Fit2Fat2Fit Blog: Day 27

Ran into a friend this morning at the convenience store.  He said, “I heard you’re doing Paul Lacoste training.”

I nodded. I was still sweaty from this morning’s workout and was hoping not to be recognized. My luck had run out.

“I had a couple of friends who’ve done the training. They said it was really hard.”

I thought about this morning’s training. About having my feet on a chips and salsa tray and pulling myself across a football field with my hands. I thought of doing shuffle drills while bear crawling. I thought about how sore my shoulders were.

“And they said Paul is really tough on you and yells a lot.”

I smiled and thought about Paul pushing me to be better. I thought about his fuming and cussing. But then I thought about how life is so much tougher. How much it has pushed me. I thought about my doctor telling me I had cancer. I thought of my boss making me part-time and the pain that caused. I thought about how I overcame both. Paul is a piece of cake compared to cancer or a career change.

“One of my friends got injured,” my friend continued.

I thought of my shin splints the first time I did PLS. They hurt. But I started at 250 lbs and had a 41-inch waist. I was headed to heart problems or worse. Then I thought of my mom’s heart surgery. That hurt worse than shin splints.

“But you really look great.”

I thanked my friend for the compliment (even though I looked like hell since I had just had a rough workout full of bear crawls, indian runs and more.)

I then said,”You know, it has given me the mental strength to allow me to reinvent my career.  I have energy I’ve never had before.  It has changed me for the better.  Yeah, it’s hard. But life is harder.”

I bought a bottle of water and noted my friend’s Coke.  We said goodbye and headed on toward our day.

Maybe I am near the next level after all.