Rock'em, Sock'em Robots game, who remembers that one?
I think I had that game as a kid back in day. If I didn't have it, I played at one of my friends house. Like many games of that vintage, you could get bored with it after awhile.
So at this point you might be asking why are we talking about the Rock'em, Sock'em Robots game? Well funny you ask that question... oh not really, I think the game kinda describes what many of us are feeling right now.
If you remember the game it was a constant battle in the ring till finally enough hits were taken that the opposing robots head popped up. If I would have only known about super glue I might never have lost...
Back on track and the reason for this rant. As I mentioned in my post about P.I.D and finally pulling the plug on my Ironman race for 2020 it has left me thinking a lot about what has been going on.
When you train for the Ironman distance race, the training is somewhat consuming. You live and breathe it. It is very structured and your focus has to be on point to go through the training cycle. Enter the "virus" and all of a sudden the races that you have planned for are no longer taking place. Nothing new you are saying to yourself. We have all had something cancelled in the last 3 to 5 months haven't we? Airline flights, cruises, family vacations, and Ironman races have all been cancelled for now...
Rock'em, Sock'em time...
How many punches can one person take? I ask you that question in all sincerity. How much can we take? Actually it doesn't really matter does it? We have to keep adjusting. That is so true isn't it. We have to keep adjusting and wait till the next round of adjustments come and believe me, they will come.
I can hear the voice of a good friend from church who is very structured and was a really good athlete back in the day at LSU. Mr Joe's voice is saying to me "You have to have a plan to get to your goal." You have to have a plan, without a plan, a goal is just wishful thinking.
Really!!!! WTF!!! At this point my plans and goals got thrown out the window! So what do you do? I reflect back on the words of the great boxer Mike Tyson...
Everyone has a plan to they get punched in the face! Mike is often quoted for saying that and I am not certain that he ever did, but I love the quote on multiple levels. [Definitely a post for another day]
So you had a plan and COVID-19 rolled into town and knocked your plans right in the kisser! So now what? What do we do? Go to plan B.... Plan B got the shit beat out of it by COVID-19 also, so now what? Plan C or Plan D... You know where this is going, plans are out the window.... or are they?
Maybe our plan during this virus is the plan to change and improve.... work on our weaknesses... who knows, maybe this is a great time to grow!
Ok so now your asking what the heck is he talking about. Well, my race got cancelled, your graduation got cancelled, a family vacation got cancelled, maybe you even have lost a job or taken a pay cut, life sucks... so now what? It almost feels like your trying to hit a moving target and you have finally just thrown in the towel and said "No Mas" [How did you like that, I got another boxing reference in, I am a sly one]
Is it me, or does his trainer look like Robert De Niro? Oh well, back on point....
Can we use this time to improve ourselves? Why not? What else do we have to do? Not sure about you, but we have to stay off the pity party invitation list. We do not need pity or a party or the combination of the two. We need to be thankful for what we have in life and move forward, always learning, always growing!
And we need to do that with some relaxed goals. Yes you heard me say "relaxed goals". I am pretty good and bad about beating myself up, but maybe, just maybe it is time to relax a little and cut ourselves some slack! We have gone through hell and we for the most part are still standing!
Que the Rocky music.... [Boy you really have to love me, because I got in another boxing reference and the guy who composed the Rocky sound track/theme song was an LSU grad!]
Wasn't the best part of a Rocky movie his determination? He would take a physical beating in the ring and he would continually get back up.
Well it is time to stand back up and yes there is a good chance that we will get the shit knocked out of us again.... and again...... and maybe even again.... [you get the idea]
Such is life! Get used to it.... Back on track
Well the point of this was, actually I really don't remember what the point of any of this was.... I had a long run today on the treadmill at the gym, ten miles. During that ten mile trek on the treadmill this post came to mind. Actually on the treadmill it seemed to make sense, now I wonder if I am making any sense. [A post for another day is what happens to your mind while you are on the run course of an Ironman race. Your ability to think straight is really comprised] Anyway, it made sense at the time.
I guess I wanted to say that we need to extend ourselves a little extra dose of grace today. Give yourself a break! Remember the words "You deserve a break today" without eating a hamburger that could survive a nuclear explosion. [Seth! congrats on the drive to keep losing weight and getting healthy] Give yourself a break and cut yourself some slack, you deserve it!
I promise you more punches will come, plans will get changed, but I challenge you not to throw in the towel, but.... but just keep getting up and fight! Fight for what you want in life!
Peace out my homies! Enjoy the ride
Paul