If you’re my age you will likely remember fondly the Muppet Show and perhaps less fondly the two ever present critics Statler and Waldorf perched up on the balcony.  They showed up for every performance without fail despite never having a single complimentary thing to say about any single Muppet act.  Why waste their time watching a show they never liked?  That was the joke of course.  Even as a kid, it was obvious that these two enjoyed nothing more than finding the flaws in everything and everyone.

Funny thing is you carry around your own host of critics exactly like Statler and Waldorf.  Sure, they might go by different names or speak anonymously with your own inner voice but they are there for every flop and fail and are probably also telling you how you could have done better even though you thought you did pretty well.  No matter how hard you try, you will never be good enough to silence your inner critics. 

But here’s the secret to success: realize that Statler and Waldorf are not your coaches.  Yes, they will always be there shouting discouragement before, during and after every effort but they are not doing it to help you.  Hearing your inner coach over those loud hecklers takes some doing.  It is easy to fixate on those negative comments and be distracted from important coaching cues that will move you forward.

Your inner coach speaks with compassion.  Your inner coach celebrates your efforts.  This doesn’t mean false compliments.  Your coach will readily acknowledge what went wrong and what can improve because you can always be better.  But your inner coach will not label things good or bad, a failure or a success.  Your inner coach speaks in terms of winning or learning.  Every now and then it will go your way exactly as hoped.  But more often than not it won’t.  Rather than berate you for this, your inner coach will use this as a learning opportunity.  Maybe you need to push harder next time or pace better or improve the efficiency of your movements.  There will always be adjustments to be made to achieve better results next time around.  Your inner coach is patient and constructive and values the growth opportunities available when setbacks arise as they inevitably will.  They are, after all, an essential part of the process. 

Your inner coach will never be able to drown out the disparaging shouts of the critics.  Your inner coach speaks to you with a quiet, calm confidence unperturbed by the naysayers.  The secret skill of champions is learning to hear the wisdom of their inner coach over the ranting of their critics.  When a champion stumbles and falls but picks herself up and shakes herself off with a quiet, determined smile, you know she is listening to her inner coach and choosing to ignore her critics.

 

Friday WOD
Today we’ll be running outside.  If you are waitlisted and plan to run, we can accommodate you as long as you are willing to do an outdoor warm up.

Warm Up
1 min each:
Skipping
Cross Crawls
Skipping
Cross Crawl Squats
Skipping
Cross Crawl Reverse Lunges

WOD

Run Row Echo Airdyne Ski Erg
1600m
3 min Rest
2000m 4800m 2400m 1200m
1200m
2 min Rest
1500m 3600m 1800m 900m
800m
1 min Rest
1000m 2400m 1200m 600m
400m Run 500m 1200m 600m 300m

Cool Down
Calf Stretch
Quad Stretch
Glute/Piriformis Stretch
Hamstring Stretch