Activations: Prove It All Night

Everybody's got a hunger, a hunger they can't resist.
There's so much that you want, you deserve much more than this.
But if dreams came true, oh, wouldn't that be nice.
But this ain't no dream we're living through tonight.
Girl, you want it, you take it, you pay the price.
- From "Prove It All Night," by Bruce Springsteen

(Wherein insomnia sets in and I veer into early-morning JPD motivational writing territory).

One of the endearingly puzzling features of the YMCA spinning class led by Activeness' one and only JPD is the blurred line between the warmup, actual workout and cooldown. A few minutes into the class, your heart rate will be pushing 180 BPM and you'll be soaked in sweat while hammering through a set of intervals and JPD will look up and say, "The warmup is almost over." If that's the warmup...wow. Likewise the first few minutes of his cooldown can feel like a race simulation. But JPD's rationale, which makes sense, is, "Why waste 10 minutes of a 60-minute class not working hard?"

I tend to be a patient guy with a bit of a bleeding heart, but I lose that patience with people who are wasting their time on earth by not pushing themselves in some way. This could be through physical activity, at work, in class, on an instrument, trying something new, or just in improving their relationships. It's a question that haunts my thoughts every day: "Are you fulfilling your potential?"

If you're just coasting through life watching reality TV, perusing sales at the mall and not questioning the status quo, shaking things up a little, or pushing yourself to break through self-imposed barriers, then you probably won't appear on my current roster of friends. If you're part of this generation of Generation-Nexters who think you're entitled to adulation and the corner office just because you sit in your Aeron chair and look busy for eight hours a day, get over yourself. Showing up at the starting line and "waddling on" with the Penguin isn't enough. And if you're not happy with the results you're getting, the only direction your finger should be pointing is straight into the mirror.

Though I shy away from some of the type-A Racer Xs and Racer Xettes of the triathlon world — specifically those who have lost perspective on the importance of the sport — I always admire their extreme competency and absolute dedication. The mass competency on display at the starting line of a race can take your breath away. But if you don't do the hard work required to get ready for a race or even to prepare for a long run or ride with friends, you'll be exposed. No excuses and no shortcuts, just dead on the pavement. People have a variety of body types and abilities and time available for training, of course. But it's a level playing field when it comes to the willingness to put yourself out there and really try. There's something to that, and it used to be the American way. Waste not, want not, and make something happen. Instead, I look around and it seems like we've lost our way while wandering through Wal-Mart.

If you've ever spent a week as a patient in a hospital room or any time helping a loved one struggling with his or her health, you probably agree with JPD that we should be pushing hard for that extra 10 minutes.

If you want respect, earn it. If you have dreams, do the work and make the sacrifices to make them happen. You need to "prove it all night," as The Boss sings on his classic from Darkness on the Edge of Town, an album (remember those?) that got me through many a stationary bike (remember those?) ride in my parents' basement 22 years ago. The Boss is 58 now, but if you go 4 minutes into that YouTube video above I defy you to not get chills from his blistering guitar duel with Little Steven (Hey, he looks like that one guy from The Sopranos!). From what I've heard about his current tour, Bruce is still proving it all night, every night: Are you?