Do you have this kind of experience?

[Kung Fu Wang]

Someone said that if you walk 8 miles, for the

- 1st 4 miles, your body start to detect your problem.
- 2nd 4 miles, your body start to fix your problem.

Spending 4 days in driving from California back to Texas. Found out that there was a storm 2 weeks ago that knocked down many trees. My drive way was covered by broken trees and my car could not drive through. Next day I spent 9 hours work non-stop to use my eletric chainsaw to cut apart all the falling trees branches, dragged uphill, and put in piles.

At the end of the

- 2 hours, I felt tired.
- 4th hours, I started to feel better.
- 6th hours, I felt great.
- 9 hours, I felt not tired at all as if I could run for another 3 miles.

I have not done 9 hours non-stop hard labor work for many years. Not sure what I had felt was normal or abnormal.

Do you ever have this kind of experience?

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Of course. However, that has changed over time. I now find I can do physical work until I feel ill, and if I don't stop immediately, it will become a serious problem. But I do know exactly what you mean. I never liked to run in the Marine Corps, but I did it a lot. Once I got in good enough shape to get a 'second wind' while running, and that was a euphoric kind of high that continued as long as I ran at full speed for as long as I could. It was great and I do miss those days.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

to get a 'second wind'

I think "second wind" make a lot of sense. Also sometime we feel lazy may be because our minds and not because our bodies.

Some day I felt lazy and didn't like to work out. I decided just to take a 6 miles walking along the beach. During the

- 1st 2 miles, I still felt lazy.
- 2nd 2 miles, I started to get my energy back. I started to add kicks and punches along with my walking.
- last 2 miles, I started to feel great and ran for rest of that 2 miles.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I think "second wind" make a lot of sense. Also sometime we feel lazy may be because our minds and not because our bodies.

Some day I felt lazy and didn't like to work out. I decided just to take a 6 miles walking along the beach. During the

- 1st 2 miles, I still felt lazy.
- 2nd 2 miles, I started to get my energy back. I started to add kicks and punches along with my walking.
- last 2 miles, I started to feel great and ran for rest of that 2 miles.

This is me a lot of the time. I don't feel like going to the gym, and think I've got no energy. Force myself there, and suddenly discover I've got energy and go for an hour.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

This is me a lot of the time. I don't feel like going to the gym, and think I've got no energy. Force myself there, and suddenly discover I've got energy and go for an hour.

Do you think it's the mind, or the body?

If it's the mind, we can force ourselves to change our minds. If it's the body, may be we should listen to our bodies.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Do you think it's the mind, or the body?

If it's the mind, we can force ourselves to change our minds. If it's the body, may be we should listen to our bodies.

I can't speak for everyone, but for me it's mostly mind to begin with, then my body gets the energy.
Coincidentally, it's also why I go for walks during my lunch. I've found that beforehand my mind/body feels very tired, but after I walk, my mind is more focused for the rest of work.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Do you think it's the mind, or the body?

If it's the mind, we can force ourselves to change our minds. If it's the body, may be we should listen to our bodies.

Endorphins, mostly. The subconscious recognizes that you're not going to stop making demands that cause pain, so it gives the mind and body some happy drugs to get through it.

 

[Steve]

 

[_Simon_]

Yeah great question KFW, has happened alot for me personally. There are sort of 2 reasons I've come across.. one is more psycho-spiritual so to speak. When engaging in a vigorous activity it feels very energy-sapping when it's unwanted or forced, but when you let go of all resistance to the task, totally and unreservedly, you tap into something deeper that fuels you that's not reliant on some vague notion of willpower or the mind. Many call it being "in the zone" or in a flow state", but yeah it's incredible when it comes about as you just have endless energy and it's purely joyous. You're so engaged in the task and not energising any narratives the mind comes up with, so you tap into a deeper reserve.

And secondly there's often talk of motivation and energy not coming from before the task itself, but is generated or recognised once you start. That is, you don't get motivated, and THEN do a task. But when you just start the task (even only the smallest bit), you sort of wake up your body and its energy reserves. Your body "generates" or finds energy in response to the task itself. That's why starting small is hugely powerful, in any endeavour in life I reckon.

 

[Balrog]

Someone said that if you walk 8 miles, for the

- 1st 4 miles, your body start to detect your problem.
- 2nd 4 miles, your body start to fix your problem.

...snip...

That's not a bad concept. We humans are far more prone to sitting on our butts instead of working our butts off. So when we start doing something that puts stress on ourselves and makes us work and sweat, we start off slow and then kick up into high gear. At the beginning of class, we moan and groan (silently!), but by the end of class, we are like, "What? Class is over already? I can go another hour!"

I personally think it's a combination of increased strength and vitality, mixed with a healthy shot of exercise endorphins, all of which are GOOD things!