The most inspirational thing I’ve done recently was that I listened to a podcast while I was working out. I occasionally listen to podcasts, but usually I just listen to music when I workout, so this was different for me. The podcast I listened to was the Joe Rogan experience #1080 with David Goggins. Goggins is a retired Navy SEAL who lost over a hundred pounds to join the Navy and after retirement started running ultra marathons, and broke the world record for most pull ups in a day. In the podcast he pretty much told his life story, which is incredibly inspiring on its own, he didn’t even need to go in depth on his career in the SEALs to make the podcast inspiring, but what he focused on was his work ethic and his mental ability to achieve any challenge presented to him. The outcome of this is that I started working my ass off. I went home for Christmas break and had all the free time in the world. While home it was my job to train for the upcoming track season, but I also wanted to do more pull ups. I started doing the Armstrong pull up challenge, which involves doing push ups every morning and pull ups every afternoon/evening. Look it up for a more detailed description. After the morning push ups I’d go for a run or do the running workout that our coach sent us for that day. After the workout I’d eat a light meal and go to the gym where I would get a lift in. I would start with the pull ups then do other upper body lifts then core then get my legs and lower body. After this I’d buy 2 pounds of the marinated whole foods chicken, go for another run, then cook and eat the chicken. Sometimes I’d have another meal later in the night. While I didn’t do all of this every day, I did it a lot, and I’d work hard all day no matter what. I’d like to say it all paid off and I had a great indoor track season after this kind of training but I got in a really bad ski accident the day before I was supposed to go back to school and I haven’t fully recovered yet, however the same “work my ass off” mentality has helped greatly in my recovery and staying in shape when I couldn’t run. It has also helped me be better in every aspect of my life. Instead of constantly doing things that are fun and easy, I’ll spend my days doing things that I feel like will make me better somehow, and as a result I’ve never been happier with myself. S/O to Goggins because his story is what really kick started this mentality for me.
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