I was just training one of my clients. Let’s call him Russ.
Why? Well, that’s his name.
I like training Russ. He’s a good guy. He’s easy to get along with.
But there’s more. Russ and I have something in common. We both like to shoot skeet and trap.
The clay pigeon sports were created for one reason and one reason only. So that hunters can practice in the off season.
The odd thing is, neither Russ nor myself hunt live birds anymore.
I’m not sure when Russ quit but I did in my early 20s.
The one thing I didn’t stop doing was shooting. As a matter of fact, it’s one of my favorite pastimes. It’s my relaxation. My 18 holes, if you will.
Guys like myself spend a lot of time and money on shooting equipment and guns. Hell, I even reload my own shells, which takes extra time.
I told you that to tell you this. Anyone who knows me knows that I love ultra racing, particularly cycling.
As a matter of fact, I’ll be out at the famous Furnace Creek 508 this weekend (starting Oct. 5) signing my book, Fitness Confidential.
When it’s over, I’m not leaving. I’ve been asked to officiate the race. It starts Saturday morning, bright and early, and goes 48 hours to Monday morning, non-stop.
You have no idea how much I’m looking forward to this sleepless weekend. I truly love being around it that much.
It got me thinking. What do I actually love about this sport? Then I realized it’s just like skeet shooting to me. It’s all about the process, not the end result.
Any ultra athlete will tell you that the actual race is almost meaningless compared to the amount of time and effort you put into it.
Which brings me back to diet and exercise. When a new client asks, “How long will it take to lose this weight?” I remind them that if that’s their attitude, they’re already sunk.
I reply with, “Why do you want to know? Are you going to stop when you get there?”