When it comes to fitness there are no such things as “Impossibles”. There are only “can’t do YET but working on it”.

How many times have I heard people say “I can’t run”? Many. Last time I heard it was this morning at the school gates. A dad commented on my bright running kit and said “I wish I could run.” He looked fit. I’m sure he can run, just for some reason so many people think they can’t and they won’t even try. Or they try and feel like dying the first time and give up. I guess if you really HATE it, don’t do it, but if you like the idea and are willing to give it a go for a few months, I reckon you CAN run. Just remember to run slowly at first (Running 101: Slow down).

Anyway, I didn’t actually plan to talk about running, I planned to talk about the “impossibles” in general. I think when it comes to fitness, everything is just a matter of time. Can’t run a sub 50 minute 10k yet? I bet you will if you work on your running and keep it up. It might take you several years like it took me but it’s not impossible.

In Crossfit I have a looooong list of things that I can’t do yet. They do seem impossible right now but I know that there is no such thing. I just can’t do them YET.

Why am I being such an optimist? Am I not turning 40 in a couple of years? How could I ever think that I can do the things that I see really fit 20 year olds do?

Because: a) In the two years that I’ve done Crossfit I have already crossed off several “impossible” things from my list and b) There are some very, very fit 40+ year olds out there and I’m going to try my hardest to be one of them one day!

Every time I manage to do something that has seemed impossible, I’m actually very surprised. Maybe because I was totally not sporty at all until I was in my mid-20s and my mind is stuck in the mode of “but you’re not sporty!”

I’ve been running for 5 years now and doing Crossfit for 2, but I’m still totally surprised that I can run 5km in 21 minutes, I’m surprised that I can run 10km in 46 minutes and a half marathon in 1:44. I’m surprised that I can climb a rope, do a chin-up, a couple of kipping pull ups, that I can back squat 85kg and dead lift 102kg.

ALL of these things were in the list of “impossibles” at the back of my mind not so long ago.

And let’s mention the most “impossible” thing of all – the Crossfit double under. I have been trying to figure these things out for 2 freaking years. That means two years of whipping my arms and my ankles (that hurts, by the way) and all the time feeling that progress was very, very minimal.

A few months ago my brain all of a sudden got it. After 2 years! I can’t explain it, I can’t tell you HOW to do a double under, I just know that because I’ve been trying and trying, something has finally clicked and I’m ecstatic!

Here’s proof. 40 double unders in one go (43 is my PB at the moment; 2 months ago it was 15 and that I did ONE time in Australia last year, usually I didn’t get past 5). My face at the end says it all – “did I really do that?!?!”

For 2015 my list of “can’t do yet but I’m working on” includes:

Pistols (squats on one leg at a time)
Overhead squats (this one needs me to sort out my ankle mobility)
5 strict chin ups
Kipping (for toes to bar and for pull ups)
Handstands

I cannot do any of these things right now and they do seem impossible. However, I know it’s just a matter of time and I’m in no rush because the process of learning is a lot of fun.

What’s on your list of “can’t do yet but are working on”? What are the things in that list that you’ve ticked off in the last year?

challenges double-unders

January 7, 2015 By mind matter project

Stephanie @ A Magpie in the Sky

January 9, 2015 at 4:28 pm

Great idea, my first one is ‘go skiing and enjoy it’ I think I’ll work on some more.

Tess @ FitBits

January 8, 2015 at 10:46 pm

I bloody love this post, you’re so right. We can do anything we want to if we want it hard enough, nothing is impossible. On my list is a sub20 5k, sub2 half marathon (both of which will be mine this year). A 4:30 marathon (possibly this year), 10 unassisted pull ups (can’t do any yet, working on the machine), single leg squats – I actually have quite a list of things I can’t do yet because of a dodgy knee but I’m working on strength and conditioning to be able to do everything I want without fear of pain.

Good luck with your goals, and well done on the double under!

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MrsB
January 9, 2015 at 9:30 am
A great list! You have done some crazy schtuff in the past, like the boxing, any more of that kind of craziness in the list as well?

Autumn

January 7, 2015 at 7:08 pm

This is a fantastic post and a great example of what you can achieve if you work hard and stick with something. Congrats on the double-unders!

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MrsB
January 9, 2015 at 9:24 am
What’s on your list for this year? 🙂

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Autumn
January 9, 2015 at 10:14 am
A sub-40 10K! Seems impossible at the moment, but we both know that it doesn’t have to stay that way 🙂

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MrsB
January 9, 2015 at 10:20 am
Oooh! SUPER ambitious! I like that 😀

Lauren (@PoweredbyPB)

January 7, 2015 at 4:34 pm

Great post. I had been trying to break sub 25 at parkrun for the last year or so, and finally cracked it on Jan 1st after a solid month of hard work doing advent running/marcothon.

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MrsB
January 9, 2015 at 9:24 am
Well done!!! One of my ‘things to do in 2015’ is to take part in a park run. I know where they are locally but have never dragged my bum out of bed early on a Saturday morning to do it. They look like a lot of fun though.

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totkat
January 10, 2015 at 12:26 pm
Let me know when you do – I’m assuming your local would be Wimbledon Common? It’d be great to see you there. I should be back running enough to be there in about mid-March though it’ll likely be both very slow and with a bit of walking involved still.

Beki @MissWheezy

January 7, 2015 at 1:09 pm

Love it! I also feel that same surprise when I achieve something I didn’t think possible- I was always the asthmatic chubby bookworm not a “sporty” person! Swimming (front crawl) is my “impossible” at the moment- but one day I will learn to 🙂

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Tess @ FitBits
January 8, 2015 at 10:51 pm
Beki I couldn’t swim front crawl at all and had a few lessons and practiced 2-3 times a week and now can do a length, have a short break and do another. I still can’t do 2 in a row, but it’s totally all down to practice. Get lessons, it’s amazing when it finally clicks!
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MrsB
January 9, 2015 at 9:23 am
I tried front crawl for the second time in my life last week – it’s bloody hard! My husband said I’m flapping around a lot and I can’t properly breathe in from my right 😐 It’s hard to practice that one though when the pool is crowded, I don’t want to whack into everyone else! When I have room I will keep trying though, a year ago I wouldn’t even put my head under water so the fact that I now own goggles and will swim breaststroke with my head going under means I CAN advance in my swimming 🙂

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totkat
January 10, 2015 at 12:29 pm
Good work!

Oh yes, a full pool is quite a turn-off. If you have the flexibility of time, I’ve found pools tend to be quiet around 11am (I used to take my work “lunch break” at that time to take advantage of an empty gym and pool.)

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MrsB
January 12, 2015 at 8:56 pm
Outdoor pool was empty on Sunday – too cold for the locals. Only the Estonians jumped in (me and my mother :).

Jem

January 7, 2015 at 11:57 am

Nice work!

On my list? A pull up. It was actually one of the main reasons I started lifting – to build up my upper body strength enough to do it – but I’ve still not managed it. I don’t know if my form is wrong or if I’m still not strong enough, but I will keep bloody trying until I crack it.

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MrsB
January 7, 2015 at 12:03 pm
I took me 18 months to be able to do 1 strict chin up. 6 months later I can still do just 1, maybe 2 on good days. Those things take FOREVER to be able to crank out!