Complacency Kills

"Complacency Kills!" was a sign that was littered all over Al Taqaddum Iraq. Everywhere you walked, drove, or worked there was either a barricade, HESCO, or a white with red letter sign warning you of the dangers of complacency. The lack of attacks on base, coupled with support units that rarely went outside the wire and P.O.G. temptations such as a nice PX, chow hall, gym all lulled an unsuspecting service member into a state of bliss and relaxation making them forget their mission, fellow troops, and the fact that they were in a war zone.

The fact is, complacency does kill. I am not talking about strictly in a war or combat sense. It kills in our everyday lives, especially when training the mind and body. As silly as it sounds, the times in my life when I have been complacent, times when my life is on a winning streak and I can deal with my emotions, seem to be the worst time for training. I fall into this trap of being satisfied with results and find myself cutting workouts short, not maximizing my effort, or at times, not even working out at all. It is counter productive to what Ia m trying to achieve- to stay healthy in the mind and body.

However, when my body senses adversity, stress, and a losing streak around the corner somehow I am able to put myself into overdrive and train harder, longer, and faster then I have before. I'll do pushups until I can't do anymore, run or bike until my muscles are begging me to stop and take a moment to rest. It is no coincidence that the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) was one of my favorite parts of training. One could take their built up aggression and anger out on a series of drills that lasted anywhere from 5-15 minutes (15 minutes being with Gunny Ynfante) only to get a 30 second rest and move onto another equally exhausting and challenging drill. By the end, you were exhausted, you muscles ached, but your mind was clear. Stress, gone. Mind, clear. Body, feeling great. It kept you on your toes and didn't make you feel complacent for one second.

Now I am coming down the final stretch of my academic career and my mind and body are already telling me there are roadblocks and speed bumps ahead. They know, they are warning me that there are issues to deal with, challenges to overcome, and life altering decisions to be made. Like a good Marine, I will bitch and moan my way through these last few months becoming overly salty and sarcastic, but it will all be beneficial to training. The last thing I need to is have my body become complacent because complacency kills.

Workout for the past two days:

Tuesday:

65 minutes on the indoor trainer

Physio ball pushups- 4X25

Leg raises- 4X25

Physio ball crunches- 4X25

Wednesday:

65 minutes on the indoor trainer

Currently reading:

http://soundonsound.tumblr.com/

Currently listening to:

Tom Waits and Crystal Gaye- One From the Heart