Wednesday, November 06, 2019

When the going gets tough the tough gets going

 When the going gets tough ...what does MaryFran really do?   What do YOU do??

A few weeks ago we stumbled upon a series of videos on YouTube.  They are created by RaceFace....which is a company that has quite a few products for bicycles....so naturally these videos are about mountain biking.   (Search for Race Face....and it is the creator series).    These videos are so incredibly well done.  The production is top notch and the content is inspiring!

The content would be inspiring for anyone that was watching, even though they are about mountain biking.  Most of these videos have a similar plot/concept.  They are about a place or a person that has faced unimaginable loss and has persevered to overcome the obstacles that their loss has brought them.

There is the story of a mountain biker that through an accident found themselves in a wheelchair...or without a leg....yet they found a way to get back on their bike and ride the trails. Or maybe you want to hear about a gal that had a routine surgery that left her with nerve damage, unable to walk and in constant pain....yet she relearned to walk and the video picks up when she decides to not let her injury/disability stop her...instead she signs up for a 7 day mountain bike race..  Those  stories don't strike you?   What about the very small, isolated town that suffered a landslide and lost 50 town members in about 6 seconds.  The town was so small that everyone suffered the loss of at least a family member or a close friend. In an effort to honor the lost they created world class mountain bike.  All of these stories...they could have shrivelled up and went deep inside themselves due to the loss.  They could have allowed these tragedies to turn them bitter.  They could have given up and/or lost the will to live.  Yet they pushed forward.

Somehow....someway I think I am missing that little piece of personality that those people had.  You see. When the going gets tough......I tuck my tail and flee.  I lack perseverance. 

How many times have I started a weight loss journey.  (or should I say restarted)   I have written about a restart on this website so many times!  Yet look at me?  Am I thin an svelte?  NO.  I don't persevere!  I give up when it gets difficult!

I say I have a book or two floating around in my head that needs to be written.  I have even started them.  Yet are they done?  Do I have a finished product....even though it has been YEARS!  (I just have this one finished product....)

How may things have I tried.  Running?  Yup.  Biking?  Yup?  What in the world is my problem?

I was seeing incredible success on the bike.  This summer I was pushing myself and I didn't give up.  I was working to get up a hill on my mountain bike.  I failed but went right back to the same place the next ride and tried it again.  I tried it again for a few months.  And guess what?  I did it!  I had success
 I headed for my next hill.....and I kept going back until I could climb that and I had success again.  I was ON FIRE!  And then October came and I had a few bad rides.  Ok...almost every ride in October was bad.  Yes, I shed some tears on one of the rides.  (The video honestly cracks me up...because yes, we got my meltdown on video). 
What changed within me to go from September and awesome riding to October and pitiful rides?  I do not know.  But my will to persevere seemed to disappear.   I want it back!  To be successful, you need to have perseverance!  Luckily my perseverance in my eating and keeping that under control is still alive and well.  I am still eating within my calorie range and feeling pretty good about what I'm eating.  I"m not losing weight fast...but I feel in control and I really do like that feeling. But that drive to push myself and to keep going when it gets touch on the bike trails......that is slipping.  I need it back!  Any suggestions would be appreciated!

I need to live up to the mantra...when the tough gets going MaryFran gets going!   I have it somewhere deep inside me.  I think we all do.  we just have to find that missing piece and start using it!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

my suggestions: be tougher on yourself...it's so easy to say "I'm going slow but steady", (not just you, but most everyone trying to lose weight)...."I'm doing fine..I like myself"...blah blah blah. Encouragement is fine as long as it's deserved.

Shelley said...

An example that works for me: If I'm not wanting to go for a run, I promise myself that I only have to do it for 10 minutes and then I can stop. It's the getting going that's hard for me but once I'm moving, my brain remembers that it's not so bad and I finish the run. And when I was having a spate of bad runs, I gave myself a quitting time of 30 minutes. No matter where I was in the neighborhood, I could quit at the 30 minute mark and walk back home. Usually I ran home but it was mentally helpful to know that I could stop at that mark, if I wanted to.

peppylady (Dora) said...

Just a short time ago I went off my weight lost and getting fit journay for 10 minutes. Better then a year, months, weeks, days, and hours.
It seem like as I go though my weight lost adventure I find the time between the downs is less and less.
Coffee is on

Mrs Swan said...

I would like to leave an awesome comment that lights a fire under your ass but honestly I got nothing. :(

I would like to say that if your eating stays perfect that eventually, the weight will melt off. It might feel like molasses happening but it will.

Maybe go back and re-read some of your old posts? I did that on my own blog a few weeks ago when I was feeling kinda down/lost. I don't know if it helped but it did give me insight to myself. I am an extremely forgetful person. I need to remind myself of my battle from time to time.

I also cannot stress enough how much only reporting my weight once a month has helped me!!!! I go up and down and all around as I weigh in daily. But I do not share the ugly daily with you all. I only share the positive end of month number. I might have to cry if it becomes negative but so far so good. LOL

MaryFran said...

That is good advice!

MaryFran said...

Thanks! I am just going to keep pushing on the bike...it can’t stay bad forever!!! Lol

Mrs Swan said...

I replied to your comment. ;)

Sarah said...

If you find that magical, illusive motivation, please send some my way. I'm very frustrated with my lack of progress. But I just can't give up.

Anonymous said...

Consistency will pay off. Keep at it. It isn’t motivation that gets us there. It is determination that will get us to goal. You sound determined so you will succeed. Just look at how far you have come this year.

Paula