Face it until you make it? That’s not a typo, it’s a timely message from Peloton instructor Marcel Dinkins that hit me right where I am on my fitness journey.
Face It Until You Make It
So, what did Marcel mean? The first point is that when it comes to fitness—and running in particular—you can’t really fake it until you make it to the level you want to be. You might be able to “fake” a faster pace for a few minutes, but unless it’s part of an intentional intervals program, running faster just because you have a certain pace in mind is not going to help your body be in condition to run faster. You’re more likely to burn out too soon and not be able to finish your planned run at any pace.
The second point is that if you do face where you are, and do the work it takes to get from where you are to where you want to be, you will make it. You can’t really fake it until you make it, but if you face up to it you can achieve your goals.
I’ve shared similar messages from Jess Sims—I guess great coaches think alike, or maybe they just all know how stubborn runners can be. 😉
Weekly Run Down
Continuing my mission to find a Peloton program that works for me, this week I tried Tunde’s Split + Ride program.
This program ticked several boxes: the classes are 45 minutes, there are only 3 classes per week, and the cardio is on the bike versus the treadmill. Each class has about 20 min strength paired with a 20 min ride, programmed to complement the strength focus. Monday is lower body + climb ride, Wednesday is upper body + progression ride, Friday is full body + intervals ride.
I liked it enough to plan to do it again next week.
Sunday: I finally took Hannah F’s Carnival ride. She shared that the “tradition” of having a Carnival ride started during Covid, when the IRL Notting Hill Carnival celebration was cancelled and she wanted to bring some fun into what was really a dark time.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: I followed Tunde’s split + ride. I find it much easier to transition to the bike and get pedaling than getting going on the treadmill.
Tuesday: I hit the snooze button hoping the rain would move out so I could take Scooby for a run, but once I realized that wasn’t going to happen I took him for a very wet walk and then hopped on my tread.
I took the walk breaks in Andy’s walk + run class, but shortened them to ~ 30 seconds and ran at a very easy pace until the next “run” interval.
Thursday: OMG it was in the low 50s! I know I run in short sleeves at that temperature, but it takes some convincing ever year when the seasons change. I opted for light-weight long sleeves that I didn’t regret because it was really breezy.
Saturday: We are only supposed to get the remnants of the Nor’easter pummeling the Northeast, but I watched the clouds rolling and felt a steady wind on this run. Other than that, it was a great run—I’m definitely making progress from where I am.
LOL at my crazy hair!
A huge thank you to Deborah and Kim for hosting the Weekly Run Down link up.
Can you believe it’s almost time for the October Ultimate Coffee Date? Please join us on Friday!
![The Ultimate Coffee Date](http://got2run4me.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ultimate-Coffee-Date.png" "The Ultimate Coffee Date")
These instructors come up with some great quotes! “Face it until you make it” makes a lot of sense when you’re trying to hit a goal.
Tunde’s Split + Ride sounds like a great fit for you, strength plus bike is a great combo when you’re coming back from an injury. How long are your outdoor runs?
It’s an efficient workout! On the treadmill I’m logging 3+ miles, my weekday loop is 3-4 miles, and my current weekend loop is 5+ miles. 🙂
Looks like we both found what we need right now from Peloton. Start where you are is always a great intention. I also did Tunde’s split for a week a while ago and it’s a great combo and efficient training. Enjoy!
Glad you found Tunde’s Split + Ride workout to fit what your needs. It appears to be a 3-class program. What do you have planned next? Does she have other similar programs?
We got lucky with the Nor’easter not coming as far inland. I wish we had cameras at our house on the Outer Banks. I would love to see how far the water came up – or maybe I wouldn’t…
The idea is to repeat these programs for 4-6 weeks, so I will do Tunde’s again this week.
I do hope your house in the OuterBanks is OK — is it right on the ocean? I saw photos of flooded streets in Bethany (DE).
Face it until you make it is very useful in a lot of areas of life! Very spot on in training contexts. I’m glad you found a workout setup that you like!
I’m not a fan of those drops in temperature. We have cool mornings but still very nice temps during the day up to 18-20C some days. I like it like this so you get to get used to it. It’s depressing if it gets cold too fast.
Glad to hear that you are making progress! That’s a great quote–really just another way of saying don’t give up. I like it. I’m sorry to hear that you’re getting some remnants of the Nor’easter! Yikes.
That’s the perfect quote not just for working out, but for so many areas of life. I’ve always been so intrigued by peloton, and you make it hard to resist! That I really love running and being outside, so I have a hard time convincing myself that I need one. Plus I already have an indoor bike, and a treadmill, so do I really need the app?
Yes, you can’t really “fake” running paces. I mean you can but you’ll pay for it later! Sounds like you’re doing well with starting where you are and working at it.
Glad you’re only getting remnants of that storm!