Aug 11
25
I have been running semi-consistently now for almost a year. I find it challenging, and yes, often difficult. But also rewarding. This week I have decided to start training for a half-marathon in December.
Now, I know that this is a crazy idea. 13.1 miles? That is way more than I have ever run at one time. So why am I doing this? There are a couple of reasons.
1. I need to get into a routine of running. I tend to be sporadic in my running schedule, and a routine would be healthier. The race is in 14 weeks, which is far enough out to be feasible.
2. I would like to physically challenge myself. I am at a point in my life where this is possible. I have the time and the energy to devote to this.
3. My friends are doing it. Sometimes peer pressure can be a good thing. I hope that they keep me accountable for training. I don’t want to lose their respect by flaking out on my goal. And I know that come race day, it will be great to have friends cheering me on at the finish line (since they will finish so far ahead of me…).
4. I want to set a big goal for myself. Earlier this year I ran the Bolder Boulder 10K. I want to follow that up with a bigger goal, which will take more training and focus.
So why am I posting this here? Well, running is one of the least expensive sports to do. All you need is a pair of running shoes. No mitt, ball, gloves, nets, cleats, pads… I even got two training plans for free. One was from a book I checked out of the library, and the other was a free download from Runner’s World.
So what? You are not a runner. Ok, you can walk (see “Walking the Dog“).
Ok, ok. The bigger reason that I wanted to share this was to challenge you to set a goal for yourself. I have lots of goals in my head, but not often do they get written down and shared with the world. Is there something you have been wanting to do, but never had the courage to start? For kids, the school year is starting back up. As adults, we don’t always get the mental stimulation that we did when we were younger. I think Fall is a great time to pick a project, set that goal, and work towards it. The biggest part of accomplishing a goal (even a physical one like running) is the mental part. Keeping after yourself to do the daily tasks needed to complete the larger goal is difficult.
Setting goals for ourselves is a big part of what makes our lives interesting. One of the reasons I started setting goals again was because I realized that my life was becoming a monotonous routine of work, home, TV, sleep (Rinse and repeat). I was BORED. By pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, I have something exciting to look forward to. And the feeling of accomplishing my goal will be great. Never in a million years would I have guessed I would want to run 13 miles.
So what are some of your goals? Here are more of my 2011 goals for some ideas:
- Pay off credit card
- Take a real vacation
- Be more social – meet new people
- Get my mile time under 9 minutes
- Learn to knit something more complicated than a scarf
- Complete a novel for NaNoWriMo
