Staying on Course

By: Coach Jeremy Warner

Patience is a virtue. A virtue I was taught in a harsh way once I arrived at Ft Benning GA on 6 September 2001. Now this will not be a story about how my life changed after the events that followed on September 11th or any of the million push-ups I did while waiting in never ending lines for the first few weeks of my enlistment. This is a story about staying on course. I enlisted with an Airborne Infantry contract, with the bright notion I would volunteer for the Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP) and then become one of the baddest mofos on the planet, a US Army Ranger.

Adversity being a constant thing on this journey, I was tempted many times to take an easier path. This easier path would not lead me towards the title of baddest mofo on the planet and therefore I could not submit to its lure. “Quit now” the instructors would say, we have openings in Germany and Italy. The weak minded would take the option and sign their name joining the ranks of the VWs (voluntary withdraw) who then moved into nicer barracks, got to hang out, eat chow and rest peacefully, before they headed off to a lesser unit in some seemingly exotic destination. “I must stay on course”, I reminded myself every chance I got of my goal and a renewed desire was instilled in me each time we heard tales of the missions those heroes before us were undertaking.

This is not much different than many of our fitness journeys. We must stay on course or run the risk of ending up in a lesser condition than we originally set our sails towards. There must be a daily reminder of why we set off on our journey, and our desire must be renewed as well with the motivation of others like us who have achieved what we strive for. Do not take the easy road. Do not get distracted by some other program or routine. Follow the one you began and enjoy the journey as you can only take it once. So to wrap this up, if you are on a program, follow the program. Stop trying to add stuff in, take stuff out, and modify or alter elements you do not enjoy, work hard and reap the rewards, or keep going in halfway and you will keep getting half of the satisfaction. See you in the box.