Theory: Metallica to Mozart: For training purposes only.
Hold tight you guys…I know you are thinking that Chad has gone off his rocker (further). Hear me out. Today I did my standard early walk. Yes, I was on the hunt for the latest #DailyDog. Got home, made a quick lunch, and then headed to the gym. I have several playlists that I listen to. One is Metallica. When I really want to shred it, Metallica just does it for me. Mozart, on the other hand, gets me in work or sleep mode.
Here’s the connection: Two songs really made me realize that sometimes the benefits of going at it hard, and going at it slowly, (Get your mind out of the gutter) can mutually exist, at the same time. You have to go slow to go fast. I’ve had this coaching methodology for years. One day easy, the other day hard, adding days off, etc. However, these existed in the SAME workout.
My mind has been in such a state of heightened awareness lately. Every experience is next level. (This story is yet to come.) My workouts in the gym and the bike? LFG!!!!! Today I realized that I needed to chill the hell out IN THE WORKOUTS. I had Metallica's “The Struggle within” playing. Crushing it.
It hit me. Chad, chill out. Embrace the moment. Don’t just power through everything in hopes of getting results. I shuffled through my list and saw Mozart. I don’t listen to Mozart a lot. Well, rarely. But, I am a fan of Jazz, lo-fi, and other chill-beat music. I saw the song “Gran Adagio” (at a slow tempo) and played it. Yup, that got me locked BACK in. Chilled me out. Re-focused. Ready to go, again.
Music can and usually delivers metaphors for life. The past 3-5 years I have grown so much. The old saying goes, “With great power comes responsibility”. I want to embrace everything with light-speed and at a slow tempo.
The intro to “The Struggle within”: “Reaching out for something you've got to feel
While clutching to what you had thought was real”. I’m real now. I wasn’t in the past.
I hope you will approach your training, work and life with vigor and passion, but also realize that taking it “Gran Adagio” is good too!
Tailwinds,
Chad