Change

Hi all!

I hope each of you had a very Merry Christmas. It always seems quite the blur, then........ POOF, it's over and we wonder where it went. I always get a bit sad in the days following Christmas. Its always a reminder that another year is gone, my kids' lives are flashing before my eyes, and a rare opportunity to spend time with family went by in a blink. Some times those pain points can motivate you to make moments in the next year count even more. I didn't do a very good job last year of making the time that matters matter. There have been a lot of tragic events lately that are certainly reminding me more and more of what is truly important in life. So............ What do we DO with that? Many of us "say" that we will make drastic changes in the moments that shake us to the core, but few of us actually follow through with that and end up saying the same dern thing the next time while also regretting another year that could have been better.

We have all heard the steps before and New Year's is always a time we hear things like: Set small and tangible goals, set realistic goals, buddy up etc....... Hows all that been working for you this year? Are you still accomplishing what you set out to accomplish this time last year? Was this year better than last? Do you even remember what your resolutions were last Jan.? Reflect back on this year and think about where the majority of your time was spent. What were you DOing the majority of the time? Where you spend most of your time says a lot about who you are and what your results at the end of the day, the year, or this life will be. Your current choices, whether you admit this or not, will determine your future.

I, for one, have been the worst over the last few years about sticking to the goal, the plan, the convictions, or living the mantra "No regrets". I've been fumbling around trying to find my place, my purpose, my motivation, and at times, my mind. Its time for a change! Its time to PLAN. Its time to BE who I was meant to BE. Its time to DO the things I was created to DO. Its time to TAKE the chances. Its time to GIVE. Its time to EXPLORE. Its time to LIVE the dream. Its time to be honest with ourselves, recognize an "excuse" for what it is, and give ourselves large doses of "suck it up" pills. Its time to again say what we mean and mean what we say. Its time to not just say we will make some positive changes, but to spend each moment DOing things that will make the next moment better. We owe it to those around us, the God that created us, and to ourselves. Its TIME!

Meditate

Hi all!

I did a very rare thing this week. I went out for an "easy" run. It was my route from the club to the top of Walnut Hollow and back, but I didn't bother with a watch. I just ran, took in the scenery, and used the run as a means of meditation. Meditation is something I desperately need more of. As most of you know, I have a very hard time "relaxing". I can't sit still and have to always feel I am being productive by doing a million things at once. At times, that leads to being ineffective and drained of energy for the things that do matter. "Busy" doesn't mean productive or effective. That counts for running, working, or just plain living. Some people believe that working "long" is working "hard". I believe working hard is working hard. I thrive on working "hard". When I managed health clubs years ago I never wanted to manage a small club. I almost craved the chaos of dozens of employees and thousands of members. I didn't have time to look at a clock and 14 hour days would go by in a blur. I wasn't required to work that much. Heck, the company even made it mandatory that club managers take 2 hours to workout each day. That never worked. So why did I do that for so long? Money? Awards? Recognition? Who knows..........I didn't run. I didn't see my family. I didn't even know who I was. I defined myself by my job and stayed very "busy". A lot of people do that. Some do it to "feel" important. Some do it to run from something, towards something, or simply because they don't know what else to do. A member reminded me this week that some people stay "busy" to keep from looking within because they don't want the challenge/discomfort of dealing with whats there. We were talking about Tai Chi. He said the best room to do it is the racquetball court because the walls are bare and its completely empty. He observed that most people find places like that uncomfortable because they are uncomfortable with themselves. Many people have the same problem with running. They need music or...........(gasp...), a book to read while on the treadmill. People ask me all of the time how I could run for hours at a time with no music. "Aren't you bored?" The answer is "No, I don't find myself a boring person." Its an absolutely wonderful time with myself, God, and nature. If I have a problem that I can't solve, sometimes I go for a run and don't stop until I've figured it out.

One of the reasons for moving to Brevard was to slow the pace down and find some balance. This club was almost like stepping back in time and its slower than any club I've stepped foot in. Its what I wanted, but it drove me a bit crazy at first because I missed the fast pace. Thats why I crave training clients. It provides me the intensity I'm used to and makes me feel a little more normal. I simply traded one source of insanity for another and at times I forget that I need to slow down. If we're not careful, we'll burn ourselves right out and be of no use to anyone, including ourselves. Like a popular quote I often hear, "Don't get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life." We all have to take the time to breathe, time to relax, and time to focus on the moment we are in. Stop doing things just to be doing things and start doing things with a specific purpose. Do things that will actually make an impact. Start working, running, living smarter, more efficiently, and effectively.

I came back from that run rejuvenated vs. exhausted. I came back at peace vs. stressed. I wasn't thinking about what I had to do after the run or how I could have done something better yesterday. I was in the moment. I am vowing to leave my watch on my desk for at least two runs a week and enjoy the moment of "freedom" instead of focusing on the intensity of my effort.

Christmas can also be like that with the rushing from one place to another and the stress of packing twice as much into the same 24 hour day for a few weeks. For a lot of people, this time of the year can be REALLY stressful and "busy". Don't get so "busy" with the "holiday" that you forget what its all about. Its about peace, hope, love, and giving. Isn't that what it should be about all year? Merry Christmas!

Hi all,

Bill Rodgers once said, "If you want to win a race, you have to go a little berserk." That doesn't just count for racing. I believe you have to go a little berserk if you want to accomplish anything worth accomplishing. You have to let all sense of order disappear, throw away rational thought, and go for the goal with total abandonment. You've seen that look in other people's eyes. Its a reckless craziness deep in their eyes that transforms every expression and movement. And, yes......................throwing all rational thought out the window for a bit is full of all sorts of risk. Its also very liberating. The rewards "can" be rare, but that kind of reward cannot be obtained unless you put it all on the line and get a little crazy. Most people get this, but far too often it comes in brief spurts. The risky "go all out" is quickly overtaken by self doubt, fear of failure, pain, someone else's rationalization, or any number of negative self talk/influences. At times you simply have to turn all of the other junk off, dig deep within yourself, and get in the zone of berserk until you are so focused in the moment you're in that nothing outside of that moment exists. With practice, we can tap into that craziness anytime we dig deep and actually use pain, fear, anger, or what others say as fuel.

Be honest. When was the last time you got a little crazy? When was the last time you broke into an all out sprint until your body simply shut down before your mind could talk your body into quitting? When was the last time you stepped out on the edge, risked it all, and broke down the walls of comfort just to see where it could take you?  What about your dreams?  When was the last time you persued those in "the zone" and saw them through vs. trading them for reality?

Today is the day to get a little crazy!

What motivates you?

Hi everyone!

I loaned a book to a friend a while back. I tend to read books that motivate, challenge, and educate. (No romance novels for me) When I asked him how the book was going, his response was a reminder that I needed to read more often. It was getting him "focused" and motivated. It was magnifying his passions and leading to a more specific purpose in each workout. My personal experience with motivating books, articles, and stories either get me so hyped up that I can't sleep at night or frustrated that I can't immediately jump into the type of training/racing I'm motivated and inspired to do. Its a two edged sword of hope/happiness followed by "How in the heck would I have time to do that?" Either way, motivation to "Do" will certainly get you to do more than you would have regardless of whether you have time or not. Motivation "can" do amazing things that force you to find the time to accomplish what you're motivated to accomplish. If you don't have time to read, that's another story.

What motivates YOU? Setting a goal race a few months down the road? A particular movie? Competition? An inspiring person? Or to BE an inspiration for someone that looks up to you? Or, it could be that you've gotten to a point that you're so disgusted with yourself that something has to change.

Whatever it is, act on fueling the motivation and keep doing it. Remember; the victory is not at the finish line, its in each step that got you there.