Is brain fog affecting your training? Tips for you inside.
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 | | In today's edition, Joe shares: - Why We Need a Hard Way Reset
- Strategies to Beat Brain Fog
- Ways to Compete with Injuries
| | | | Spartans!
I recently read this story in the Wall Street Journal, reporting that more students are getting high AP test scores. Administrators are designing the tests to be less and less challenging.
Whatever the motive they have to create easier tests, the sentiment remains the same: we're not pushing ourselves. And we're certainly not expecting hard work from others.
We need a Hard Way reset.
I think about this concept daily, because it's the backbone of Spartan. How can we individually and collectively build a higher tolerance for doing hard stuff?
The issue is that our brain is wired to seek comfort, which helps us conserve energy and avoid stress and negative emotions.
When life circumstances get too difficult, our brain has a built-in "circuit breaker" that switches on. The circuit breaker is responsible for "advice" like…
Don't go out in the cold, because you might freeze to death.
Don't wake up too early in the morning, because you'll be tired.
Don't run in the rain, because you'll catch a cold.
The irony is that these are the very things we need to do!
If we can break through our circuit breaker — duct tape it from switching off — we can accomplish nearly anything.
When I was running my pool business back in Howard Beach, New York, I hired some workers from Eastern Europe.
They had left their countries during the fall of communist rule.
These guys worked harder than anyone I had ever seen. They were the first to arrive and the last to leave the job site, and I never heard one complaint.
It was impressive to me because the work was grueling, back-breaking physical labor.
When I asked their secret to their hard work, they told me that compared to the conditions they had left behind at home, the work we were doing was a breeze.
These men showed me that when life is too easy, like those AP tests, you're not forced to improve.
If you grow up on Park Ave in silk pajamas, your circuit breaker is going to be a lot more reactive and less tolerant than someone who has survived in a war-torn country.
We need to evaluate our current level of tolerance, and intentionally stretch it.
The result? You'll experience incredible resiliency, less quitting, more life satisfaction, and unbelievable stories to tell.
Just get out and do that hard thing. Sign up. Say yes. Don't think about it.
What will you do to break your circuit breaker? Email me at thehardway@spartan.com.
Here's to The Hard Way!
Joe | | | Is Brain Fog Affecting Your Athletic Performance? | Underlying medical issues can cause persistent brain fog as you age, and smoking, depression, and metabolic issues like diabetes and hypertension can increase those symptoms. In fact, a UCLA study in PLOS One found that 14% of young adults between the ages of 18-39 and 21% of adults between the ages 40-59 reported feeling a decline in both memory and cognitive thinking. But if you're relatively young, are training regularly, and don't have underlying health conditions, why are you still experiencing brain fog? Here are some strategies to beat it. - You Aren't Focused on One Goal
Are you thinking about your next strength training workout during your weekly long run? Focus on the task at hand, and your training will be intentional, faster, and more productive. - You Are Overtraining
If you've got brain fog, and every rep or run feels far more difficult than it should based on your fitness level, you're probably overtrained. - You're not Recovering
High stress levels, poor sleep, and alcohol or CBD/THC use can all cause various levels of brain fog. Getting enough sleep, hydrating, and focusing on proper nutrition can counteract some of these effects and help clear the clouds. | | | | You Ask, Joe Answers | Q: Hey Joe,I've got a lot of injuries in my shoulders. Will this prevent me from racing?
- Joe P.
A: Hey Joe, Fortunately, you won't be benched for an injury in this game. Injuries are annoying, but part of the sport. Adjust your training, focus on strengthening the areas around the injury, and find ways to keep moving forward…even if you can't complete all the obstacles. That's why we do it: to run the best race we can with what we've got.
Aroo!
Question for Joe? Want to tell him what you think of The Hard Way? Email him at thehardway@spartan.com. | | | | They Said It | | "I'd rather regret the risks that didn't work out than the chances I didn't take at all." | | –Simone Biles | | | | | Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here. | | | WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS NEWSLETTER? | | | | | |
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