Greetings from S Padre TX in April 2019, where the wonderful wifey and I are hanging out with friends and getting in as many kiteboard sessions as we can (pre COVID, of course). 

Unfortunately, the weather has been 50% cooperative. We’ve seen rain every day, but that also means the wind is cranking. Two days ago, I popped up after 6 hours of sleep to hit the beach as we rolled into town at 2 am (huge thanks to Jodie for driving). 

To my dismay, it was raining. Hmmm, should I stay or should I go (cue The Clash). 

I was tempted to stay in and bitch about the weather- something I can’t control at all, thus falling into the wrong locus of control trap, but I pulled myself out.  

Other than wanting to kiteboard, why would I go out and get pelted by rain 70% of the time?

Uh oh. I am doing it again. I can’t control the weather. I can only control my actions related to it.  

Why did we drive 26 hours to SPI? To hang out and kiteboard! It is go time then.  

I opted to hit the beach and get out there as the wind was “light my balls on fire” cranking. Plus, the guys from Core kites were there doing demos, and maybe I could score a demo ride, test a new kite, and not have to rig any of my gear in the rain. Winning! 

I did just that and had a blast riding over 14 miles in about an hour – the max time I could take the kite out since it was a demo. It was super fun!

Fitness Lesson: Test Your Fitness Assumptions

I had tested this assumption before here—many times.  

I’ve been coming to S. Padre TX to kiteboard off and on since 2008 – over a decade now. I’ve been able to test a wide variety of conditions. I’ve had some of my best sessions ever (measured by the pure stoke factor – which is highly scientific) in the rain on a strong North wind. Therefore, there was a good chance the session that would be epic too. Either way, I could sit around being all pissy about it or test it. 

I hear ya – great, you don’t give 3/4ths of a hairy rat’s right glute med about kiteboarding.  

I would counter with:

1) You have not tested your fitness assumptions, and you need to take a lesson pronto to learn the most epic sport on the planet.

INSERT https://youtu.be/rGyUhDc7DAk

2) There is a fitness lesson here– go to the gym and test it. 

Even experienced lifters still have a hard time knowing when it will be a great session before setting foot in the gym. On the Iron Radio podcast the other day, myself, Phil, and Dr Lonnie each have been lifting for over two decades each, and we all agreed that the prediction of a killer gym session is still hit or miss. 

The Solution

Go to the gym, do your warm-up (I love RPR for that), do a few more warm-up sets, and see how it goes.   

I will bet you a stale gluten-free paleo puff that 90% of the time you will have a good session.  

It may not be the best session ever setting new PRs like Trump’s falling approval ratings… 

….but good enough to move you one step closer to your goal. And that is all you need to reach your goals in time.  

Day in and day out punch the clock with violent consistency. 

Summary

If you are not sure, test it. Go to the gym and see how it goes.  

Over time, you will gather more data to fall back on to help your decision process. 

Just like historically, some of my highest stoke days kiteboarding here in S. Padre TX have paradoxically been on days I am being pelted in the eye-sockets by rain; some of your best gym days are going to be when you don’t feel like going.  

Go anyway. Test your fitness assumptions. Be better.  

Dr. Mike
flexdiet.com
miketnelson.com