The "What drives you?" motivational thread

.............I'm almost 41 now, and of course don't box anymore. I was never any good when I did.

I run now. Races of varying distances from 5k to marathons, and while I'm no world beater there either, I'm also not bad. This year I won my age group in a 5k and won another outright, as well as setting personal bests in the 10k and marathon.

The sense of competition drives me, even though the nature of the competition is different than in boxing. In running, your opponent is the clock, at least on my relatively low level.

Running is my way of defining myself these days. It's a means to step out of the everyday humdrum existence we all fall into and test myself in ways few do. I take a lot of pride in the fact that what I do is sort of out of the norm and exclusive. If everybody did it it wouldn't be as special, I think.

I was talking with Amy just the other day about this; I mentioned that distance running and boxing are not really that dissimilar. In fact, there are more similarities than differences. The pain, the exhaustion, the sacrifice of training........it's the same. Running now affords me the opportunity to seek out that seemingly masochistic experience and come out the other side tougher and more confident. I think boxers can certainly relate to that.

If I have a hero or touchstone to look toward to get me through a tough 20-miler, it's Steve Prefontaine; a gifted, hard-training, cocky kid who ran for the University of Oregon from 1969-1973, and competed in the 1972 Olympics. His is the spirit I admire most; that running is more than just winning a race. He once called racing "an art form" and I know exactly what he was talking about. The reason crowds flocked to his races and turned him into almost a sort of rock star of the track was because he was so willing to throw it ALL out there, to almost self-immolate in a race, even if he was more than a half-lap ahead of the nearest competitor. He'd still run to the brink of exhaustion and then beyond, never taking it easy, because he knew that these things had to be done the right way. You were supposed to give everything you had every time out, or it was nothing more than a wasted experience.

They saw him round the last turn with his mouth agape, eyes rolling back in his head, legs wobbling from the sheer effort and they understood.

[YT]y7VcGYhs_14&feature=related[/YT]

 

i get motivated by training to be a world champion

im only 15 so i train train and train so i can get to a world class level

also defeats motivate me

 

I've lost my motivation. It sucks.

 

Maybe you just need a break, Amy ?

Maybe a break will do you good and recharge your batteries ? ...

 

I tried that. :?

 

When I was a sophomore in high school I got beat up really bad. To be honest, I had won that fight, but because it wasn't decisive, they were able to convince people that he won. So I got pretty ridiculed for it. After that, another kid, who was friends with the one I fought, took it upon himself to put me out. He had a lot more friends and tried to jump me almost every weekend. I lived in a constant state of fear. I didn't exercise and didn't really play sports.

One day though a friend showed me ESB and boxing and since then I have been hooked. I have never been more motivated to train. Until a year later when the same guys reared their heads, but this time I wasn't scared. I was angry and it pushed me to the edge. I was training everyday. Shadow boxing, lifting and running everyday. I never got the chance to fight them though, because they ended up turning on each other.

To this day, just thinking back to those days, the feeling of helplessness is enough to make me push my self beyond exhaustion. Even when I'm in the gym working the pads, bag or sparring I always replay those moments through my head. I never want to be like that again and it is what drives me still.

 

How long for ?

Maybe you just need a real long break, a change of scenery, just do other things you enjoy.

Sometimes a change is good, i know you know all this anyway, just trying to help ...

 

a change normally is good because when im at my grans house in rutland i cant train because i used to go there as a kid and sit and do nothing and i cant brek that habit although i have now by just forcing myself but it was hard

 

forgot to add perfectionism drives me on i like to do stuff in th gym well but also look good doing it ( technique wise not my hair and face) and a guy at the gym says i have obbsesive compulsive diorder when i go in the gym

 

I just want to become the best I can be. Maybe I'm not going to reach that far, but I will give everything I got each day. Don't want to waste my time on anything else really. The Olympics in London are nearing.

 

because im doin unlicensed now
its the fact that thers going 2 be a ugly **** on the other side of the ring whos going to fight dirty and could well be heavier , and if i go down or get 2 tired to continue thers a chance he'll continue to attack

 

What gym do you train at ?

 

Why are you fighting unlicensed, Joe ?

 

at home Peterhead A.B.C

in rutland

melton mowbary A.B.C
Corby A.B.C (i'm fighting for them next time i'm down)

if you can tell me any other gyms in rutland i could go too it would be good