Ten-Minute Torture Episode 1

I am excited to launch my first episode of “Ten Minute Torture”. I had this idea for a short segment a few weeks ago. One of the things I want to make sure I constantly test is my GRIT, the ability to fight through things that are extremely uncomfortable and challenging. We all have those moments where we don’t want to do something. The times we least want to do something is what tests our commitment to a goal.

The Ten Minute torture allows coaches to train me as hard as they want for 10 straight minutes. I have no idea what they are going to do. The only rule is that it has to be actual training (minus the work to rest ratio). What I mean by that is they can’t say “Do burpees for 10 minutes”. That is not real training, that is just trying to kill someone with the goal of fatigue.

The challenge for me is to not quit and keep fighting no matter how hard I’m breathing, how much my lungs are burning, or how bad it hurts. Their goal is to try and break me and make me tap out. I don’t want them to go easy on me. Going easy on me doesn’t help me, it will only enable me and make me soft.

When you surround yourself with real leaders, friends, coaches and mentors they will do one thing to constantly make you better…they will stretch you. They will stretch your limits and see what you are made out of not in your happiest of times, but in your toughest.

I never want to lose my competitive edge in life nor do I ever want to be a hypocrite and not embrace the same process my athletes go through everyday for my team and myslelf. One of my core values is to “Practice what I preach” and by allowing my coaching staff to push my limits allows me to grow as an athlete and be coached up by the best coaches in the world.

Coach Kailey Bolad, delivered the first punch to me. It was late on a Friday night and I hadn’t worked out yet for the day. For the record, I hate working out at night, and especially at the end of the week wasn’t any better. After classes were over, I asked her to crush me and she smiled and said “I’d love to”. She is an Iowa born strong female! I was nervous because she is one of the toughest coaches I know. She lives and breathes what it means to be a coach. She brought the fire and pushed me to my limit!

Create your own “10 Minute Torture” and see what you are made of under pressure!