Exploring the Edges of Your Capacity
Written by Kirsten Ahrendt
Today we’re discussing the importance of exploring the edges of your capacity or as I like to say, “Touch the fire!” In a previous article I discussed how mindset influences physical performance – introducing the term “Budha”. If you recall, being the CF Buddha is contingent on two skills rooted and applied in a state of physical duress (i.e. exercising):
- Staying present in the moment of effort we are in rather than worrying about work or effort still to come in the future (mindfulness)
- Cultivating the ability to suspend judgment on how our body feels (non-judgment)
Cultivating the ability to “be the CF buddha” in times of stress, such as intense Assault Bike intervals or difficult EMOMs, is a journey in itself, but well worth the investment into mindfulness and reflection. It is a skill that can be utilized in stressful workouts as well as stressful moments in life. So have you been paying attention to your own thoughts in moments of intensity/fatigue/extreme exertion? Have you created awareness of your conscious and subconscious mental pathways? If not, revisit that last article. Awareness is the first step in changing or controlling a response.
The next step to improving our physical performance is to strategically & periodically (re: not every day) take opportunities to work at and beyond our limits. Working at the edge of our capacity can be a very uncomfortable experience because to truly “go there” likely means pushing to failure (whether with reps, distance, effort, time, speed, etc.), which is why it’s important to develop our CF Buddha mindset first.
