The Real Suck

The real suck is in the middle.It's not at the beginning of the workout, when your lungs are fresh and the rush of getting started carries you along, like the blood pumping through your veins.And the real suck is not at the end.You know, when sheer adrenaline takes over and you know you can hold on and keep going through another minute or two, or another round. Anger or pride or sheer stubbornness can carry you through those moments. Some folks will do just about anything to finish.No, the real suck is in the middle. The round of 15 in Fran, the middle 50 of anything in Murph, minutes 9-15 of a 20 min workout. And (horribly) minutes 12-20 of a 30 min workout.What happens in those moments? Your body and your mind tell you to stop, to quit, to be kind to yourself and take a break.Yet you keep going.Congratulations, you're a survivor. Carry that over into all of your life and you've got a chance at being a success.In life, people (mostly) fail in the middle.They can't handle the real suck. Education, work, relationships, owning their own business—all are a rush at first. Exciting, pulsing, fascinating. Then, in the middle, time slows. It's not as fun. Things get really hard. And folks find themselves smack dab in the middle of the suck. And, often, they lose interest and they walk away. They quit.So, when it's you in that spot in your workout or in your life, remember, as always, you've got two choices: Quit or persevere. Suck it up and make it through the suck— in school, in work, in your relationships, in your workout. Finish, or walk away.Two choices for pretty much everything in this life: how you choose determines your future.Any workout is just practice for your life. Choose wisely.