I hate running.
Any coach, teammate, or training partner I've ever worked with has heard me utter these words.
There's just something about the nature of running that kills my interest, and means I have a very difficult time getting into running. At the same time, though, if I want to improve as an athlete, I know that cardio training is vital.
What I've heard from multiple runners and coaches in the course of different interviews is that running is a mental game. Running seems to have a pretty low floor in terms of physical skill; it's something we learn to do as toddlers, but a high ceiling related to the mental strength of the runner, which means some people run tens to hundreds of miles at a time while others drop out after a couple minutes. Motivation and focus are key to success in this regard.
What is your why?
Motivation is about finding a reason to do something; oftentimes, coaches may ask "what is your why?" Why am I ___________ (running instead of sitting, eating veggies instead of chips, sleeping instead of gaming)? If my "why" is weak, then my change will not be sustainable.
Focus is about being able to direct my attention to something productive. When I run, my focus is on the discomfort, the length of time remaining, and how slow it seems like the minutes are going. This focus makes my running unsustainable because all I'm focused on is what is negative about this activity. If I can focus on my goal and motivation consistently, that means thought about discomfort takes up less real estate in my mind.
In combination, if I can find a powerful motivation, that naturally begins to occupy my focus. As my focus on this goal develops, that reinforces my motivation so that running, or fill in the blank with whatever difficult habit, begins to feel natural. As we consistently focus, motivate, and perform, habit forms and builds on itself.
This post is not about how I have become a great runner of made a habit of running.
I absolutely have not done running as training... maybe ever, except when told to by a coach.
What I have found, however, is that my motivation is to perform well as an athlete. While that translates to some form of endurance training, that motivation also means that when I come up against a challenge ("I hate running"), I can also find a creative solution to overcome that challenge. So while running is the standard answer for endurance training, I can find another way to train my cardiovascular system.
As with seemingly everything else, kettlebells are my answer (as detailed in the video below). What is important, outside of the specific technique, is that my motivation to perform consistently well as an athlete even when other players are tired, led me to find a way around my obstacle of hating to run as training.
That is the power of a strong "why." Because my need is so great, I'll either push myself into an undesirable activity or find a creative workaround. Neither of these is the necessarily better option, but as I make a habit of doing hard things out of my "why," other hard things become easier.
I can make one more sprint down the court when everyone else is hanging their heads and leaning on their knees. I can make one more defensive rotation when everyone else has given up on the play. Because I've made the habit of making my "why" overpower my "can't."
Today's video demos some kettlebell combo moves that can be used for cardio training with light weight and high reps, or for a predetermined amount of time. Keys to remember include:
Master each individual move before combining them - Especially when doing multiple cleans in a row (not starting from a stationary position), make sure the kettlebell comes up adjacent to your body; don't let it swing outwards like in a KB swing
Remember the purpose of your training; if it is for cardio, light weight, more reps
Record your progress so you can see how you start doing more reps, longer time, or more reps in shorter time