Hey Friend
I did it. I accomplished my goal. I ran 1:56:06 in the CowTown Half Marathon. Still feeling pretty jazzed about it. As you recall, my goal was to get under two hours, which I’ve never done before in the five previous half marathons I’ve run. It feels really great to reach and surpass it. I didn’t just barely get under two hours either, I had a sweet buffer.
I set the pacing on my watch for 9 minute miles. That would land me at 1:57:00. Turns out I ran 8:52 per mile. It’s entirely due to the training I did for 10 weeks. A weird “run slow to run fast” with lots of diverse intervals mixed in, conditioned my body and mind for exactly what it needed. More importantly it gave me a framework to attempt.
I should also give my watch some credit. In every previous race I’ve run, full or half, my phone has always been on my arm with RunKeeper telling me my pace every 10 minutes. With my watch, I could look and see if I was going too fast or too slow at any given moment. It helped significantly, at least with my mind.
Achieving a goal is incredibly satisfying!
I don’t know if it’s been a while since I’ve met a goal or because it’s taken 10+ years, but the sense of joy seems to evolve and sustain as time passes. Granted it’s only been one week, but I’m still super happy about it.
What was the last meaningful goal you accomplished? How long did the resonating good vibes last?
Are you attempting something significant now?
You’ll need…
People. Coach & Collaborator. My training was designed by a coach. My friend Jeremy harassed me over the course of training time. He also ran the race at a stellar pace.
Process. Structure & Stretch. The training gave me a format to subject myself. Submission to a thoughtfully designed process produced the desired end goal, even if I wasn’t sure it would. Though there were a lot of slow days, the intervals in between challenged the heck out of me.
Provision. Tools & Time. Not only was my watch critically handy, I also had new shoes and new headphones. They were essential for going the distance. Designating slots on my calendar for my training runs was also vital. If we don’t allocate we won’t generate a will to succeed, which means we’ll abdicate by default.
We’ve had plenty of instruction on goal setting, so I won’t belabor it. Just a reminder, without all three of the above in place, there’s a strong chance, really a certainty, we won’t fulfill our aspirations.
Are you currently pursuing a target that requires more from you?
Anything I can do to assist you attaining it?
Another major goal we’re achieving this week is launching the new website. I’m ecstatic about it and hope you’ll take some time to explore. I believe we will be sending you a weekly email during the week for four weeks to point out different aspects. It won’t be obtrusive.
As mentioned in a previous letter, the name for this weekly correspondence is changing. Goodbye Random Inspiration, hello Weekly Instigator. My hope is the prompts dispersed throughout and/or packaged at the end, genuinely compel you to consider attempting one or more of them each week. The BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) would be to collect those efforts, written or video, and share them as well to multiply inspiration.
You may have forgotten, but let me remind you – the sensation of a goal realized is worth the effort. We want to contribute, however possible, to your endeavors.
What if this week you…
1. Told someone how you were stretching to achieve something this month?
2. Re-evaluated the structure you’re using to become more? Is it adequate?
3. Offered to assist someone in their pursuits?
4. Spent an extra 10 minutes on your calendar design to assure it’s accommodating your hopes?
There is always a lot going on. The demands of work, home, health and relationships are all consuming. They are also typically draining. Keeping small and big targets in sight is energizing. We can deceive ourselves thinking pursuing a goal would be exhausting. Challenging yes, but it replenishes our soul in such a meaningful way! Go for it!
Have you ever run in a marathon? Had a website built? (They are similar beasts.) What’s a favorite goal you’ve accomplished in the last few years? Who have you assisted in accomplishing theirs? (That feels equally as good). What’s a great resource you utilize to achieve? How do you stay rejuvenated? It’s refreshing to me when you say Hello. Hit Reply