Crave the Praise

I admit fully that when it comes to group fitness, I need TLC. I’m not the type that can be given direction and then left to myself to compete in solo happiness. I need encouragement and critiques! In other words, I crave the praise.

Don’t get me wrong; it’s not like I need someone hovering over me whispering sweet nothings in my ear while I’m doing a push-up. I would just like to hear that I’m doing a good job when I’m doing a good job and constructive criticism when I’m doing something incorrectly. Is that too much to ask? Yes, I’m the gal who needs to hear that I’m on the right track. Some folks may not care either way; I am not one of those people. When I ran a marathon my pace was crazy faster than it was during training, and I chalk that up to two things: adrenalin and all of the encouragement I could hear from those around me. “Great job, Tish! You can do it! You’re killing it! Keep going!” It fueled me.

I’d hear these things and I’d get this HUGE smile on my face. I know I’m not alone in this craving either. They have a frickin’ app for folks like me for Pete’s sake! The Nike Running app allows you to receive cheers from friends on Facebook. If you choose to post your run on Facebook, people can like your status, which sends a magical message to your phone that someone is pushing for you. You hear roaring cheers every time someone likes or comments. It’s the best invention EVER.

Thank goodness for all the cheerers out there! Credit: lululemon athletica, Flickr

So what about you? Do you need motivating moments of verbal encouragement, or are you content with sweating to the beat of your own inner encouraging drum? —Tish