Do you enjoy testing yourself/pushing your limits?

Nyope, testing myself means pricking my finger to figure out whether I need insulin or glucose :-p I’m content to be a wimpy type 1 diabetic; most people would end up in the ER or dead in a week if they suddenly had my disease.

No.

I guess I’d have to say yes to that. That’s why I rock climb in spite of being too old, too short, and too fat (have you seen those skinny youngsters climbing?!?). And probably explains the motorcycle, too. I guess I need to get off my ass and start trail running again, too.

No…it’s actually a bit of a phobia for me. I don’t have much trust in my body and I always think I’m going to somehow mess it up further if I push it too hard. I try to take it easy and be nice to myself because that’s what I need.

I don’t think so, I’m a bit of a homebody.

Personally, no. I’m tempted to say that if you’re enjoying it, then you’re not really near the limit. Evolution has built into us all kinds of disincentives to keep us from playing around our limits.

This Radiolab episode is a fascinating look at what happens around the edges of our physical limits.

Which limits? I like to push the limits of my comfort. I want things to feel challenging. But I’m not into extreme challenges by any stretch of the imagination.

Physically, no. I realized just a few short years back that I’ve basically got 40yrs left if all goes well and I want to be able to be mobile and as pain free as possible. This means I don’t participate in a lot of stuff I see other 40+ people doing like injuring themselves and getting surgeries for parts due to running, golfing, rock climbing, etc. My husband is only mid 30’s and his body is a wreck from teaching rock climbing which he absolutely loved to do. The amount of pain he’s in daily isn’t something I want to risk for myself.

One of the best experiences for me was sailing on a racing team, last Summer. We got out on Lake Huron and everything was fine, but suddenly when the winds picked up due to the big Hurricane that year, we were riding 8 foot waves. Water crashing over the boat and into the boat; people being jostled all over the place and I had a woman grab onto my belt loops, so that I didn’t fall out of the boat. I was puking my guts out (shouldn’t have been down under in the cabin for so long talking to tinyfaery), and banged up pretty bad. But, when we finished the race and I had my feet on solid ground, I thought to myself “that was awesome”...

There are days that I am thrilled to do the chores of daily living; my knees tell me I have reached my limit, for the time being anyway.

I do, and it’s not always healthy. Funny, I was just talking about this a minute ago…

Sometimes.

What’s with the avatar?

Hell yes, although not in the same way as on the show you referenced. I like to push myself to do better in all my endeavors, sporting, creative, mastering myself mentally and physically. For me it keeps life interesting. If I don’t have a goal or a challenge or a task, I get bored and complacent. For me lethargy breeds lethargy and life is too short to watch it go by while sitting on the sofa.

Yes. BUT I’m not bad.

I’ve loved it since I was a kid. It’s fun to see how far you can go. We’d work to see who could wear out the other person.

Nah, not really. I like walking for long hours, but I don’t push myself to any limits. Maybe I should though, in case some dude with a hockey mask comes chasing after me.

@Symbeline A dude in a hockey mask would inspire me.

@Adirondackwannabe Yeah, that would probably motivate me, too.

@Symbeline I think we have a new exercise franchise. Screw Zumba or Pilates. A guy in a hockey mask with a knife is going to make us millions.

It depends. I got to do that in the military, and I get to do that at work (I’m a blue collar worker). There has to be a very specific reason (and motivation) though in order for me to push myself to the limits physically. It can’t be just for the sake of doing so, well maybe when I was 12, but definitely not now without a good reason. My job already keeps me in good physical shape.

I think it is great to physically push your self. It really builds character and self esteem as well. Whether you complete the objective or not, you always will learn something about your self. I wish I did it more often. Full marathon, or to start, a half marathon. Just this past weekend I had three tons of river rock delivered to my house. (Now you can call me naive,) but all I had to move the pile with was a shovel. I should have had a wheelbarrow. It was to this date one of the most physically challenging things I have done. But I would do it again in a heartbeat. I love a good physical challenge.

Yes

Boy, did I ever use to. Impossible did not exist, back then it was unwise to tell me the odds. I broke the rules to prove the odds wrong, that I was not normal. Almost supernatural. I had to win, otherwise, I’d never feel my self-worth. I had to be tested, I had to face the challenge set before me. Muscle and power of will was what got me through it. Of course, by the end of the day, I needed Tylenol to combat the pain after my body began to come down from the rush.

Oh my God. Why do I feel tears welling?
Yes. I always did what I wasn’t sure I could do. Well, it’s a little different today.