Me Vs. Me
“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.” – Bruce Lee
Let’s go back a few weeks, October 2021 was physically a big month, virtual 10k, an impromptu Marathon, and my first live race in 2 years.
THESE ARE MY GOALS!
These were not my goals 12 years ago, I had no goals, I had no target, I just… was… I was not happy!
I knew I didn’t want to be that fat dad, the one embarrassed on the sidelines or in the stands because he feels uncomfortable playing ball with his 8-year-old. My kids were a few years away still, but I knew it was coming. I lucked out into some group training, fell in love with it all, and well now… BOOM! Here we are.
Goal 1: Don’t be Fat Dad - accomplished!
Fast forward several years, looking for something new, I started to run, it happened slowly, I did it mostly on my own. As was mentioned in the last blog, I asked for help and then had a good friend as a running partner. A few months later, we did it! And then it became standard and consistent!
Goal 2: Run 5 Kilometers straight - accomplished
Running then became my love, my reason to train in other areas, to be strong so that I could run strong, but I had no goals.
Maybe that’s where you are right now?
They come and go, you create one, go after it, accomplish it, and then what?
Easy, find another goal to destroy!!
This all may be person to person, but I find it a bit hard to move on to that next goal. I struggle with, “Do I want to up my level, or do I want to move on completely and try something new?” That is 100% up to you. My question to you would be, “Did you have fun taking on that last challenge, do you want more of that?”
When it came to running, my answer was “YES!” That is when I BECAME A RUNNER! It was the thing I wanted to do, the base in which 90% of my fitness from and where I target my goals. I ran my first race, became hooked on those, and signed up for my first half-marathon... GLOBAL PANDEMIC! Race postponed, then canceled. I decided okay fine, I’ll do it on my own.
Goal 3: Run a Half-marathon - accomplished
Now is when I will share my struggles, you will have them so why not be open and honest. I didn’t know what to do next, that was my goal and I did it. There were no races to set up and plan for, what do I do, I was in a holding pattern, I was bummed. I just kept at it, I ran 5 more in the course of the year that followed and set a new goal for 2021, 2,400 kilometers. In my mind, doable, 200 kilometers a month, for a regular runner like myself, easy! Cue the broken collarbone, and the surgery, and the 8 weeks off, and the stir-crazy sadness and mild depression.
I’m happy to say even with the time off and a few months to go, I am ahead of schedule, to the point that next year we will be altering and upping the goal (as long as there are no more injuries). Within this goal, I was able to set and plan for another.
I AM GOING TO RUN A MARATHON!
I found a program, started following it, had some setbacks, and pushed through. The weather changed, I had more time to myself with the kids in school, and well my run partner did her first a month before (we’re competitive). I got it done, not to the time I wanted, it was harder than expected, but I did it and now I know I can do it again!
Goal 4: Run 2,400 Kilometers in a year - in progress
Goal 5: Run a Marathon - Accomplished
I’m not trying to brag about what I have done, I would much rather hear your accomplishments. I get so excited when my run groups hit new milestones, I jump for joy when a client comes back to a session or class with talk of more energy or they’re down a few pounds. My favorite thing to hear is “I did this at home on my own because of what we are doing here together”, it lights up my heart!
Find your goals, start with something attainable, start with something fun, start small and build.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." - Wayne Gretzky
