Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Another Day in the Life of PCP...

Err wait....

We're finished! Fin! Done! Complete!

... in a way.

The hardest part is next: life-long change. When you have a goal or a deadline, it becomes easier to strive towards the achievement of reaching that goal. In this case, 90 days of working out and eating a specific diet. As a dreamer and an idealist, I tend to get lost in my lofty desires, but thanks to the PCP, I've relearned the importance of breaking dreams down into tasks and goals. I know, it seems so obvious, but when you entrap yourself in a lazy mindset, the most obvious, productive methodologies seem to be evasive.

In the past three months, we've learned about the body, how to eat right, how to exercise properly, how to set and attain goals, and so much more. We've both struggled and prevailed, and now it's time to take these lessons on into the rest of our lives. As the PCP will show, I think the answer lies in regular change.

I love change. I love changing up what I'm eating, the exercises I'm doing, the projects I'm working on, the blogs I'm reading, the podcasts I'm listening too. Now I'm going from performing the PCP under the wise tutelage of Patrick, to showing others how to lead a healthy, fit lifestyle. It's a change -- one that keeps me interested in health and fitness.

Our bodies love change as well. Eating a variety of food gives you all the different kinds of nutrients you need. Changing your workout routine keeps your body from becoming accustomed to it, allowing you to further develop muscle. The theme here is change. And yet the hardest change is making the decision to change. We must first admit that we need change, and that in itself is change.

The other day I vented my frustration in sticking to things, in being reliable and committing, and in struggling with constantly wanting to do something new. I think the answer lies in setting a goal so that I can stick with something until completion, while frequently changing up how I approach that goal in order to remain interested. I'm going to try it and I'll let you know how it works for me.

This means that I'm keeping this blog open. Like Sean, I want to continue to update this blog. It is a goal in and of itself: to take the time to write more often. I intend to dive further into the mental aspect of peak conditioning. After all, peak condition is, again, a mindset. I aim to allow this to continue to be a medium in which we can further discuss how peak condition can even affect our every day ailments, like ADD, or what that even is to be honest. I hope to further discover how health and fitness can turn the mind around in addition to our bodies.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, readers, for being an encouragement, for being critical, and for sticking with me. I am a work in progress, and I need a lot more work; but I'm considerably more "complete" than I was 90 days ago. Again, thank you.

Thank you so much, Sean and Corry, for truly being the best teammates that I could ever ask for -- seriously. It is such a joy getting to endure this journey with you. I truly look forward to continuing this life-long journey together, if not in word, at least in spirit. I hope our paths cross some day. We did it! Can you believe it!?

Finally, Patrick:

I am truly indebted to you. I owe you so much thanks for leading me to a dream of mine -- a conditioned body. You've taught me so much. I've gained so much knowledge from your instruction, and most importantly, I've grown spiritually. I have a new mindset thanks to you, one that will be with me for the rest of my life. You have changed my life, Patrick, and there is no way I could ever put a price on that. You have my deepest gratitude. This is an experience that I will truly treasure and speak of for the rest of my days.

This end is only the beginning. Until next time...

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congrats David! I can't wait to come back and see what else you have in store. A truly encouraging final post!

Patrick said...

Aw shucks Jerk-Face. Congratulations! Well finish rounding out those obliques in the next 30 days.

Sean said...

I'm loving these final day posts, they're just so damn encouraging and inspirational. It could be so easy to just shirk off everything I've done and learned now that I'm not responsible to anyone but myself but after reading your post, well, that kind of thinking just isn't an option to me.

This would have been so much more difficult if it weren't for you and Corry. You two are the wonder teammates and your support made this, in same ways, easier than I ever thought it would have been.

You two kept me going, and you've got my gratitude for that.

You know, I've had that same viewpoint on bicycle riding for a while now--it's so odd that something so encouraged (I mean, everyone's got to learn to ride a bike sometime) in our youth can fall out of our lives so readily. I hope that you find it as exciting as I am right now.

I'll check back regularly to see how your post-project project goes and I hope that you'll help keep me on track with mine. Let's help keep each other on the right track to awesomeness.

Many happy days to you. Talk to you later, Sean.

MikeRussellMcK said...

Congrats! Awesome job!

Corry said...

David, I'm just so so proud of you and so excited for all that lies ahead for you. ENJOY your yoga, your bike and your LIFE, live it fully and let's continue spurring each other on ok? CONGRATULATIONS!

Nate said...

Hey David I hope you are doing good. Hope we get an update sometime I miss all you PCP1ers!