Ah, the Hero’s Journey. A staple of not only fantasy literature, but an overarcing plot archetype that can be found in stories across time and culture and genre.
I have an English teacher friend who assures me that the Hero’s Journey is applicable to pretty much anything, and apparently the Internet agrees, because I found a strength-building workout called the Hero’s Journey and am now on Day 14 of my own take on this archetype.
Does this exercise program actually follow the classic Hero’s Journey? The answer is: kind of. The first few days can be interpreted as a Call to Action and a Threshold. It’s very loose, though. There’s certainly lots of challenges, which is no doubt the whole point of a workout program.
I’ll have to wait and see how it goes as the rest of the program goes on.
As for me, this program has been an interesting experience thus far. Some days are easy, some days are impossibly hard. In many ways I’m in better shape than I thought I would be. I don’t know if I can equate this program to a true Hero’s Journey, but I bet you the parallels are there: A Call to Action to start the program at all, a Refusal of the Call when you think maybe this isn’t actually for you, mentors in exercise partners (I’ve got my husband and a few friends doing it too), a Threshold when you commit.
Anyway, it’s been an interesting journey thus far (with many sore muscles, ow) and I shall see it to the end.
Ever gone on your own Hero’s Journey? Want to jump on my exercise bandwagon? (Day 12 was the best so far. Mmmm.)
I admire your ability to do these things. I’m so bad at exercise programs. I commit, and then I just stop talking to whomever I’m supposed to be accountable with. I have to go the no-thought way and just keep my step counter climbing.
I give you a lot of credit for doing this, Kit. Exercise programs for me never seem to stick. 🙁