GO THE DISTANCE

I have run 7 full marathons.  That is 26.2 miles each marathon....with hundreds of training miles in each training cycle.  My PR (personal record) is 4:25:43 (yep....down to the hundredths), which I ran in the Omaha Marathon in the fall of 2014 and my slowest is 6:05:46 which was at the Chicago Marathon October of 2016.  I'm not telling you this to shine a light on me or what I have done in running.  My slowest is BY FAR my most accomplished of them all.  "Most accomplished?" you might say.  YEP, MOST.ACCOMPLISHED!

The Omaha Marathon where I have run my fastest to date was marathon #2 for me.  And each one after that, I trained and tried to beat that time falling WAY short each time.  I was disciplined in my training, eating, fueling during the race, but still couldn't come close to the 4:25:43.  A year ago this weekend I ran in Ft. Smith, Arkansas (Marathon #4) and I ran a 5:08:12, but I was so pleased and here's why:  I realized that each time I go out to run a marathon, I do not know what the conditions, that day will be.  The weather; the layout of the course; how I'm feeling; etc.  All these things, mostly uncontrollable by me, play a HUGE part in the outcome of the marathon.  

As Steve Prefontaine said in the quote above, success is not in how far you got, but in how far you have come.  We can define SUCCESS so many ways, but in reality, it's is how YOU see the success. 

When you see other successful people, don't just copy them (where what they wear; drive what they drive; eat what they eat; etc), but instead STUDY them.  What did they do to become successful.  There is a quote, by Vince Lombardi, that says, "The man on top of the mountain didn't fall there."  Emulate the PROCESS, not the person.  Be AUTHENTICALLY YOU!  Success leaves clues, so find those clues and make your own success.

As we journey through our BEST YEAR YET, let's find those clues in others that will help us as we continue down our path!

By the way, the 6:05:46 I ran in Chicago....I DIDN'T train for this one like the others due to a serious health issue I had that pretty much put a stop to my training right after it started.  I had surgery on August 1st and although my longest training run leading up to Chicago was only a bit over 9 miles, I was determined to start and finish that race.  I could have tapped out and nobody would have though any less of me....except for me.  

Whatever....WHATEVER you have in front of you as an obstacle, you can overcome it....you just have to make a choice.  You've started....so let's make sure you finish!  YOU.CAN.DO.IT!  GO THE DISTANCE!