In the military,
soldiers do daily PT (exercise). This
usually includes stretching, cal-esthetics and aerobic training such as
running.
Until now (meaning
my whole life), I have done none. My friend
Steve says, “Danny’s good at everything, except sports”
Unfortunately he
is correct.
Well, now is the
time to change all that. Wouldn’t it be
grand to return home all buff and cut. Have a real six pack and large biceps. Everyone would be so impressed!
Okay…So here went
my start.
The key to any
successful undertaking is imagining yourself actually
performing the actions. Visualizing the procedure.
Making certain that mind, as well as body, is fully prepared for the
task at hand.
So I began last
night. I sat on my balcony drinking my
soda-pop and smoking a cigar, and I visualized my self running the
circumference of the grounds below.
I had seen two
well-defined soldiers running at a moderate pace, earlier along the same street
below my balcony, and I imagined myself running with them. I visualized my black running shorts, my grey
ARMY logo tee-shirt, a graceful stride and a steady breathing pattern as I ran
alongside the two. First one lap around
the campus, then a second, and completed with a cool-down lap at a fast walk.
Then something
dawned upon me. I’m a realist, not an
optimist! Who was I kidding!?!
Rewind…
The real
visualization goes something like this:
It starts with my standing at the
base of my tower looking down the long, vast stretch of endless road that might
as well circumnavigate the
At meter 150 however, that pain
begins. That tight,
acid-like one that runs up and down the bones in my lower legs. At that point I tell myself, “lactic acid…it
will go away…just a little further…maybe to that far off sign…and then, maybe,
I’ll walk for just a second and then resume my pace.”
A meter or two later the signpost (my
current goal) seems just a wee bit optimistic, “Perhaps something
closer…Perhaps the sign that I am passing right now!”
“Yeah, that seems good. I’ll just walk a second; let the pain
subside, and continue on.”
“Maybe I need a few more seconds of
walking”
“Okay, now I’ll run again”
“Well, maybe I’ll run when I get to
the next corner.”
“No, this corner isn’t good. I need a straight-away. There is one on the other side of the
FOB. I’ll resume running when I get
there.”
“Oh
look, I’m back at my tower. Well one lap
was a good start, considering that I’m not in shape and all.”
“I’ll try again tomorrow…”
Boy,
that visualization took
a lot out of me. Good thing I didn’t do
it for real.
Cigar
anyone?