Topic: Most difficult obstacle?

[Muse_of_Fire]

My greatest obstacle is myself. It's not even in the category of fear... it's that my first assumption is always that I "can't" do something; that I need it simplified or made smaller, or that my default is weakness. This is incredibly destructive and I suspected it for much of my life but only really started seeing it in sharp definition when I started parkour. Arguably it makes me the safest traceuse on the planet but it also means I have some major mental baggage with stuff and this slows my progress.

I first *really* started to see it last week, actually, when I was training with Chad. We were doing deadlifts with kettlebells and I chose these little weights, like 12kg. Chad was all, "You can do more than that. Here, take these," they looked huge to me, I said, "Those are too heavy for me," and he asked, "How do you know? Did you even try them out?" I picked them up and they were heavy, but Chad made me do the deadlifts with them. I did fine! They were a challenge but they were definitely doable. Afterwards I realized I had deadlifted 106 lbs. for all the reps of the day. That was the first moment I realized that maybe I really was stronger than I thought.

This has really changed my thinking--for instance when a recent workout called for HSPUs, instead of thinking automatically, "Oh, I should work up to these," and assuming they were beyond me, and going for the scaled-down exercise, I thought, "Hey, I should just try one and see if I can do them." I ended up doing two! They were hard, and kinda wobbly, but I did them. And I discovered I could do something way beyond where I was assuming I could.

I don't know where I picked up this habit of putting limits on myself, but for me, the obstacles I put up in my mind and heart against my own progress are the toughest to overcome. Rationally, it's a really stupid thing. I mean, why wouldn't I believe in myself and encourage myself? It's not like I have self-esteem problems, but I just assume that I am this weak little thing all the time, way deep down inside; which is counter to everything I stand for in terms of female equity, etc. Heh--the men in my life have all been a thousand times better at believing in my capabilities than I have. Isn't that silly?

[edgey]

Vaulting high things

[Lydia Cloak]

I have to put my hand in for the fear vote as well. So much of the stuff I know I can do physically, but it's the mentality that I struggle with. I try to visualize myself doing a monkey stand onto a picnic table say, and all I can visualize are my feet clipping the bench and the many places my face will probably land. However, when I actually do it, I could. It's just a matter of jumping that first time. Mind you, I have smashed my knees multiple times, but the only actual wipe out was when I was doing a jump to a bar that was diagonal and the side of my knee went full speed into a metal pole on the side. Ironically, that's not what I kept visualizing as the wipeout potential. But yes, fear is by far the biggest one for me.

Oh..my..god! That is SO annoying, haha.

I hate when you just get over the mental block of something, and then you go to do it and have perfect form but clip your knee or shin, and end up limping around for a little bit until the pain goes away. It's terrible.

Oh I know. Lol. Can only limp it off. Even worse when people laugh at you for limping. Lol. The motivation factor kind of disappears for a little while after that.

[Thor_300]

My greatest obstacle would have to be the police. Around where I live they frown on parkour. And I'm not even doing anything illegal. I have respectfully asked officers what I was doing wrong and could get no conclusive answer. It's a long drive to go somewhere where I don't have to worry about the police.

[Derik (QuikSilva) DaSilva]

My greatest obstacle is myself. It's not even in the category of fear... it's that my first assumption is always that I "can't" do something; that I need it simplified or made smaller, or that my default is weakness. This is incredibly destructive and I suspected it for much of my life but only really started seeing it in sharp definition when I started parkour. Arguably it makes me the safest traceuse on the planet but it also means I have some major mental baggage with stuff and this slows my progress.

I first *really* started to see it last week, actually, when I was training with Chad. We were doing deadlifts with kettlebells and I chose these little weights, like 12kg. Chad was all, "You can do more than that. Here, take these," they looked huge to me, I said, "Those are too heavy for me," and he asked, "How do you know? Did you even try them out?" I picked them up and they were heavy, but Chad made me do the deadlifts with them. I did fine! They were a challenge but they were definitely doable. Afterwards I realized I had deadlifted 106 lbs. for all the reps of the day. That was the first moment I realized that maybe I really was stronger than I thought.

This has really changed my thinking--for instance when a recent workout called for HSPUs, instead of thinking automatically, "Oh, I should work up to these," and assuming they were beyond me, and going for the scaled-down exercise, I thought, "Hey, I should just try one and see if I can do them." I ended up doing two! They were hard, and kinda wobbly, but I did them. And I discovered I could do something way beyond where I was assuming I could.

I don't know where I picked up this habit of putting limits on myself, but for me, the obstacles I put up in my mind and heart against my own progress are the toughest to overcome. Rationally, it's a really stupid thing. I mean, why wouldn't I believe in myself and encourage myself? It's not like I have self-esteem problems, but I just assume that I am this weak little thing all the time, way deep down inside; which is counter to everything I stand for in terms of female equity, etc. Heh--the men in my life have all been a thousand times better at believing in my capabilities than I have. Isn't that silly?

I feel like I typed this. Along with the fear obstacle, I should be looking for the thread titled "Easiest obstacle" lol. That would be a hard one to find.

[Adam Doll]

I was wondering when someone would bring up fear.  This is one of my obstacles as well, especially for kong vaults. 

when I roll, accidentally smacking my head on concrete

Yeah, this is definitely one of my fears too!  Either of hitting my head or destroying my shoulder.  I guess I just need to practice my rolls more till I feel confident.

chuck norris.

-definitely one of the tougher obstacles   

Anyway, I appreciate the responses.  I did find some helpful threads about chain link fences then.

[max eisenberg]

walls