Goals can be intimidating, . So don't focus on them for a couple of weeks .
Focus instead on taking consistent daily action.
What are the daily activities that need to be done to hit your annual overall goal this year?
Focusing on just your actions is like walking through a pitch dark room, when you know the exit is straight ahead, just 10 feet away. Even though you can’t see anything, and you’re basically moving forward blind, you KNOW that if you take those 10 steps straight ahead, you’ll reach the door. So you don’t focus on where you’re going – you just focus on taking those 10 steps in the right direction, and you WILL get there!
Boom. You got this.
There is a flip side
In the course of my job duties as an insurance man, i was speaking to a middle aged gent (50ish) -- just making conversation while i looked at his house ----- He had a nice backyard pool so i said
"Looks like a nice place to relax after a tough day " -- no big deal
He had to interject and add ---- (paraphrasing a bit) - "Yes , but i can't enjoy any cold gold, i'm training for a marathon ------ Just started!"
I continued my inspection of his home , but when i was closing up , we spoke again and i wished him well on his marathon goals ---
-- nice guy --
He had to keep going though (and thats fine) -- we talked about the hot weather , etc. and how he was bringing his wife's elliptical down from the old gameroom for training --
-- At some point , he mentioned he had been riding his mountain bike on the street to acclimate himself to the heat and exertion --- and when i left, he closed with saying,
"yep , about to take the bike for another spin around town , --- push it a little today "
---
-- I told him to keep himself hydrated and carry a bit of water on a 95 degree day in August
_______________________________________________________
With the very being of my existence , i wanted to shake this man and ask him ---
--- "How the hell is gallavanting around town square on an ill fitting budget priced mountain bike going to prepare him for 4 -5 hours of exertion on foot? "
Short answer--- its not
Why isnt he out running? Or at least jogging? --- Even running some gassers at the local high school track?
This is the equivalent of walking through a pitch dark room, --- but unlike my first example --- not knowing where the he-double toothpicks you are going and continuing to bump into walls and doors
------------ bro, your wife's 9 year old elliptical that only has 2 hours of use on it is not going to prepare you for 4 hours of war ----- neither is riding the 'ol Roadmaster up to Starbucks for a bit of sun on the veranda
The way to prepare for a running contest is to run -- not "cross train" ----- lay down a month or two of slow and steady base mileage --- evaluate your equipment (you dont want to be 7 miles in and have a hot spot from your shoe) -- slowly increase your speed, and then twice a week try to increase your distance
You wont look like this ------
But this should be do-able
----- You dont have to run the whole 26 -- you can use the event as your Coup de Grace , but you should at least be able to cover 22 or 23 miles in training if you expect to make 26.2 on game day
Whats the difference? ---- The difference between 22 and 26.2 is 4.2 flipping miles --- sadly most reading this would have some issues with that --- but im not trying to train marathon runners , merely pointing out how one can have a fantastic goal , but then fall short through lack of specific focus, or lack of knowledge
------
I will never suggest one of my pupils' go run a marathon --- because i dont see any value in it ---- but if you wanna go ----- Rock on, cowboy ! I want to see you succeed!
Succeeding at something like that doesnt involve watching Friends re-runs while you pound out an hour on the elliptical
And let me take an ingratiating stab at what i define marathon success ---- success would be finishing hard -- I mean, you should be whipped, but if you prep right, you will begin to falter and fail within sight of the finish line, -- not 12 miles before
Success means finishing in what i would call a decent time ----- i'm not going to make anybody angry by sharing my idea of a decent marathon time , because it is a very wide range, ---- but suffice to say, if anybody has to do the math and ask themselves - "Could i have walked it in that timeframe?" --- then your too damn slow !!! (ask me about fartlek and how we can improve your leg speed )
Granted , some people love the mental challenge , but most of us exercise because we want results === which result would you rather have?
BTw ---- here is what you get for finishing the Missoula Montana MArathon ------ knock yourselves out !~
I was having a bit of fun tonight, my running friends ---- i do envy your endurance a bit, but i dont want to chase the same goals as you
That said, -- if your gonna do it, do it right --- and by all means , try a couple of 5 and 10k's first before committing yourself to the company marathon squad at work --- might save embarrassment
------ But thank you for the effort anyway
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