There are many mornings when my alarm goes off at 5 am, and I just want to keep hitting snooze. If I'm really tired, I ponder throwing that obnoxious beeping machine against the wall. But I don't. I can't.
Because Mack is waiting, and we've got work to do.
Mack is my training partner -- the friend who feels like a "foe" in those moments when I am on my 20th squat and my quads and glutes are burning and he says, "Come on, now. Give me 5 more." I might scowl at him or grimace, but I do those last 5. And whattaya know? Weeks later I've cut cuts and definition in my legs that I didn't see before.
Hence, his nickname: "Mack the Knife."
If you don't have a Mack in your training routine, think about finding one. Because two Badasses are better than one.
I'm not talking about a paid trainer. I'm talking about a workout buddy, someone to motivate you and be right there with you through the pushups, the sprints, the long runs leading up to race day.
Mack pushes me to work harder and I push him to do the same. If one of us sleeps in, the other one is sure to point the absence out the following morning. "What? You were scared of leg day?" or "Oh, it was raining. I guess that's when you slack off." It's always teasing and in good fun, but the message is there: "I'm here, and you should be, too." And If Mack does hamstring curls with a 35-pound dumbbell, this Badass right here is absolutely going to try and match him.
The same dynamic happens with my fellow Badasses Jenn and Kirsten. (There we are post-sweat, mid-Happy Hour) I started doing hot yoga, and they joined. We all struggled through the first class; now we're Hot devotees. When we run stadiums at Doak Campbell, we push each other to do those last few sets, and maybe one or two more after that.
This weekend Jenn and I met at the gym and powered through a weight routine, then got a little rush from pounding medicine balls against the wall -- not just a great upper body strengthener, we discovered, but a great way to vent stress!
So find a fellow Badass and set out to get stronger and healthier together. Before long, you'll wonder why it took you so long to discover the power of Badass Squared.
Coming up: Gift ideas for the Badass or aspiring Badass in your life.
