Built, not Bought

Built, not Bought

This is a popular little catchphrase from the hot-rodder crowd ----  basically,  there is a certain sense of pride hobbyists get when they build their machines from the ground up starting with a forgotten old relic, and having a hand in every phase of re-construction, if not outright doing every phase themselves
  
Another one is the pride people get by actually driving their toys to the various cruise-ins , shows, races, etc. that you go to enjoy these symbols of American decadence  --- "Hell, I drove it here ! ",  and "not a trailer queen "



I'll offer a counterpoint
   I like a sweet ride too, but I'm not going to be-grudge a guy who spent his formative years learning other things , and then later had the disposable income from  who-knows-what to research and buy his dream hot rod for 50k -- the car didn't build itself, - somebody still had to build it

And as for the trailer queen thing? -- The cab of my truck is a heckuva lot nicer place to spend 5 or 600 miles than the cockpit of my personal cruise machine.  It can sit quite nicely on a trailer for all I care

There are even separate car show categories for "Pro-Build" cars and "Unlimited" cars

What are you paying for?  -- Its the expertise of a builder , or a team of builders who has already spent thousands of hours welding, sanding, spraying, taping, and wrenching who can turn out a beautiful machine in 4 months that an average hobbyist may never be able to achieve on their own
   They've already learned things the hard way, made mistakes and paid their dues

There is always an overall trophy at these car/motorcycle events --- the little guys can battle it out in their respective categories, but the overall trophy nearly always goes to a "Pro-build" machine --- and just like everything else, few outsiders remember who or what came in 2nd

Where am I going with this?  I don't really know myself sometimes, I just start writing and hope something will come together midway through ---- LOL

I do know this though ------- As exercise enthusiasts, practitioners, coaches, and competitors, our results fall more along the lines of a  "built, not bought" strategy .

There is nobody out there who can make you do the things that will make you succeed with your program (unless you are a recruit in the Armed Forces -- you can still quit there if you want to also )

Decades ago, they used to advertise machines that supposedly did the work for you -- pushing and pulling your body in different directions, and even those big leather strap devices that shook the heck out of you -- none really worked  ---  they were the equivalent of diet pills for today's generation

You do have to get on your bike, lace up the running shoes, put on the lifting gloves, jump in the pool, pop in a Sweatin' to the Oldies tape, flip tractor tires  or do the myriad other variety of things that gets you going and contributes to furthering your goals

Unlike the investment banker who buys a sweet '34 Ford and starts collecting trophies at car shows,  you can't buy your way into success with this aspect of life.   This is where work ethic and a savvy game plan come into play

There are some parallels with coaching -- yes, you can buy help, advice and mentorship with any number of coaches, dietitians,  trainers, etc. -- this part compares with my Pro-build philosophy a bit, - part of the reason you pay these people (and me, should this become a more viable pursuit for me) is because we've made the mistakes,  had successes and failures, researched and followed the 10,000 hour rule, whether we knew it or not  ---

but -- (and this is the big but) - the trainer does not do the work for you.   In today's hectic world, you may not even meet your trainer face to face but once or twice a year - if that.   This is where accountability comes into play
   You can lie to your coach in an email ---  "Yeah coach, I did 45 minutes in Zone 2 today, followed by intervals , then some strength work"

But you cant lie to yourself --- if you took a training day and instead chose to go on a pleasure mountain bike ride with some pals and stayed in Zone 3 and rode tempo all day,  then that's a ruined day --   sure, if your a beginner, there may be some utility in just getting out and going for a ride, and its not going to hurt you physically, but  too many instances like this will begin to show a weakness of character , as you are not only lying to a person you are paying  to help hold you accountable,  you are also somehow justifying it in your own mind that -   "Its ok, just this once"

There are exceptions, -- 2 or 3 weeks into a regimented program and your mind and body can start "locking up" a little to the point where you have to give yourself a break --- its ok to discuss this with your trainer -- as it may be a symptom of over-training , and that leads to burnout
     Let your guy know you need to take an active rest day and describe the reasoning -- If it is a build up of soreness that doesn't dissipate, or you are sleeping too much, or too little  (there are more issues , but I cant cover them all in this format)  - it may mean you need to skip the grind of the regimented workout and go for a nature hike instead, or go for a mountain bike ride, or something else that brings a little bit of fun back into the program for the day
     Keeping your trainer in the loop  lets them know how they may need to tweak the program for you in the coming weeks  --- if the volume is too high at first, a handful of these active rest days a month can be helpful



I'm rapidly running out of time to continue writing today and my train of thought is starting to wander ---  so I am going to close it out with a thought or two about New YEars   ---   which will be here in just 2 or 3 short days


     When most of us decide we need to make a change in our lives, we usually have a certain premise that underlies our decisions. I will do (fill in the blank) when everything lines up. I'll go on a diet and get fit after the New Year, -- after my birthday, -- after vacation. -- when I can afford the time and equipment --- whatever and whenever

Always "when" or "if" or "tomorrow."

Tomorrow never seems to get here, does it? We really base our chances of success on a rarely arrived at goal. If you want to be successful in any new adventure,  you are going to have to shift the paradigm.     

      This is intended to be a blog about healthy living, (with some sidetracks thrown in) - but I really think that idea can be applied to much more than just diet and exercise.  Maybe you need to go back to school, start a business, tell somebody you love them, spend more time with your kids, ----I don't know ,   there is no better time than the present to turn up the heat in your life


----- Doug