A 2 Minute Perspective

One of my fitness goals this year is to strengthen my core and glutes to better support my lower back. Among some other things, 2017 was the year of the lower back issue: Trying to figure out the issue, trying some treatments for the issue, realizing the issue is here to stay and that it stinks to get older, and coming to grips with the fact that I need to figure out how to work around and with the issue. It’s a learning process, for sure, but I’m determined!

So…the beginning of January, I started doing a plank after my strength work out three days a week. I’ve done planks before, but I was holding off on them until we figured out the back issue. I started with a minute, then I’ve added 15 seconds each week. This week I hit 2 minutes.

“Only” 2 minutes.

The 2 minutes of walking in my running intervals flies by, and before I know it, it’s time to start running again. The 2 minutes of a commercial break during my favorite TV shows—where I rush to get something accomplished—goes by way too quickly. 2 minutes of my favorite songs are over just like that. It takes longer than 2 minutes to empty the dishwasher (which is NOT one of my favorite things to do), but those more-than-2-minutes also seem to go by so fast. But those 2 minutes of planking? Feels like the longest 2 minutes of my life!

While I was planking this morning…for 2 minutes…I was trying to keep my brain busy. I was trying to not think of adding another 15 seconds next week. And then 15 seconds the next week. So not good thoughts…

But I did start to think about why the same 2 minutes of doing different things feels, well, so different?

Hard things are just hard! Things that stretch you and push you to your limit are hard. Whether those things take 2 minutes or 2 months or 2 years, that time can feel like forever.

Until the timer goes off, and you realize you’ve just completed the 2 minutes. Or 2 months. Or 2 years. And you’ve accomplished your goal.

Then you realize it really wasn’t all that bad, and you’re feeling very excited that you accomplished something that was very difficult for you.

And you’re grateful you could actually complete your goal. Lots of people have goals they wish they could accomplish, but through no fault of their own, it’s just not possible. So now that I think about it, I’m actually pretty grateful I can plank for 2 minutes. And 2 minutes, 15 seconds next week.

And that’s my 2 minute perspective.