Let’s play a little game of “one of these things is not like the other.”

While the words can be and are used somewhat interchangeably, and I’m not here to be the semantics police, there is a distinct difference between a workout and training.

A workout is generally a session of exercise that has a very limited scope and purpose. It is a standalone unit, its primary purpose and vision not reaching much further than “getting a good sweat on,” moving around for a bit, burning some calories, and perhaps creating a sense of accomplishment. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with sweating or energy expenditure or feeling accomplished, but it’s short-sighted and hardly a sustaining practice. A “good workout,” for example, will be judged by how much sweat it produced or how hard it felt, not by the adaptations it drove or whether it pushed the needle forward.

Training, on the other hand, is defined by a greater purpose. Training for a sport, for a job, for some targeted element of life or self-improvement. Training is systematic, planned, and purposeful. Its roots in measurable progress make it a practice that can be sustained and built upon indefinitely. Each day is a piece of the larger puzzle, working towards something more than the feelings that can be achieved in the moment. And while this may sound like something grandiose and reserved just for the professionals, it’s as accessible (and significant) for the layperson like you and me as it is for the elite athlete. It is the ticket to making change, not just punching the clock. The purpose may be something as simple as “be a healthier and more capable mother” or “be better at running,” but the fact that it is geared to a larger purpose makes it a more powerful practice than a workout could ever be.

I think it goes without saying that we’re here to train. The good news is, everything that you get from a workout you will get from training, and more. Keep moving the needle, folks.

- PS

11/3/17

• 1k row time trial

Then...

• Every 2 mins for 16 mins

• 100m sprint