#10Beyond the comfort zone
By Thomas | posted on 16 August 2008 | 6 comments
The rendez-vous was set for 11am, so no one was surprised when the Vigroux brothers showed up half an hour late. They were meeting several other Parkourgenerations members for a coaches-only training session.
One thing i enjoy about training with Steph and Johann is the challenge factor that they always add to the training. I enjoy being pushed further, being under pressure and overcoming tricky difficulties, the kind that make the difference between a good session and a great one.
Being used to training alone, i'm often forced to try to create this state of mind by myself, but it's never like having a proper training partner.
"Johann said just after his first attempt: It's the kind of jump I would usually leave for later, but I was tired of that today so I decided to get on with it now "
As we were calmly getting along with our training, i noticed Johann standing on a short and thin wall, rehearsing in his mind a 3-steps running jump from that same wall to another one, far, FAR away. The distance as well as the short run-up on that narrow wall made it a tricky, and most of all scary jump.
So when Johann went for it and barely made it, i felt a mix of surprise, taunt, and anger : surprise because no one was expecting it (Johann said just after his first attempt : "It's the kind of jump i would usually leave for later, but i was tired of that today so i decided to get on with it now), taunt because it was a cool jump and i knew i would have to seriously have a try too, and anger because i was going to have to do something i hate and love at the same time which is going beyond my comfort zone.
Many traceurs, even very talented ones, have no idea what this means, as they never experience it. Most people make steady, comfortable progress and if they happen to come upon a challenge that raises a serious doubt in their mind, then they just move on and keep it for later, for when the doubt will no longer be there and they will be able to face the obstacle with the same feeling of comfort.
However, since my first days of Parkour training, i have been exposed to a different approach with these types of challenges. Call it grit, determination, or plain obsessiveness, the ability to face a tricky challenge and decide that today it will be overcome is in my opinion a state of mind essential to the practice of Parkour as i realise it's a direct road towards having complete control over our own mind.
I hadn't been challenged in this way for quite a long time so it pleased me quite a lot to hear Stephane say to Johann : "oh ok, you've raised the bar quite high today" before having a go too.
As I was having a look at it, i was a bit irritated by all the chatting and people moving around. Dan noticed and wisely reminded me it was part of the challenge...
I've always had trouble with running jumps and i couldn't manage to get the coup d'oeil and actually see myself doing the jump, it just seemed too far for me, so i did what i always do in this situation : i started making deductions, thus building reasons for me to be able to do the jump.
One by one, i covered the usual "ok i'm quite sure i can cover the distance, my precision is good enough too, i've done running jumps on narrow walls before, and if the other guys can do it, so can i".
I replaced each doubt I had by logical deductions until I had enough elements to know i could do the jump. From there, I just had to do the last and decisive effort. I exhaled a few times in short bursts, focused on each step and pushed on my leg as hard as i could, and made it to the other wall. As usual, i did it 2 more times to confirm that i could do it (once is never).
I was happy to have been pushed once more out of my comfort zone, the only moment i really feel i'm making true progress.
Labels: Training
About the Author : Thomas6 Comments:
Great post, I felt exactly the same thing on a big day on a Jam here in Portugal.
We just understand 100% when you recently felt the same thing, but sometimes just transfering the mental state to a paper in words, we can have a exactly sure what we were thinking and share with others.
West from Portugal (A2BFree.com)
Peace and good luck for trainings.
Most of people underestimate what they can physically do. In the end, the real challenge in only mental.
It is always easier to do stuff we know in our mind that we are going to succeed compare to stuff where we aren't sure of.
Going out of the comfort zone is the best way to grow and improve.
"Going out of the comfort zone is the best way to grow and improve."
Not always I disagree that you need to get out of your comfort zone, you don't need to, its good one time or another, but not everytime.
You need to be paciente, careful and when necessary in real life you will just use your comfort zone.
So keep it, sometimes get out of comfort zone, give you problems to you body cause no everyone have body to do it, we are talking just about things, we are no especifing any tip of body condiction, remember that and its more healthy.
Peace
Trés bien, mon intrépide ami..
I totally agre with the part you said about a proper training partner..
I miss your trainings, man.
Bon rapport.
Take care,
Cheers from Brazil.
Bruno Rachacuca.
Coming from you, Thomas, I can imagine how difficult this jump was.
The confort zone has been a intriguing issue for me. I really don´t know if its better to work beyond the boundaries of your confort zone or just expand the sphere of welfare progressively. Maybe, as Sebastião said, the right thing is to find a balance between the two things.
Good post man ..Like Bruno, I miss your trainings a lot too.
take care..
Arthur
By 
Arteba, at
1:03 am, August 18, 2008
coming as a challenge from Yo, I can imagine how difficult this was ;) he just have the eye to see some tricky moves... very nice post Thomas, thank you for that, hopefully we will all improve a lot until the next time we all train together :)
see ya!
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