“I’m going to wear you out.”
I’ve known Coach Clark for three years. He has never lied to us before. And he didn’t today.
We started with 60 sit-ups. You had to hit each alternate knee with your opposite elbow. Feet on the turf. Then we did side crunches — 50 on each side. Then we did a straight-arm plank while lifting each leg up high behind us. After that, we did bicycles and six-inches. And then regular planks. Then my mind blanked out. We did this for 20 minutes.
It was a Coreapalooza — my stomach and shoulders are sore. I stumbled a couple of times (I have a bad back) — but all and all, I did it. And I’ll tell you how.
I didn’t focus on the overall picture.
I didn’t think about getting finished. I didn’t worry about anything other than the moment I was in. If I was doing a plank, I focused on doing the best plank I could. Same with sit-ups or straight arm planks. I held my feet six-inches off the turf the best I could. I smiled and thought how strong my stomach was going to be. I knew the pain was temporary.
I focused on each exercise as it happened.
Whenever you are faced with an “impossible” goal, break it into small parts. Look for small victories to propel you past the next hurdle. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
And yes, Clark did wear me out. Like George Washington, the man just can not tell a lie.