Progress Is Rarely Linear
The good news? You're prepared for the lows and plateaus, as long as you have the right mindset.
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Presented by LMNT:
The other day I was chatting with someone about base pace. In running, base pace is your regular, everyday pace. On a rate of perceived exertion scale from one to 10 — 10 being the highest — think of this as a four or five. The summer I started running back in college, base pace wasn’t something I was remotely concerned with. For at least a month of continuous pavement-pounding workouts, every pace felt hard. All that mattered to me was that I was getting out regularly and moving my body.
As time went on and I started to enjoy running, my base pace slowly crept down. From 12-minute miles to 11-minute miles, 11-minute miles to 10-minute miles — and then, even more. Just the other day, I went out and comfortably logged six miles south of an 8-minute pace. On that particular day, that pace felt easy. This isn’t something that happened overnight. In fact, it’s taken me 13 years to get here.
The downward trend in my base pace is the result of other goals I have set — only some of which I’ve accomplished — over the past decade. Running a marathon in under 4 hours. Strength training twice weekly. Logging a fast mile. Investing in my recovery (both monetarily and time spent). Investing in my relationships.
The list goes on.
Still, there are stretches — sometimes months on end — when that base pace fluctuates. When it doesn’t feel right chugging along at a quick clip. During those moments, I have to remind myself about something Tunde Oyeneyin brought up in Monday’s episode: Progress isn’t always linear. In fact, it rarely — if ever — is. There are going to be peaks, and there are going to be valleys. When we understand and acknowledge this, then we are better equipped to navigate the good and the bad.
Over time, I’ve learned that both the highs and lows come with lessons; lessons that help us progress. The hard stuff may not be easy to navigate in the moment, but it happens to teach us something. One “bad” day doesn’t rid you of the wins that came before. It informs you to better show up the next time, and the next time after that — on the continuous quest for progress.
… As Emily Skye said to me in an interview last night (coming to the feed, soon) — the best reason to look back is to see how far you’ve come.
PROMPT: What’s something you’re doing in your life right now that’s taking away from you making positive progress toward a goal?
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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
LISTEN: How to Be a Better Human: “How to Find the Emotional Support You Need Right Now”
I found this episode as a repost on Ted Health. How to Be a Better Human brings in different TED speakers to offer up their expertise, taking it a step further than watching a talk by then having them explain how to really put their big ideas into practice. In this episode, psychologist Guy Winch talks about the importance of emotional hygiene. It really makes you think: It’s normal to take a shower after you work out, but what important steps are you taking after any sort of emotional event to take care of you on the inside?
HELP: The People in Texas
This week, unprecedented storms blanketed Texas in bitter cold and snow. There are plenty of organizations helping to provide shelter, food, and warmth, including the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and Houston Food Bank. Click the link above to learn more about how you can get involved.
SIP: A Margarita
It’s National Margarita Day on Monday. One of my favorite recipes for smoked strawberry mezcal margaritas comes from Jessica Merchant of How Sweet Eats. See also: Smoked cider mezcal margaritas, golden green goddess margaritas, minty mango margaritas, and honey vanilla pear margaritas.
WATCH: The Flight Attendant
In this week’s installment of binge-worthy series from HBO and Netflix, we have this Kaley Cuoco gem which I consumed over the past seven days. The gist: A flight attendant who wakes up in the wrong hotel next to a dead man. Definitely made me jumpy at times, but it’s a solid watch.
THIS WEEK ON HURDLE
Monday, I chatted with Tunde Oyeneyin. Even though the Peloton favorite has been through her fair share of hurdles, her outlook on life is extremely optimistic. She talks me through the toughest of them, from a dramatic weight loss and dealing with not getting the instructor job at Peloton after her first auditioned to the loss of both her brother and both of her parents. I love how she expands upon the idea that it’s OK for your goals to evolve and change over time, and goes in-depth about the important of soul care.
For #HURDLEMOMENT, I loved my conversation with Taylor Rae Almonte, a trainer at Rumble, Reebok-sponsored athlete, and co-founder of an anti-racism wellness program ACTIV-ISM — which combines regular movement and mindful activities (from equipment-free workouts and walks to journaling) with anti-racism education. We talk about how she's combined her passions for racial justice and health to find new purpose over the past year. We also unpack a handful of terminology to empower us to continue to have thoughtful, progressive dialogue going forward. Taylor has an anti-racism newsletter that you should definitely check out.
DEALS ON DEALS
I have some new sponsors on this season of Hurdle, and I wanted to take a second to highlight some great deals available to the community. For a complete list, check out the sponsors page, here.
BLUBlox | I have been wearing my BLUBlox constantly, anti-blue light glasses, which help me to navigate persistent headaches and discomfort from way too much time in front of the computer (thank you, pandemic). They’ve got loads of cute styles, and after three months of consistent wear, they’ve made a major difference for me. Head to BLUBlox.com/Hurdle and use "HURDLE" at checkout for 15 percent off.
BaronFig | I write in my BaronFig notebook every single day, first thing. I’m obsessed with the clothbound cover, the fact that it lays flat when you open it, and how it looks on the shelf. I’m especially into their guided-editions, daily journals that focus on different topic areas like meditation, habit formation, and dream tracking. Head over to BaronFig.com and use “HURDLE20” at checkout for 20 percent off a guided edition today.
If you have a moment, SUBSCRIBE, RATE, AND REVIEW HURDLE:
We did it! We’re now over 1,000 ratings and reviews in the iTunes store! If you have a free moment, I’d love it if you could take the time to write one, too.
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JOIN: THE *Secret* FACEBOOK GROUP
SIGN UP: Hurdle Book Club
This month, we’re reading Alexi Pappas’ new book Bravey, which I’m amped on. Book Club will be Tuesday, February 23, at 8 p.m. ET. Please, only register if you know you can make it — as the Zoom is limited to 100 attendees!
Another (weekly) Hurdle conquered. Catch you guys next week.