the pretentious nonconformist

"The unexamined life is not worth living" - Socrates
Bruce Lee is my new personal trainer.  No, seriously. How did I suddenly push myself to run 2.48 miles (that’s my area code, and no it wasn’t on purpose) on the treadmill in exactly 30 minutes? I know it isn’t much, but mind you, I haven’t done serious cardio since high school and burn through American Spirit cigarettes like a wannabe lone-wolf movie character. Perhaps it was because I read a quote by Bruce Lee today. I know many of them, but I hadn’t read this one before: “There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level.” This didn’t quite resonate with me. After all, Bruce has many profound quotes that are more memorable, and this felt even less compelling than the mundane “pain is weakness leaving the body” crap.  However, when I read the contextual situation where he said these words, I found myself suddenly able to relate. The story is that Bruce was training a middle-aged gentleman. Both were running with a goal of three miles. When they had hit the two-mile mark, Bruce suggested running five miles.The man said that he might get a heart attack and die. Bruce nonchalantly said, “then die”. The man got so pissed off, he ran the damned five miles. My running session today was all about breaking through those plateaus. I aimed to run for 20 minutes, but then at 15 minutes I decided I could go 30. I had a cramp in my side and those nausea coughs, but I wasn’t deterred anymore after reflecting on Bruce’s advice. Twenty minutes was a limit my mind wasn’t happy with even though my body was already prepared to give up as I always had. I think I have a new hobby now. Till next time, Mr. Lee. I can’t pay you though, I’m broke as hell.

Bruce Lee is my new personal trainer.  No, seriously.

How did I suddenly push myself to run 2.48 miles (that’s my area code, and no it wasn’t on purpose) on the treadmill in exactly 30 minutes? I know it isn’t much, but mind you, I haven’t done serious cardio since high school and burn through American Spirit cigarettes like a wannabe lone-wolf movie character.

Perhaps it was because I read a quote by Bruce Lee today. I know many of them, but I hadn’t read this one before:

“There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level.”

This didn’t quite resonate with me. After all, Bruce has many profound quotes that are more memorable, and this felt even less compelling than the mundane “pain is weakness leaving the body” crap.  However, when I read the contextual situation where he said these words, I found myself suddenly able to relate.

The story is that Bruce was training a middle-aged gentleman. Both were running with a goal of three miles. When they had hit the two-mile mark, Bruce suggested running five miles.The man said that he might get a heart attack and die. Bruce nonchalantly said, “then die”.

The man got so pissed off, he ran the damned five miles.

My running session today was all about breaking through those plateaus. I aimed to run for 20 minutes, but then at 15 minutes I decided I could go 30. I had a cramp in my side and those nausea coughs, but I wasn’t deterred anymore after reflecting on Bruce’s advice. Twenty minutes was a limit my mind wasn’t happy with even though my body was already prepared to give up as I always had. I think I have a new hobby now. Till next time, Mr. Lee. I can’t pay you though, I’m broke as hell.

  1. ramennoodles21 posted this