Bittersweet

Jin Kim finishing the Big Sur Half Marathon

I recently ran the Big Sur Half Marathon in Monterey. Growing up, I considered running 400 meters or a lap around the track a long distance event.  I was pleased to run the 13.1 miler in 1:34:12. My 7:12 mile pace was a surprisingly good time and pace for a self professed sprinter.

I trained by running the Palo Alto High School track and around the baylands at the Pacific Shores Center in Redwood City. After training for a few months I was confident that I would run a good time. Did I think I would run under 1:35? Maybe. Did I expect to? Definitely.

I was joined in the run by several of my BareBones Bootcamp clients. For a few of them, it was their very first time in running such a long distance. After the race, one of the first timers mentioned to me that he felt his result was “bittersweet.” “Sweet” because he accomplished something he never thought he would ever do. “Bitter” because he didn’t push himself more than he did during the event.

That was a very interesting comment on the part of my bootcamper because I witness this phenomenon all the time as a personal trainer in the gym environment. For many people, working out is “sweet” because they are making progress towards their health and fitness goals. But it’s also “bitter” because they don’t push themselves as hard as they could in order to reach those goals.

I see it all too often when people get uncomfortable with a challenging exercise and end up quitting short of their intended target. There have been countless times during a set or exercise when a client will start shaking his head, telling me she can’t go on.

Knowing my clients and being able to read body language fairly well, if I think they can do it I always cajole them into continuing. In most cases, my clients end up performing the entire set or exercise. One of my clients told me that when “I train alone I give it 60%. You’re my 40%.”

What does this tell me? The majority of the people have the physical ability but their mental game is lacking. It reminds me of Gandhi’s quote “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” Even though our minds may tell us to stop and take it easy, the last 2-3 reps may mean the difference between a mediocre workout and a fantastic one. That small push WILL reap lasting benefits both physically and mentally.

Looking back at the race, once I crossed the finish line I was exhausted. However, I still felt I left something on the table. Could I have improved my time by 30, 60 seconds or even more? Who knows. But that’s part of the fun: I get to try to find out next time.