box of inspiration, Jason Rogers
Have you ever taken five minutes to wonder what you could accomplish if you set you mind to it? Have you ever wanted more out of life? Our more out of your career? Our just simply reflected on what you dreamed of doing with you life when you were 20? What happened?
Yes I know the story all too well. You are married right out of college. Have kids by the time you are 25 and are in a career that, well, it pays the bills. Before you know it you have put on a few extra pounds after polishing off those fries your daughter left in her Happy Meal. Our not going for that run because you had to watch the baby.
It’s a vicious cycle we live in sometimes but its one we can control. We can get up an hour early and go for a run in the morning. We can stop wolfing down a 1,500 calorie fast food meal at lunch and go for a walk instead. Next time you go to the mall you can park way the hell out in the overflow parking, or park on the opposite end of the mall from the store you want to go to so you have to walk the whole mall. Eat a vegetable for god sakes! (And fries don’t count!)
Choices drive what each of us does daily. So before you start thinking about how many miles you need to run today, get your mind right. Sick back and think big. Don’t say I want loose 20 pounds is why I am dusting off the running shoes. Think BIG! I have heard so many times “don’t set your goals to high, otherwise you will get frustrated and quit” I say bull! I say set the highest goals you can possible set.
Say your goal is to run a 5K. The average couch potato should be able to run a 5K after about two months of the appropriate training. So you stay on track for two months you do your run, you collect your free t-shirt and you feel like a runner but what the do you do now? What’s you motivation to keep it up?
So go ahead set the sites on doing a half marathon or even a marathon as a long term goal. So when people ask you what you do for a hobby tell them “I am training for a marathon” not “I am a runner”. It’s a form of verbal affirmation. The more you say it the more you will believe it.
Find your goal. Focus on it. Make a plan on how to get there, and every time you train think about it. It will motivate you past the pain and past the refrigerator and as you get in better shape those grand goals will seem a little bit more within your grasp.
