We’re back for more this month and the transformation is heading in the right direction for Andy. We have been increasing his lifting volume through adding in timed circuits and complexes to up his strength and conditioning all together and test his mental of focusing on a small task to get a big reward. We have even added in more speed and agility training, to build up his anaerobic conditioning and getting his body to move in all planes of motion. Through the past month he even completed his first race.
This was the first time he had ever attempted to do a 5K race at Oleta River State Park in Miami. He was excited and nervous all at the same time, but one of his biggest challenges was simply showing up to the race because of the doubt in his mind and lack of moral support to cheer him on.
If you’re just learning about Andy’s transformation, visit the links below:
Inside the mind: How do I help him succeed?
Inside the mind: How do I help him succeed, part II
In Andy’s own words…
The night before the race I set my clock and made a conscious decision to show up and prove it to myself, I can do this. To me this is where all races, events, and challenges are won — in the mind.
From the moment I parked my car and walked to get my racing packet I was nervous, but having my music playing in my ear calmed me down. It calmed me enough to the point that I was only focusing about putting one foot in front of the other.”
However, one thing I did learn from this experience was that I needed to prep more for a race outdoors. Training on the treadmill felt a lot easier than running outdoors. What I mean is, running in a controlled environment like a gym wasn’t enough. During the race through the rocky path, then a wooded terrain, I quickly realized the race was more mental than physical, but not to say being in better physical shape wouldn’t have helped. During the race I had a moment when everything just made sense, I realized I needed to just look forward not backwards to get where I wanted to be.
Overall, what I learned from this experience is to keep going forward, no matter how much you want to quit from the pain or the doubt crossing through your mind, you can achieve anything if you believe in yourself. I finally got a medal. It has a huge bacon shaped flag symbol right in the middle. I’m happy about getting it… and it has bacon in the middle of it.
To hear Andy’s voice and see the look on his face after his accomplishment was and still is a great feeling. To many people, this may have been just a race, but for Andy this was a stepping stone. This is proof that by trusting the process and believing in himself, he could and can do anything he sets his mind to.
It’s now t-minus 3 months until the Spartan Race. His confidence is at another level and we’re going to keep moving forward full force. He is mentally stronger and more sure of himself than I’ve ever seen him be. Now the real work starts.
