If I were to compare myself with a military vehicle, like a tank, then I think I find myself constantly going to battle with no fuel. This would be considered really stupid if you were a military commander. Send your tank crews into a heated battle, but give them no fuel to power their engines. This btw, is precisely why Rommel was defeated in North Africa during WWII. He consistently eviscerated the allied positions due to superior strategic planning, tactics with better equipment and better prepared soldiers. However, in the end it was lack of fuel that caused him to lose. That is correct, Hitler in all his supposed brilliance did not get petrol to the front lines to fuel is tank battalions. Oops.
Using that comparison, I find myself many times in this exact situation. I ask my mind and body to go to war for me, but forget to provide the fuel. Seems awfully dumb.
I am not just talking about food, although that is a really important consideration. Fuel can mean many things. Adequate rest, hydration, chi, whatever. If I am already tired and worn out and head into a big fight, then how am I going to perform at my best? If I was a tank commander, and my tanks needed repairing, then I would repair them. No brainer! However, how often do I start Monday morning already wiped out!
If I go and run 20 miles, there is no way I am going to perform well without enough fuel to complete the exercise. It is not just about the quantity of fuel, it is also about the quality of the fuel. If I eat a giant bowl of pasta at 5am and then try to run 20 miles, I will be leaving that pasta somewhere on the road during my run. I have to be careful about what and how much I fuel. I have learned that 100 calories from a clean source an hour is what I need to maintain a running pace of 6 miles in an hour. Increase the amount of miles, and I will find myself in rapid deficit. Mind you, the deficit will not cause me immediate failure. It will, however, cause me to perform worse and struggle more than I should.
So as I sit here on a Friday afternoon, and struggle to stay fully engaged in my work, I wonder did I fuel myself properly for a full day of work followed by entertaining my kids this evening? The answer is decidedly no. No wonder I am feeling sluggish by end of day, tired, grumpy and worn out. Temptation to overdose on caffeine and quick sugar hits kicks in when you are just not properly fueled. Temptation is to browse stupid websites to distract myself because I have ran out of emotional fuel to deal with my day.
Bottom line, perhaps I need to prepare for my task by fueling the tank. Maybe this is a new way to attack my plans for a week. How often do we consider the strategy for proper fueling when we consider what we are going to do today, or this week?
Guy Reams
