder like a bull elephant, crushing me for the rest of the day.

So you are thinking, “then why the heck do you do PLS?!?”

Simple.  Not just for the physical training. I could run in the afternoon when I get off work if I wanted to stay in shape. It’s about getting tougher MENTALLY and physically.

PLS Training is about teaching myself to push through fatigue.  When I’m about to drop out on the gym floor, I have to learn to keep pushing. When my legs are burning when I’m pushing a towel, I keep going. When the treadmill is stealing my breath, I keep running.

Why? Well, what are you going to do in real life?  When you want something are you going to quit when things get hard? Are you going to give up when someone doesn’t believe in you? Are you going to sacrifice when you face one of life’s headwinds?

The training I do at 5 a.m. carries me through the rest of the day. It works out the muscle between my ears, too.

I hopped off the treadmill after running 7.2 mph for six minutes and ran two laps of the gauntlet. I was tired but kept pushing.

And I will for the next 23 hours, too.

Navy SEALS go through a hell week called BUDS training. It’s physically grueling and mentally taxing. And over 70% of  the candidates quit.  They ring the bell three times and are shipped back to the fleet.  Not kicked out — they quit. They don’t have the mental toughness to survive the nearly 24-hour-a-day grief thrown their way. And that’s perfectly OK with the SEALS.  Because in combat, you can’t afford to quit.

It’s about mental toughness.

I guess today’s PLS theme would be mental toughness.  Paul wasn’t happy with the caliber of our workout today and poured it on.  He pushed us hard. Some responded. Some didn’t.  The sprints at the end were tough. Very tough. He read us the riot act at the end of the session.

Of course, Paul had a different motive that the BUDS instructors. He’s not trying to get us to quit. He’s trying to get us to change.  To quit the bad mental and physical habits that got us in bad shape in the first place.  Yes, that change involves pain.

Ripping yourself out of your comfort zone is painful. Very painful. They don’t call the comfort zone for nothing.

I know. I’ve been doing it for three years now.

Today’s workout was hard. I pushed a towel the length of a basketball court six times. I walked at 4 mph at 15% incline and ran at 7.8 mph.  I bear crawled and inch wormed my way across the floor. I felt tired muscles try to cramp. I felt my age.

But I did it. My body told my mind to shut the hell up.

CANCELLED

There was a real threat of ice on the predawn bridges this morning, so today’s workout was called off.

I used it as an opportunity to sleep. I needed it — my body and mind are exhausted.

But I am not using it as an opportunity to be lazy.  I will run this afternoon and then do my pushup/situp routine.

Excellence comes from extra work.  My goal is excellence.

UPDATE: I ran 5.05 miles when I got home from work and did 50 pushups and sit-ups. I got a small workout in at least.