We finished off 2015 with my top 10 Fitness Takeaways and I wanted to share with you my experience in implementing some of those key points into my life so far in 2016.
Skate skiing (think skating on cross country skis) is something that I have always wanted to learn how to do but I have always been afraid to try because I can’t skate, or ski for that matter. Living here on the west coast we have one of the best outdoor playgrounds just across the street, so this year I decided to do it and sign up for a beginners clinic. It was something new, it was upping the ante within my current fitness regime and it was going to find me a new tribe to be a part of.
I receive so many emails from readers expressing their own fears of trying something new, such as joining a running club, going to a new class at their gym or signing up for a race. Trust me, I know how it feels. It was scary as sh-t and I tried for days to talk myself out of it. I had no idea where I was supposed to park, what I was supposed to wear, where I was supposed to get my pass or my skis, where to meet my group and I knew I wasn’t going to know a soul there. But when I showed up I saw that most people were just like me: nervous, insecure, and quiet.
I managed to find my way and forced myself to ask for instructions and directions and then there I was, standing on the snow with a group of people I didn’t know and with no clue how to put my skis on! I just wanted to go home. I reminded myself that I was in a beginner clinic and that I wasn’t supposed to know any of this, which is why I was there. Two hours later I was skiing and having an amazing time. Because I decided to take on a new challenge and do something that scared me, in less than one week I have benefited more than I could have imagined.
I have learned a new skill that gets me out of the house after work during these long, dark, winter days.
I have found a new way to challenge my body. After the first day I could not sleep because my muscles were so sore!
I have made a new tribe. I can barely keep up with how many people are wanting to ski with me. I could go every day with someone if I had the time. The relationships I am going to build and memories I am going to create are priceless.
I have been inspired. I am excited again about something and I look forward to getting out in the snow and practicing. At the end of each workout I am better than I was when I started. I remember when I was learning to run how excited I would be each time I had run farther than I ever had. Or when I was learning how to mountain bike and could finally ride down trails without falling. I have found that again.
But the coolest thing is that because I have tried something new, I am inspiring people to do the same, especially my mom. The day after I took my first lesson my mom sent me a text after her workout and it read “I just tried something new today”. My mom, who is trying to find her way in a new life after the passing of my father, found the strength in herself to try something new because she was inspired by me.
It is never easy to step out of your comfort zone. The unknown is uncomfortable. It is scary. But what you gain from doing just that is immeasurable. You never know who you may meet along the way, who you may become, or who you may inspire.
Attached - Hugh Jackman heading to the gym in New York yesterday.
