The MMA Fighter, My Friend Mario, and Mr Ego
How two very different people ran into the same problem, and how you can avoid it
I have an Italian friend, Mario, who started doing the Sendyka Method. Last week he called me and asked me a question that reminded me of one of my Buy Me a Coffee supporters - a former MMA fighter. He’s trying to get back in shape without slipping into the punishing training schedule he used to hate. He’s learned to appreciate the DSY principle and the calming rhythm of slow jogging. But as he told me, “Mr Ego always creeps in, and before I know it, I’m in SY territory.”
Recently, he tried to spice up his slow jog by shadowboxing with punching combinations. Heart rate–wise, it was like running. And, unsurprisingly, he ended up wiped out.
That’s almost exactly what happened to my friend Mario, who said:
“In the beginning, all I could do was slow jogging, I couldn’t go faster. Now that I’m fitter, sometimes with music or when my mind wanders, I notice I speed up. Is it okay to do that now?”
I told him the only reliable measure for slow jogging speed: personal exertion level. How do you feel during and after?
Mario thought about it.
“No. Then I feel it for the rest of the day.”
“Well, there’s your answer.”
So here’s the reminder: if you feel stronger and Mr Ego - or decades of conditioning to push harder - creep back in, resist it. You can go faster, sure. But that doesn’t mean you should.
If you’re itching to do something more (like the MMA fighter), here’s the advice I gave him (and Mario too): add 2 short sprints of about 20 seconds each (or even 2 x 10s to start). They’ll take the extra energy off, strengthen your heart, lift your energy levels - and make you appreciate the ease of slow jogging for the rest of the time.
I’ve written more about how short sprints can complement slow jogging before (giving you all sorts of benefits without the strain), and why just 2 is enough. That piece is available for my Buy Me a Coffee supporters. If you’d like to dive deeper, you can find it here. If you stick with what’s here, you already have the essentials. The supporter piece goes into extra detail of how and why for those who want more and it’s also my way of saying thanks to those helping to keep this project alive.
Vive la résistance! 😏