The Struggle is Real

It was a balmy 11 degrees outside. My shoulder still ached from a snowboarding crash I had that afternoon. I was outside and getting ready for my first set of dips. I was cold and having second thoughts about my training choices. 

This is my struggle and it is real. It is something I choose to deal with. 

Two months into 2017 and I have not made any new years resolutions. No promises that I am not going to keep. This year, I chose what I am going to struggle with. 

Fitness and nutrition are constant battles. I find nutrition to be much more difficult: I like to train and I like to eat ice cream. With family, work, and travel, I am constantly fighting the good fight of eating what is healthy, not what’s just in front of me. 

On the fitness front, my struggle is to get stronger, train smarter and remain injury free. Pretty straight forward, however the meat head in me always wants to push the weight, even when it is not smart. My struggle is to recognize this and plan my workouts to be challenging but not a grind where my form suffers and I end up injured. 

Another struggle I am finally confronting is getting enough sleep. Everyone knows you need around 8 hours a night to perform well. If you are training hard, more may be needed. 

I consistently find myself giving up sleep to get more things done or just watch a movie. I am not sure why I do this, just always have. 

This year I am making a concerted effort to get in bed and shut things down with enough time to get 8 hours. This battle is definitely worthwhile. Everything from hormone levels, ability to recover, ability to perform well, and even the ability to think clearly suffer when sleep deprived. 

I only have so much time and energy. 

If I struggle with too many areas, my efforts become diluted and my results suck. Fitness, nutrition and sleep are worth the time and effort, but they are a constant fight. 

The struggle is real and it is worth it! Get outside and train hard.