As Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood), "A man's got to know his limitations." But that doesn't mean I have to like it. I will always push the boundaries to find out what those limits are. I watch in awe as my peers complete multiple laps of the Super, then do the Sprint the next day (and still podium!), and then do it all again a week later. Honestly, this OCRMudmaster does one Sprint a month and I'm pretty spent. Nevertheless, I am pretty happy about my numbers. I just keep working harder to get better.
There's probably a fine line between excuses and limits. Sometimes we need someone else to remind us of the difference. Usually that's my wife. Her preferred running distance is the half-marathon. But she is slowly discovering that the 10K is probably her limit. The deciding factors all come in during training. Somewhere around the 8-mile mark, breakdowns start to occur. Injuries. Chronic issues. Long-term bad stuff. Stay below that threshold and everything is A-OK. Perhaps if we spent a boatload on some sports trainer we could find out why. But she and I do our things for fun, fitness, and life.
We don't concede such things easily and we're not happy about them, ever. But we don't give up. After about six miles of running, I start to have my own issues. They all stem from injuries sustained long ago. Things that did not heal well. Cumulative micro-traumas. Here's a good one. I've told you plenty about my L-5 herniated disc. Well I am so glad to hear that next week's Sprint will not include the log carry that they did at the Super. I know for a fact that the log carry will probably set off my spine issue through repetitive compression. No thanks. I just don't do that obstacle. My ABF buddy Brian has had five lower back surgeries. He knows his limitations. But he was on the course this weekend. Oh yeah!
Never give up before you find that limit. Push hard. Work with a coach. Pay attention to your body. Dr. Kevin Gyrina, also an ABF'er and a chiropractor, always reminds us to do this. I've learned a lot from him. He is generous to dispense his knowledge and care on the course. After all, if you want to be an athlete, then that's what you have to keep on doing. You don't want to get sidelined because of an injury you could have prevented.
For every ten posts I saw this weekend on great races, times, and places, I saw one on injury. Doing a Spartan is a battle on your body whether you are 20 or over 50 like me. Serous micro-trauma has taken place. Equally serious recovery is necessary. That pre-existing micro-trauma can sometimes turn into injury if not allowed to recover. Even in the most innocent ways. Like the one post I saw about a guy who did multiple laps of Super yesterday. Today he was just playing in the yard with his kids. Broke his foot.
I think the best advice I can give on knowing and learning your limitations is to just to establish good recovery habits. Take the day off. Get a massage. Foam roll. Eat well. Get a lot of sleep. Just relax. Unless you are a Navy SEAL in training, then by all means, continue to kick ass. No one can stop you anyway.
The sky may be the limit for some, but mine is on the ground!
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