3 ms·

I've always felt that endurance activities, anything longer than a few hours, build a sort of toughness that you just don't get from regular sports. I've been

I've always felt that endurance activities, anything longer than a few hours, build a sort of toughness that you just don't get from regular sports. I've been on many hikes where it's an all-out mental battle to keep going. Beyond that, there is a physical aspect of pushing through, hour after hour, with little rest and food. It's tough on your joints and energy reserves. I'd encourage everyone to consider pushing yourself. It's amazing what the human body, even an old one, can do. Don't compete with others. Compete with yourself. See how many amazing things you can do while you still have your body.

SketchySeaBeast 6y ago
Not arguing at all, I've been on hikes I didn't think I could overcome only to find myself at the peak, but I also think that everyone should put themselves under a bar they don't think they can squat and find that overwhelming intensity, focus, and strength inside themselves to succeed at that as well. Overcoming the adversity of all sorts of physical challenges is an experience worth having.
- xarope 6y ago
  I've done both, i.e. endurance events (triathlons, marathons, ultras) and powerlifting/weightlifting (yes, olympic weightlifting). They are different mindsets. Training for endurance events require a level of suffering e.g. when I did the 777 (it's a small list of people who have done it - not as small as the barkley though! - so it's easy for me to prove I've done it if anybody is skeptical), it was both mentally forcing myself to train to run 2 marathons a day, as well as the physical effort/pain (I have terrible feet). Another nightmare was the MdS, 250km in the sahara. Forcing myself to run a half marathon with a 10kg pack in the middle of day (for the heat acclimatization)... wouldn't wish that to my worst enemy. Training for powerlifting/weightlifting is a different type of suffering (I have medalled in my weight class and age group). You KNOW you can't just dump 10% on top of a PR (whether weight or rep) and "gut-it-out", the way you can gut-it-out an extra 10-20 minutes on a run/cycle/swim. I guess it's like topping out on a certain speed for a certain time, in a run. If you can run 16min 5kms, you know how hard it is to get below that, say sub 15mins. It's not "EASY" to cut your time by 10% in the 5km by just running more mileage. So it requires a different mindset, willingness to analyze, change training etc. I think both are complements. Of course, if you have only done one and not the other, it's easy to say "you should try endurance running, you'd be surprised", or "you should try to lift heavy weights, you'd be surprised". Most people will never hit that limit, and won't know what it means in terms of the effort required to try to transcend those limits. Oh, and BTW, I do mountaineering for "fun", because on the one-hand the views you get are amazing, and on the other hand, the preparation required for it is a microcosm of what, IMHO, you need to do to succeed in life - hard work, persistence, long term vision etc. And you get to do it with friends, lol (climbing stairs with a 50lb bag, what fun)
- 01100011 6y ago
  I love low bar squats and deadlifts but I was never challenged much by them. Weightlifting, as far as I've seen it, is about intensity and focus for a short period. That's great and has some benefits. I know how mentally taxing it can be too. But long distance activities are different. Your dopamine runs out and all you have is pain, hunger, thirst, etc. I never had to dig very deep at the gym to make gains. Eat right, sleep right, get fired up with some good music and PRs keep rising. Hiking/trail running changed me in a more fundamental way and required a lot more discipline. I guess we're all naturally inclined to something, and getting outside that takes extra effort.
TapWaterBandit 6y ago
This feeling can definitely be found in shorter sports. The mental strength needed to get into the ring and box a 3 minute round (or multiple 3 minute rounds) is the same feeling. It's really all about if you are pushing yourself or not. If you are playing a fun social game, then yea you won't get tough. But in the same way I've done many day hikes etc that I didn't find particularly challenging at least compared to boxing. Having someone trying to punch you in the face is a fairly stressful experience even in a controlled environment.
- xarope 6y ago
  "Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the face.” – Mike Tyson Oh, and 2 minute focus pads or kick pads; "...but when you sit on a hot stove for a minute you think it’s two hours. That’s relativity.”

SketchySeaBeast 6y ago

Not arguing at all, I've been on hikes I didn't think I could overcome only to find myself at the peak, but I also think that everyone should put themselves under a bar they don't think they can squat and find that overwhelming intensity, focus, and strength inside themselves to succeed at that as well. Overcoming the adversity of all sorts of physical challenges is an experience worth having.

xarope 6y ago
I've done both, i.e. endurance events (triathlons, marathons, ultras) and powerlifting/weightlifting (yes, olympic weightlifting). They are different mindsets. Training for endurance events require a level of suffering e.g. when I did the 777 (it's a small list of people who have done it - not as small as the barkley though! - so it's easy for me to prove I've done it if anybody is skeptical), it was both mentally forcing myself to train to run 2 marathons a day, as well as the physical effort/pain (I have terrible feet). Another nightmare was the MdS, 250km in the sahara. Forcing myself to run a half marathon with a 10kg pack in the middle of day (for the heat acclimatization)... wouldn't wish that to my worst enemy. Training for powerlifting/weightlifting is a different type of suffering (I have medalled in my weight class and age group). You KNOW you can't just dump 10% on top of a PR (whether weight or rep) and "gut-it-out", the way you can gut-it-out an extra 10-20 minutes on a run/cycle/swim. I guess it's like topping out on a certain speed for a certain time, in a run. If you can run 16min 5kms, you know how hard it is to get below that, say sub 15mins. It's not "EASY" to cut your time by 10% in the 5km by just running more mileage. So it requires a different mindset, willingness to analyze, change training etc. I think both are complements. Of course, if you have only done one and not the other, it's easy to say "you should try endurance running, you'd be surprised", or "you should try to lift heavy weights, you'd be surprised". Most people will never hit that limit, and won't know what it means in terms of the effort required to try to transcend those limits. Oh, and BTW, I do mountaineering for "fun", because on the one-hand the views you get are amazing, and on the other hand, the preparation required for it is a microcosm of what, IMHO, you need to do to succeed in life - hard work, persistence, long term vision etc. And you get to do it with friends, lol (climbing stairs with a 50lb bag, what fun)
01100011 6y ago
I love low bar squats and deadlifts but I was never challenged much by them. Weightlifting, as far as I've seen it, is about intensity and focus for a short period. That's great and has some benefits. I know how mentally taxing it can be too. But long distance activities are different. Your dopamine runs out and all you have is pain, hunger, thirst, etc. I never had to dig very deep at the gym to make gains. Eat right, sleep right, get fired up with some good music and PRs keep rising. Hiking/trail running changed me in a more fundamental way and required a lot more discipline. I guess we're all naturally inclined to something, and getting outside that takes extra effort.

TapWaterBandit 6y ago

This feeling can definitely be found in shorter sports. The mental strength needed to get into the ring and box a 3 minute round (or multiple 3 minute rounds) is the same feeling. It's really all about if you are pushing yourself or not. If you are playing a fun social game, then yea you won't get tough. But in the same way I've done many day hikes etc that I didn't find particularly challenging at least compared to boxing. Having someone trying to punch you in the face is a fairly stressful experience even in a controlled environment.

xarope 6y ago
"Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the face.” – Mike Tyson Oh, and 2 minute focus pads or kick pads; "...but when you sit on a hot stove for a minute you think it’s two hours. That’s relativity.”