"Recreational Hardship" - Why I Do The Crazy Stuff I Do
In an article from Mountain Tactical Institute's website that was recently featured in their newsletter, the writer used the term "Recreational Hardship" to describe the idea of doing hard stuff when you don't have to (I.E. it's not your job, or a requirement for your life in some way) in order to train your body and mind to be resilient and persistent in the face of the challenges that life brings your way. I really like that, as it clearly and simply defines, for example, participating in Spartan Race events.
Often when I first talk to people about Spartan Races, particularly the more challenging courses and distances, the response is "why would you do that?"
My standard (and still true) answer is that it's one of the only ways accessible to the general public to really test the full spectrum of fitness in a single event. You have to have good conditioning, endurance, strength, power, grip and coordination to really succeed in conquering the Spartan Race course, particularly with the mountainous courses we prefer. But that doesn't really tell the whole story.
A Spartan Sprint can be a LOT of fun. The 5K distance is no big deal for most people, and when you run in the Open class, you can help and be helped on obstacles. It's something that's approachable for just about everybody.
When you take the step beyond the Sprint, however, and especially if you are venturing past the 10K Super into 21K Beast territory on a mountainside course, a Spartan Race becomes a pretty serious test of will and resilience.
Can you keep moving forward, keep PUSHING, when fatigue, discomfort and doubt set in?
Are you able to master your emotions and keep grinding away, even when everything in you says it's time to quit?
Can you do all that with nothing on the line but a participation medal and a t-shirt?
This is "Recreational Hardship" territory, and this is where the real magic was for me in my first Spartan Race event - the 2015 Beast at Sun Peaks (which you can read about in this blog post). It really opened my eyes to what I was capable of enduring while continuing to move forward, and it was absolutely life-changing.
Willingly submitting to that experience and others like it has played a big role in making me mentally stronger and more adaptable to whatever difficulties or challenges life has thrown at me, and has also helped me develop the ability to stay calm and cool under pressure and high levels of stress.
The personal growth that I have had come out of those difficult experiences I willingly participated in is what drives me to continue challenging myself and pushing my limits, despite the obstacles put in my way. It's why, for example, in the middle of a trail run when my legs are tired, I'll try to actually RUN up some of the steepest, most difficult sections of the route.
Should Everyone Do What I Do?
Now, am I saying everyone should do what I do? Absolutely not. In fact, for just about everyone, I'd say 100% DON'T do what I do.
But you SHOULD consciously step outside your comfort zone often to continue growing and improving. While I'd say this is equally as important in non-physical arenas (E.G. social and professional), where you and I meet is in the gym, so here are a couple of examples in that realm:
When you've had an off day, you just don't know if your head is in it and you're thinking about cancelling your workout, SHOW UP ANYWAY. Anyone can show up when it's easy and everything is going well. If it were easy all the time, everyone would do it. Look around you at your co-workers, friends and family, and more often than not, you'll see people seeking "comfortable" and "easy" at every opportunity, and not growing and evolving. Don't let that be you. Choose to do the hard stuff, ESPECIALLY when you don't feel like it.
When you start thinking "this is getting hard" in a workout (I.E. you're getting tired, feeling weak, etc. - NOT if your form is breaking down), instead of immediately using that as a signal to back off or stop, embrace that difficulty and see what your body will give you. Can you squeeze out that extra rep, or put in one more round?
When you've finished another set and completed the requested number of reps, even if it was a "hard 12", (again, presuming your form is still good and you're being safe) take the initiative and ASK for more weight, or at least ask whether you can / should do more (there will be times where we don't want you to - we'll let you know. If you're finding something easy, ask if there's a more challenging version or movement you can do. Find failure - it's where the growth will happen.
Meet new people.
Talk to strangers.
Try new foods.
Take on a challenging project at work.
Get comfortable being uncomfortable by CHOOSING to engage in things you find difficult, and you'll be much better prepared and able to navigate your way through difficult situations that are NOT of your choosing!
For me, my answer to the "why would you do that?" question about some of the stuff I do can now maybe be summed up with "because taking on that kind of Recreational Hardship helps me build more grit and resilience for the challenges life throws my way." ;)