Are you training for the fight of your life?
/Training for your RED LINE
Are you training for the fight of your life?
By: Monica Eaton
If not, what do you expect to happen when that day comes? It’s not if, it’s when. At some point in your life, a youth sports coach pushed you to the point of dry heaving, maybe even throwing up. I remember those days as a competitive gymnast growing up. I dreaded cardio, because I sucked at it. But it made me better. Enduring long cardio sessions in the gym successfully prepared me for competition. When I saluted the judge and began my routine, I was confident in my abilities to perform as I had practiced.
Practicing for competitive sports seems like a no-brainer. Everyone knows it is hard to be successful in athletics without putting in the hard work.
As adults, we somehow lose the mentality of, “practice makes perfect,” and we begin to do the bare minimum. We groan at the thought of the next in-service training day and grudge through death by PowerPoint with caffeine in hand.
How sad is it that most cops hate training days? We neglect to train for a job that can kill us on any given day. It becomes harder to train for life, rather than a competitive sport. The two don’t seem to compare when put into that perspective.
Just like competitive sports, you have to push your limits in training, to know what they are. You need to know what your shooting accuracy is in a perfect setting to know that under stress, accuracy will diminish. You need to know how long you can last in a ground fight in training, before you can successfully win a fight on the street.
This is training for your “red line.” Your red line is your ultimate limit of your physical and mental capacity.
When going for a run, you get to the point where your brain says, “Stop, I need a break.” That is your red line. Being able to find that place and continue to keep going is how you train to win the fight. It is just as much mental as it is physical. When the time comes to fight for your life, you will recognize what the red line feels like, and you will be able to assess whether you can keep going or need to reach for lethal force.
If you grew up training 20 hours a week for competitive sports, you can devote an hour a day toward training for the profession that could kill you. Get in a daily workout, go roll or spar in a martial arts gym, hit the gun range once a month, prioritize sleep and a healthy diet.
Taking one hour each day to better yourself isn’t much. Small habits add up over time. You deserve to invest in yourself. To ensure you go home at the end of each shift. Don’t wait. Start now.
Monica Eaton is the owner/CEO of Five-0 Fierce and Fit which creates online nutrition and fitness programs designed to help female first responders lose fat, gain strength and take back their confidence in 90 days because “your family depends on you to be fit for duty.” Using her six-year Oklahoma law enforcement experience along with her 15-year background in fitness and nutrition she helps female first responders reach their full potential in life and career. Look her up on Instagram @five0.fierce.and.fit.
