Going the distance

For years I have been a long distance runner...

One of the main reasons running is my "thing" is because of how much it reminds me that all of life requires patience, practice, and discipline--over and over and over and over again.  Running is great perspective.


I began running in high school.  I did well for our school, but never really put in the effort to be great.  I could show up at a 5k and submit a sub 19 minute time almost every time.  After graduation, I stopped--though I think about what could have been a lot.

During my senior year (or super senior year) in college I started running again.  I decided that I liked it, and it was good exercise.  From that point on I began entering the occasional 5k, then 10k.  I capped myself to doing nothing more than the 10k for several years.

In 2009 I ran my first half marathon, and again in 2010.  I remember thinking that 13.1 was crazy.  I was asked afterwards if I would ever consider doing a full--my answer was "no way".  Well, last weekend I finished my first (and NOT last) full marathon.  Did I just say that?  26.2 miles of running is insane!

Back to perspective:

We all have hopes and dreams, but many of us fail to ever reach them.  Many times we simply allow those dreams to remain a dream, convincing ourselves that it will never be possible.  Sometimes we set a goal to reach a dream by a specific date, but never allow it to gain any traction by neglecting to take action. 

Making a dream reality is like finishing a race--you have to have a plan.  You don't go run 26.2 miles without having readily prepared to do so.  In my case, I spent years getting up the courage to run a full marathon.  Once I decided to do it, I had 16 weeks of intense training.  I had a very specific plan that, if followed correctly, would yield success.

The issue that most of us face is not dreaming the dream, or even deciding to reach for it.  The roadblock we often run into is the "training", the diligent work, the practice, patience, and discipline over and over and over again.

A dream is just a dream, a goal just a goal, a vision just a vision--unless YOU are willing to breath life into it in the form of action.

6 simple steps to going the distance:

1) Dream it
2) Set a "complete by" date (this could be days or years)
3) Determine what disciplines need to be in place (what you do daily, weekly, monthly to stay on track)
4) Set small goals along the way (you'll need a "win" or two to keep you motivated)
5) Revisit the original plan, track action to your disciplines--make adjustments (allow yourself to call an audible)
6) Cross the finish line (you may even get yourself a medal!)

Planning and doing, planning and doing, planning and doing--that's all it is.  Now go out there and win!  Remember: Life is a marathon, not a sprint.