About Motivation And A Bit Of Inspiration

Since the beginning of my blog a few years back, it has been my motivation to share and help others reach their own individual goals, through examples of what can be accomplished if you just manage to stay focused, all the while reaching my own and learning through the process.

I have pushed myself, physically and mentally, far beyond any limits I thought I had, I have worked through it all in ways I never thought I was capable of. And no, I have no intentions of stopping any time soon. The process has required a lot of digging down and pushing myself way beyond a perceived comfort zone.

What is motivation? The process that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. In other words, how we do what we do.

From personal experience, I have defined fifteen ways to stay motivated. I'd like to share that with you...

1. Set a Goal. You have to know what you want, you have to know where you're going. Without this information, you cannot plot your course. As Lewis Carroll said: "If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there."

2. Make sure your goal is a SMART goal. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time Specific). Much has been written about this, for a reason. This is a must. your goal must be as Specific as possible. "I will run a Half Marathon in December 2016". You have to be able to measure, not only your final accomplishment, but your progress along the way. Break down the goal in small bites you can wrap your arms around. "I will run a 5k by September 2016. I will run a 10k by October 2016. I will run a 15k by November 2016". Is this goal of yours something you can see yourself "really" Achieving? or this is this more of the "it sure would be nice if I could do this" type of thing? And along those lines, is what you're asking yourself to do, Realistic? Do you have the time required to train for such a goal? Can you run the miles needed to train your body to reach this goal? Would it be better for you to change the Time to a more realistic future time? I use the example of running a half marathon but this can be adapted to any and all goals. Always state your goal in a "I will" format.

3. This goal has to be YOUR OWN goal, and you have to have a clear and concise (brief but comprehensive) reason as to "why" you're doing this. While in the process of working towards your goal, you will need to remember your "why". This will help you push through those tough times when you need a little extra motivation. If you chose a goal because it's something that someone else has either convinced you to do, or something someone else expects you to do, it will not work.

4. Hang Around Friends with Similar Goals. Most people love encouragement. You will find this in large quantities if you hang around a circle of friends that share a similar vision and goals as you do. You will encourage each other, you will push each other through tough times and you will totally enjoy the journey together. Find a pal. Or two. Be warned, however... Your goals and that of your pals may change as you go along. You may find that your mission is now different than that of those around you. Don't be afraid to find new pals. I'm not telling you to dump the old ones, just telling you to adapt.

5. Follow Blogs that Relate to your Goals. The blogsphere is full of folks willing to share their experiences. If you need advise as to the process, there's plenty. If you need help with motivation, there's lots out there. Whatever you're looking for, there's someone out there writing about it. Better yet, start your own blog as my friend Alison did, "runningmama2016". A couple of others I would recommend are written by good friends as well... Scott's "Running, Rants and Randomness" and Alan's "Alan's Training Blog". You cannot help but get inspired and motivated by any or all of these three.

6. Follow a Plan. But be very flexible. An airplane leaving from New York en-route to Los Angeles does have a course heading that it follows, but on the average, said airplane will actually be off course 95% of its flight. The success of the flight hinges on the ability of the pilot and the airplane's computers to get back on course each and every time its deviates.

7. Keep Journals and Track Progress. What gets measured gets improved. If you don't keep track of how you're doing, you will not know how you're doing. Pretty simple but point is so missed by many. I love to write. What I post on my blog is less than 20% of what I write. I not only journal my training and racing progress (public), but I journal my mental progress as well (private). This has also been tremendously helpful in my professional life. I journal lots.

8. Take Compliments and used them for Inspiration. And learn to be complimentary as well. When someone, anyone, notices your progress and takes the time to mention it, be thankful. I have found one of my biggest motivators is to be very complimentary. But your compliments must be sincere. Don't compliment just to compliment and in hopes to get a compliment back. These are meaningless and soon they will lose all value. Compliments from the heart are priceless.

9. Accept that 90% of your success depends on your mindset. "If your mind can conceive it and your heart can believe it, then you can achieve it." No one succeeds by accident. You first have to believe; believe in yourself, believe in your mission, believe in your "why".

10. Feed your mind with Inspiration and Motivation Daily. Every motivational guru tells you this: "You are, or you will become, what goes into your mind." It doesn't take much. Again, change your habits. What do you listen to while in the car? I for one, listen to books on Audible. No, not all the time, but most of the time. I also have Sirius XM and refuse to listen to "talk radio" or "News Channels" or any station that has any kind of "commentary". 100% music, and as my grandson likes to say: "Papa has music from last century in his car" or "how come your music doesn't have any words?"

11. Remove all (or as much as possible) negativity from your world. Impossible! you say. This WILL require a lot of work and perseverance, but it IS possible. Identify those issues that seem to steer you down the wrong path. This includes negative people; they will suck the living daylight out of you.  I have very little tolerance for negativity. I have no use for it. I will give someone a very short leash. Very, very short. The pity train does not come through here. Brutal and Harsh? Maybe. But Oh so very effective.

13. Never Compare Your Goals to that of Others.Everyone is traveling a different journey. Sure, some of you may have similar goals as your peer, but everyone's path to success is different. One of the great motivation killers is to compare your progress to that of others. You have no idea where they are, where they've been or where they're going. Stay on point with your progress, encourage others to work on theirs and be inspired but not deflated by what others do, or don't do. My goals are not any bigger, any loftier or any more impressive than yours. My goals are mine for where I am. Yours are yours for where you are.

13. Tell Yourself every single day that "you got this". Once again and at the risk of being redundant and repetitive... You will not get what you want if you don't honestly believe you can. If in doubt, repeat after me: "I got this."

14. Work Hard Everyday. Do at least ONE thing that will get you closer to your goal. Wake up tomorrow and ask yourself: "What can I do today to get me ONE step closer to my goal?". A young man was asked to move a mountain from one location to another. Not overwhelmed by the size of the task he started moving rocks. Each day he moved just one. Slowly he began to see progress. The original mountain was becoming smaller, the new mountain was becoming bigger. Before he knew it, his task was complete. So, what can you do today to get you closer to your goal?

15. Never, Never, Never, EVER Give Up. Most of our goals are not reached because we quit. Often we quit right before we reach our goal. You never know how close you are.

Please realize that nothing you do, no steps you take, no plans or goals you aspire to achieve, will ever have a chance unless you first accept full responsibility for yourself and for everything that happens to you. There's no magic pill, no knight in shining armor. No one will come to your rescue. Only those that work hard will be rewarded. There are issues and challenges in everyone's life, and here's some more brutal honesty: There are excuses and there are results. Which one are you working on?

So, what do you do to keep yourself motivated and on track? Do you have any simple tricks that perhaps you'd like to share? Please leave them in the comments below.

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The Longest Mile

I came into Saturday's race with very high expectations, yet I was expecting nothing. I had five goals in place, but I know this is a very tough course, so these goals were set just to have goals, because as you know, you have to have goals.

I am a creature of habits, I have routines and I deviate little from them. Especially on race days.

Woke up at 4:01 am. This is also a habit. Spent some quiet, alone time while getting dressed, just to start processing the upcoming half marathon.

Along with my wife Monica, who was also running this race, we were off at 4:41am. It would be about a two hour drive. We arrived at 6:48.

The Oak Barrel Half Marathon in Lynchburg, TN in my estimate, is one of the toughest half marathons around, it boasts, again in my opinion, the longest mile of any race in our neck of the woods. This would be my fourth year. Apparently I have very short pain memory. Last year my time was 2:01:26. My first goal this year would be to beat this time.

I have not kept count of how many half marathons I've ran. Too many to remember. A sub-2 hour finish time has been achieved only a handful of times; twice, maybe three times. My second goal was to run sub-2. On this course, it would be a stretch.

I'm in the 60-64 age group. This race draws its lion's share of fast old guys. Last year I came in 9th out of 20. Middle of the pack, average for me. Goal number three was to improve in this.

I would go in holding a personal best, a PR if you will, of 1:57:51. Goal number four would be the biggest one of all. A new PR.

Each of the last three years, regardless of how much "hill" training I had done, I found myself walking up some of "whiskey hill". Goal five would be the toughest, I thought. To make it all the way without walking. This one worried me the most.

The day was a bit chilly but sunny. Perfect running weather. A field of 1293 (finishers) stepped up to the line and at gun time, the temperature had just reached 50ºF. There was no wind. There were no clouds.

I staged myself at the back side of the 9:00/mile group. Not sure why, but that's where I landed. As it turned out, it was perfect, well... almost. The first couple of miles I found myself weaving through the crowd. My pace was faster than I wanted it to be, but since I warmed up before the race, I knew I would be okay. Once we approached mile 3, this is where the field began to thin out. This is where the road begins to rise, en-route to mile 4 and the infamous "Whiskey Hill".

At the top of the hill I remember thinking how grateful and blessed I am for having a strong heart, or rather how I was glad it didn't fail me half way up. It didn't take long for my heart rate to get back to a normal (because 180 is not normal) and for me to re-find my happy pace.

The rest of the race was smooth. I kept a very constant pace, something I have been working on very diligently lately. It paid off big time.

Goal No. 1 ~ Finish Time: 1:54:24 is 7:02 faster than last year. Check.
Goal No. 2 ~ Finish sub-2 hrs. Check.
Goal No. 3 ~ 6th out of 29 in Age Group. Two place improvement in a field 30% larger. Check.
Goal No. 4 ~ Finish time equals new PR. Check
Goal No. 5 ~ Conquered "Whiskey Hill" (no walking). Check.

Next on my schedule is the ADPi triathlon. It is a short distance, sprint triathlon. It will be my first tri in over 18 months. The expectation builds. After that I have a date with Ragnar Tennessee and the the Hillbilly Half Marathon (formerly The Franklin Half). There are a couple of other races on my radar, but nothing has been cemented yet. Well, except of course The Marine Corps Marathon.

Biggest challenge facing me going forward is to remain true to my training. I cannot allow progress to be hindered by wide eyes and unnecessary pushing.

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Endure Your Way To Success

I am often asked why I spend so much time training. Perhaps you are one of those that look at my various updates and wonder, wonder why. It is almost impossible for me to explain, but as the saying goes: "if you can't explain it, you don't understand it". I will try to explain.

Honestly, the reasons are many. But this is a vague response and not really an answer. So, I'd like to discuss at this time, why I do it. Why I get up at 4:00 am to exercise. Why I put my body and mind through the rigorous routine (although there's nothing routine about it) that is a marathon or Ironman training.

I do this simply put, because in this I find success. Such that in other arenas I may not be so apt to achieve.  While I may not gain the sort of victory as defined by others' idea of what it should look like, in my mind I find my own kind of triumph.

I started running some ten years ago and shortly thereafter I became a triathlete which brought me to the world of long distance, endurance events. I have completed 14 full marathons, an unimaginable number of half marathons, two 140.6 distance triathlons (one of which had a bonus 4 miles to boot), eight 70.3 distance triathlons and umpteen shorter distance events combined. Therefore I can say with certainty that swimming, cycling and running, does in fact yield a certain level of personal achievement.

Some folks may think or have been lead to believe that this is not reachable to them. They are wrong. Through the sport(s) I have met folks from all walks of life; doctors, lawyers, CEOs, CFOs, Bankers, Managers, Entrepreneurs, Parents, Preachers and Teachers, etc. The level of prosperity that these sports bring is not limited to profession or vocation. Its available for each and everyone, as long as they're willing to go work for it. It will not be handed to you, it will require effort, commitment, perseverance, grit and lots of determination.

This life style gives you purpose and meaning, some sort of happiness and contentment that goes far beyond financial and professional boundaries.

And more importantly, as endurance athletes, we bring this kind of success to our personal and professional life. Let me share with you some ways in which this can happen:

For the purpose of this post, I define an "Endurance Athlete" as a runner, cyclist, swimmer, duathlete or triathlete.

1). Endurance Athletes UNDERSTAND the importance of GOAL SETTING.  Nothing significant is ever achieved without first setting a goal. We set goals all the time. Our workouts are goal oriented; swim this far at this pace, ride this long at this speed, run this distance in this time, etc. Races are based on time goals.

2). Endurance Athletes MEASURE progress. We are obsessed with gadgets. Why? Because they measure stuff, mostly our performance and our progress.

3). Endurance Athletes VALUE time. Ever wonder why we show up to a race on time? Because we can't miss the gun. Some longer distance events have cut-off times. Can you imagine missing the cut-off because you showed up late? Yeah, me neither. I have been trying to turn several business associates of mine into runners, if for nothing else, but for this.

One second can shatter your dreams. One second. Imagine if you will, crossing the finish line at an Ironman distance and the clock reading 17:00:01

4). Endurance Athletes are highly DISCIPLINED. Training for a long distance event requires discipline. Some longer events require months upon months of consistency, sacrifice and effort. All of these hinge upon one characteristic; self-discipline.

5). Endurance Athletes know how to OVERCOME obstacles. Through the years, we have learned, sometimes the hard way, that we will have obstacles we must overcome; injuries and illness, fatigue ~ mental and physical, etc. Through the course of races, we will be faced with many obstacles, we must be and more often than not, are ready to overcome these in order to reach our goal.

6). Endurance Athletes are PATIENT. We value the process. We understand that in order to make things happen we must be patient. Training is a progression of hundreds of events all put together to take us to the finish line. There are no, nor can there be, any shortcuts. Patience is non-negotiable.

7). Endurance Athletes, for the most part, know that competing with others is NOT the most important thing. Competition is healthy and fun. But we must keep it in perspective. Competition cannot be the most important thing. We mostly compete with ourselves. We try to beat our "best" time. We understand that unhealthy competition can lead to jealousy and this can be disastrous for this will eventually divert our efforts and make us do what we otherwise know we shouldn't do. But please don't get me wrong, once the starting gun goes off, it's game time.

8). Endurance Athletes BUILD networks. Look around an endurance athlete and you will find a network of friends. We swim, ride and run together. For miles and hours at a time. Through this interaction, we build relationships, relationships necessary to achieve success.

9). Endurance Athletes know how to BUDGET. We know how to budget our time, our races and our finances. With so many options, we learn to make sure we get the biggest bang for our buck.

10). Endurance Athletes understand the power of LEVERAGE. We truly understand and learn to use the power of teamwork. Very few people can claim that the cross the finish line by themselves. Its almost impossible.

11). Endurance Athletes view failure DIFFERENTLY. We understand that failure is temporary and that in order to succeed, sometimes come up short, and we treat it as such. Of all the races I have done, getting close to 100 of them, I failed to finish once. Although I was devastated at the time, I learned plenty from this experience, lessons that would have gone to the wayside had this not happened to me.

In my professional life, I coach businesses in the art of leadership. I teach skills that relate to most, if not all of the above mentioned characteristics. I teach clients how to apply these to the workplace. Recently I was discussing with one of my clients his interviewing and hiring process and retention strategies, specifically for management positions.

I encouraged him (and this is what prompted me to write this post) to add to the qualification requirements of future candidates that of an "athlete", specifically if possible, an endurance athlete.

Can you imagine having someone in your team that already possesses all the above qualities? Yeah, how amazing would that be?

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The Fire In The Belly

"Only do what's in your heart, 

but do it with ALL your heart"

When I toe the starting line of a race, any race, be it a 5K, Half Marathon, Full Marathon, Olympic Distance Triathlon or the Ironman Triathlon (or any race in between) I can't expect to race with "heart" and finish strong, unless I have trained with "heart", unless I have trained my "heart". A very important part of this training includes a constant reminder, and a periodic gut check, as to the real reasons why I do what I do.

This has served me well in every aspect of my life; family, business, personal fitness, etc.

And this is a simple thing to do if you really think about it. You can't fool your heart for your heart knows your true intentions. Toughest part is being honest with yourself.

So, ask yourself this very important question: "WHY do I do what you do?"

And what is this "heart" thing I'm talking about?

It's the Passion; the fire in the belly. It's doing what you do and never feel bored, stagnant or stuck. Doing what you do and constantly feeling excited and inspired.

To keep your fire burning or to rekindle your fire, revisit your goals, your dreams. Constantly, in order to keep them in sight. Write down your vision so you can plainly see the direction you are traveling. Write it down and keep it in plain sight. Review it, update it, improve on it and move towards it. Constantly move towards it.

I have a specific race related goal. I have it written down. I look at it every day. There has been obstacles, but I have worked through them. I realize that there may be more to come, but by keeping my goal in sight (literally in sight) I remain focused and by remaining focused, my belly aches, for you see, my belly is on fire.

I get excited each and every time I get to spend time chasing my dream, my goal. This process has allowed me to live my life with purpose, now pursuing this calling has become as natural to me as, well... breathing.

Is the fire in your belly burning?

Living your life with heart fuels your passion,

 allowing your mission to stay sharp and in focus.

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Marine Corps Marathon 2015: A Journey Of All Journeys

Marine Corps Marathon 2015

Training exclusively for a full marathon is serious business. It should not be taken lightly. A commitment has to be made and wavering is not allowed, permitted or accepted. That is, of course, if you want to achieve specific goals.

Going into the Marine Corps Marathon, I had no idea what to expect. I usually do. I can pretty much tell, bar any unforeseen's, how my race is going to go. Today was different. For the first time in nine-plus years, I had been nursing an injury before a race. For three weeks, I had been walking on egg shells, literally walking on egg shells. My groin was not happy and I couldn't figure out why. The pain and discomfort had moved to the hip, to the hamstrings, quads and had settled nicely into the knee. I believe all this was due to... no, who am I kidding, I had no idea why this was happening. I couldn't even begin to guess. I had only two very short runs during this three week period leading up to the race. Both of these runs were an exercise in futility. I had adopted my bike trainer in an effort to keep as much of my endurance as possible. This caused no pain. The elliptical also came into the picture.

The good news in all this was that I would be well rested. I took tapering to a new level. But with all this "good news" questions began to rise, most of these having to do with physical fitness and pain management.

When I started this journey my plans were clear, my goal was set. At the very least, I was aiming for a marathon PR. At the very best my goal would be a sub-4 hour finish. However, neither would happen this go around. But as those that know me well know, I always have a plan "B".

Along with my coach, we devised a plan. Well, he devised the plan, I just followed it. And if I may say so myself, followed it to the letter, never missed a beat, never skipped a step.

Gear Ready Night Before

As I woke up race morning I took inventory of all ailments. It appeared that all systems were go. At least as ready as they could be, they did appear to be.

I had visited my chiropractor, had an MRI taken, went to a masseuse and foot doctor. I had done what I thought best. I did my stretches religiously and everything else as prescribed and as directed. Because of lingering plantar fasciitis, I had cortisone shots in the bottom of my feet, both feet. I have an electric muscle stimulator, so this was put to good use. Nothing was left to chance. Nothing.

I was up and getting ready at 3:45 AM. I had a cold waffle (it had been cooked the day before) with peanut butter, a splash of syrup and a cup of coffee. I can't function without coffee. We made it to the hotel lobby at 5:10 AM. The shuttle to the Metro left around 5:20 and if dropped us off around 5:30. The station was not crowded at this early time. Apparently, not everyone was as nervous as I was. We took off towards the Pentagon at 5:40 AM. The ride took 20 minutes. Still small crowds when we arrived. This would change quickly. Oh. My. Goodness, would this change quickly!

I had opted not to Kinesio tape my feet before the race as I would often do. Sometimes as my feet swell during the race, this applies undue pressure and they become uncomfortable. I did wear my ankle, thigh, and knee compression sleeves. I wondered if one sleeve could be purchased that would replace these three? This proved to be very beneficial as the race progressed.

We made it through security check at the Pentagon staging area in about 20 minutes. This is where the crowd began to grow. We were glad we had left and arrived, early. The sun hadn't come up yet and the temperature was still a bit on the chilly side. It was 6:23 AM.

Sometime without much notice it had begun to mist. On and off it sprinkled before the start. We had found a spot under a tent so the rain was of no consequence. Here we waited for about an hour. I was afraid to sit on the ground because I knew getting up would be tough. My daughter found an empty chair, which she quickly offered to me. I resisted slightly, she insisted, I took it. This was a blessing. I did manage to make it to the portables three times. I was drinking my water, but it seemed to be just going right through. Nerves were getting the best of me. They always do. But today, the expectation of what would happen with that first, second, third step, added to the angst.

I first felt the pain during a training run in Cincinnati. Not exactly during the run, but later that afternoon. The family had gone up to spend the weekend with my youngest and she invited me to run with her training group. She was training to run her very own first marathon.

Cincinnati is a very hilly city. The course we ran was tough. I will not be doing the Flying Pig Marathon any time soon. But I managed to finish. I had to run three more miles than my daughter did, so when I finished she was waiting for me. Later that afternoon is when the pain appeared. My walk was difficult, my feet got heavy. When I woke up Sunday everything was back to normal, so I just chalked it up to the "long run" wear and tear, to the monster hills of the Queen City.

On Tuesday, I joined our training group on our usual hilly run. As it turns out this would be the last time I would be able to join them. Of all the workouts, I miss this one the most. I couldn't do the entire loop as we usually do. I had to cut it short. I thought this was due to tired legs.

The following Saturday I joined other friends on a 16 mile run in a Nashville greenway. The first 12-13 miles were great. Then the stabbing pain inside my upper right leg got intense. I finished the run, but I got concerned. I still had no idea.

By mid-afternoon that day, the pain was so intense I had to take some medicine. I don't take medicine. When I woke up on Sunday, I couldn't walk. No, really, I couldn't walk. I rested all day and decided it was time to get it checked.

The good news I was delivered was that the MRI came back "normal". This mean I had no tears. But still, I had no concrete answers.

The walk to the starting line was silent. Time to focus, time to run through the plan. One. More. Time. Took some final photos with the family and stopped at the portable, one last time.

I had eaten a banana at 7:00 AM. Now it was 7:45 so I took my first of five gels. All systems seemed to be set. Kissed my family goodbye and walked to my staging area.


The pre-race ceremonies were unbelievable.

The Army Parachute team and the flyover by a couple of fancy airplanes I couldn't begin to pronounce their names. This was amazing, to have the honor to be part of this. WOW. The national anthem was sung, the wheelchairs took off, five minutes later the race was on.

I had begun to worry about my endurance two weeks before the race. Not running for that long couldn't be good. Would nine months of intense training be for naught? The race is always the payoff; for the commitment, dedication, and sacrifices made along the journey. But would today fall short? This was a big concern. Not so much that I wouldn't meet my goals, but how I would handle the disappointment.

Yes, I had big plans and huge goals. But the time has come to realize that maybe, just maybe, finishing the race without any more damage should be number one priority, "damage" I say because at that moment I didn't know
better. This was a hard pill to swallow, but one that had to be taken. There would be other races, other opportunities.

The field was crowded, and when I say crowded, I mean elbow to elbow crowded. Due to the rain, the road was wet. Wet and slippery... and crowded. This I remember thinking would be some sort of blessing because, even if I wanted to I couldn't run fast off the gate. I didn't.

30 thousand runners in a course that was mostly on two-lane roads, on divided highways made it for an interesting go. I overheard some folks complaining about this throughout. My only thought was to just enjoy and try to forget the pain. Yes, the pain had begun to show its ugly self before the first mile. So, slow I went and enjoy I did.

For the most part, I followed six soldiers, four male, two female. They were in full gear carrying the flags of the services. They had settled into a pace I could keep up. I ran the first 13 miles more or less. The next 7-8 miles I turned to intervals, 4-1, then 3-1, 2-1 and the last 5 miles or so, it was half run half walk. Until the last half mile. Here I ran. Slow, but I ran. The last couple hundred feet of the course was lined up with Marines. Encouraging runners to run and to finish strong. I couldn't not run. So I did.

And then came the finish line. At the feet of the Iwo Jima, The Marine Corps War Memorial, a young Marine looked at me and saluted. "Thank you SIR and Congratulations". "No sir, thank YOU!" I responded, and then he hung the medal around my neck. Best Finish in a Marathon Ever. Marathon No. 13 was now in the books.

Marine Corps Band

There were many memorable moments throughout the race and course. I kept hearing about "beating the bridge". Which I did. At the back side of the Lincoln Memorial, a Marine Corps Band delegation played the Marine anthem. Chills. The "Blue" mile. Amazing. And running into my family just at the right time gave me the push needed to complete the journey.

Since the return from Washington, I have had the opportunity to consult with Specialists and the diagnosis is Osteoarthritis of the Hip. Roughly translated it means I've gotten old. Nothing can be done to reverse this condition, both conditions, but plenty can be done to help me manage the pain.

On to a new phase in my life. New Goals, New Challenges. Perhaps a New Journey.

It has been well over three weeks since the race. A lot has happened since. This is one of the reasons why I've hesitated to post this entry. I do not regret anything that has happened nor I regret any of the decisions I've made. The time, however, has come to do some serious soul searching and analyze priorities. I'm not getting any younger and my body has abruptly reminded me of this.

In the meantime, I have two more marathons to run before the end of the year. So I guess, I'll see y'all at the finish line.

Finisher's Medal Marine Corps Marathon 40th Anniversary

Franklin Half Marathon: One Tough But Rewarding Race

Since defining my goals for this year, and writing, along with my coach, the course of action to follow, work begun in earnest. Being the very transparent person (in matters of personal development) that I am, and having always shared my every goal with my friends, I have decided that this time around I would be a bit more reserved.

I continue to share my journey with anyone willing and wishing to follow via facebook; sometimes on my personal page, sometimes on my Journey Beyond Ironman page, and sometimes on twitter. What I have chosen not to do is to make constant reference to my ultimate goal. This is something that at this moment is very personal. I have kept it very much between my family, my coach, my nutritionist, two very good friends and myself. And this I have done, because for the first time ever, in my athletic journey, this goal is extremely specific.

As with my goal, my training has been very much #WithPurpose. Everything done is measured and analyzed in order to be improved upon.

And the plan is working.

Earlier this year I registered for a couple of half marathons and a 10k with the sole purpose of measuring progress. What I have seen is beyond any and all expectations. Perhaps the true lesson to be learning here is that I had been underestimating myself all these years. But I also believe that things are meant to happen at the right time in the right place. Perhaps I was not physically or mentally ready to do what I'm asking of myself at this moment in time. Perhaps I was not ready to commit to such a goal. It appears that now I am.

Last Saturday's Franklin Half Marathon was one of those surreal experiences we sometimes have. This race is very "hilly" to say the least. The weather this time of year is always very hot and humid. Saturday was no different. It was very pleasant at gun time, but that quickly changed. The hills lived up to all the hype.

A few weeks back Coach told me that I would have the training needed to have a good race. Having crushed my half marathon earlier in the year, we knew that it would be a tough act to follow; this race would not be about a PR, this race would be about doing the very best possible; I would have to race smart and I would have to avoid injury.

I had my plan. I race by heart rate and coach said to keep it in Zone 4, in this course I thought, this would not be a problem. My nutrition strategy was also set. I knew what I had to do.

I warmed up with a light jog before the race began. I have been doing this, this year and it has worked like a charm; when the race starts my heart is ready to go.

The first mile or so, I used to get set and into my racing Zone. This part of the course was easy to navigate, except on a short out-n-back  there was slight confusion as to which side of the road to take. Runners coming back where crossing over to the side where the runners going out were. No big deal.

I will not go into a full description of the "hills" for it would suffice to say that there were plenty and they never stopped. After mile five, the big one was upon us. They call this one "Heart Attack Hill". My heart rate spiked to Z5. I had to slow down a bit.

My concern most of the race was with the horizontal grade of the road. It was rather large. I was worried about an injury to the IT band, I had to run with caution.

The whole race I felt good. I was running at a good pace, I was running the hills, not attacking them. With my Garmin, I keep track of my HR Zone and total distance. The distance mostly because this is how I work my nutrition plan.

Upon reaching mile 12, I decided to see what my total time was. This to see how close I was to a sub-2 time. With some very quick calculation, I knew that if I cranked it up, around an 8:00 mile, I could, in fact, finish in less than 2:00 hours. That last mile was clocked at 7:51. Fastest "last" mile of any race I have ever done.

Garmin time: 1:59:16.  9:06/mile.

I was thrilled. It was not in my radar to run a sub 2 hour on this course, on this day, under these conditions.

When results started coming in, I approached a pool of laptop computers made available for everyone to check their individual results.

Bib number 257. Official Time 1:59:11.

Age Group: First

Senior Grand Masters: First

Wait... What?! Who? Me?

When I was presented the award, I found that this was the "RRCA State of Tennessee State Championship", hence this makes me a "State Champion".

Wait... What?! Who? Me?

This race is, was and will be, one of the toughest, if not the toughest half marathon I have ever done, anywhere, any time. Period.

God Willing, I'll be back to defend next year. Come join me!

To all those of you that continue to support me, I extend a great big Thank You! Your encouragement throughout this journey is priceless. Stay with me! I'm not sure where this is going and how it will play out, but together I'm sure we'll get there.

The Direction of the Wind is Changing

"I can't change the direction of the wind

but I can adjust my sails"

 ~ Jimmy Dean

Up until recently, my annual racing schedule had been decided by this time of the year. I am somewhat obsessive when it comes to my plans; I need to know where I'm going and most importantly, I need to have plans to get there.

After Ironman Chattanooga last year something changed; something drastically changed. Immediately after crossing the finish line, I knew things would be different, I just didn't know why, or how. I had to figure it out.

Crossing the finish line at Ironman Louisville in 2011 was magical, a feeling that to this day, I can still remember and feel. I get somewhat nostalgic when thinking about it.  I'm not sure what happened but this same feeling escaped me at the finish line in Chattanooga. It was somewhat of a disappointment. I expected bells, whistles and fire works. There were none. With all due respect to all other races I've done, it felt like it was "just another race"

Had it not been for the fact that my daughter Juliana had already finished and was waiting for me with the rest of my family, this finish line would have been a total disappointment. Again, I'm still not sure why!

Don't get me wrong, I loved the journey. I wouldn't trade it for anything, nor would I do it any different. All those laps and miles, lots of them alongside my daughter, I will never forget.

As time passed, I found distancing myself more and more from a triathlon schedule for 2015. At the same time I found myself more and more rediscovering my love for running, after all, this is how it all started.

So I put this to the test. I started a running streak. I wanted to see what would happen. Would I totally love running every day, for an undetermined number of days, or would I find myself drifting back into the triathlon world?

As the streak grew, I found myself looking forward to next day's run. As it turns out, the streak lasted 101 days.

And then, just like that, it came to me. I knew what I had to do.

Every race I've run, over 70 of them (all distances combined), I have raced with only one goal in mind: To finish strong. To give everything I had that day. To leave everything on the course. To be able to come home and say that I gave it all. Looking back, I think I did this each and every time.

With one exception, I never ran with a "time" in mind. This was at the Middle Half Marathon in 2013. I trained and raced with the goal of breaking the 2 hour mark; I had never done this before. And this I did. My time was 1:57:51.

Looking back at this phenomenon, I can safely say that this was my "safety net". I did not want to commit, so I didn't. There would be no disappointment, there would be no let down.

And then it occurred to me. What if, just what if I trained to achieve something "specific"?  What if I trained to meet a time? I honestly don't know what I have in me, because with the exception of the before mentioned race, I never ventured to find out.

So I have this year's goal. I'm training to run a 4:25 marathon. My best time is a 4:51:27. Soon I will select a fall marathon in which I will attempt this. I have a couple in mind. This will be 26 minutes faster, or one minute per mile quicker than my best to date.

And what will happen after I reach this goal? Perhaps time to set a new, more specific goal. Perhaps it could be a return to a tri venue to challenge courses and times. Perhaps more specific and aggressive running goals. Only time will tell.

I have by no means given up on triathlons. It's just time to take a little break. I will volunteer at both Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga and Ironman Louisville this year. I have close friends racing both. I am sure that my coach will find time in my schedule to do some swim and bike cross training along the way.

"When the winds of change blow

some people build walls, others build windmills" 

~ Chinese Proverb

Ironman Goals

A very interesting, and dynamic, conversation is taking place right at this moment in facebook. Various opinions from a gamma of folks with what appears to be a world of difference in abilities and expectarions. In a nutshell, it all revolves around Ironman Goals.

I have chosen to move my opinion here because frankly, I have a bit more latitude and space to provide said opinion.

I agree 100% with the statement that no one should "sell themselves short". I did for many a year. If not for my coach pushing, pulling and dragging me, I wouldn't have set a more specific goal, one that was more than "I just want to finish".

I have to tell you that I have the world's best coach. I have been with him since the day after Ironman 70.3 Augusta. My first long distance triathlon. It was then and there that I realized I needed someone with a bit more expertise to help me navigate through this treacherous waters. No pun intended. He has taught me how to set goals that go beyond my perceived limitations; he has pushed me beyond my comfort zone.

Can anyone be a 12, 13 or 14 hour Ironman Triathlete? It depends on the athlete. If I were to chose for my Ironman Chattanooga goal to be 14 hours, much less any faster, I know I would fail. The most important element of a true goal is that it needs to be realistic. Realistic for me is 15 hours. I know my body, I know what it will take, I know what it can do and I know what I need to do to get it done. Each and every workout, I push a little bit further, because this "bit" is what's going to get me to my goal.

One of the most important roles of a coach is to be a motivator. We can't have one that tells us that we aren't good enough. A good coach should know how far to push and when to push. As much as a good coach should help us set those realistic goals.

I would love to win my age group. I would love to qualify for Kona. If I were to call Coach Barry and tell him that, he would immediately tell me that "we need to have lunch tomorrow".

Everyone means well. That I understand. I know that as triathletes we have learned to be motivators. We have learned that a little smack in the back of the head, or a swift kick in the seat of the pants is what we sometimes need, and we have learned to give that out when we deem it necessary. With that being said...

If I were to post on facebook that I'd like to win my age group, that I'd like to qualify for Kona, I am certain that I would get a tremendous amount of well intended encouragement from everyone. But what if I were to give you additional information. What if I were to tell you that I am 60 years young, or will be one week after Ironman Chattanooga, that I have been doing triathlons for 5 short years, that I am a consistent "middle of the pack" triathlete, that I have a bulging disk and another one herniated. What if I were to tell you that I've had two tumors removed from my left ankle and that after mile 15 of any race, it hurts like the dickens. Would you still give me the same encouragement? Would you think that my goal was a smart one? Attainable? Realistic?

Believe me is not for the lack of wanting it badly. Is not for the lack of desire or grit. Is just plain and simple... my body will not give that much. I know my limits. My coach knows my limits. We work within those limits.

I have improved in the past two years in the swimming and cycling disciplines. I maintain steady in the run. I have worked my tail off to improve on my Ironman Louisville time. And because of this, I have made my next Ironman Goal a sub 15 hours. Is this realistic and aggressive? For me, you betcha! Does this scare me? Yes, scares the hell out of me!
________________________

Please come over and "like" my facebook page for more Motivation and Inspiration on my "Journey Beyond Ironman".  Click here.

Just Do Something In 2014

Setting new goals, or New Years Resolutions if you will, every year is based under the assumption that your goals from previous years either weren't met, or you met them and ran out of goals to work on.

For me, I am constantly working on my goals. I have several at any given moment. When one is met, another one is added. This is why, this year I will not make any New Years Resolutions.

Instead,

This year, I will make it my mission to:

"Do something measurable, everyday, that will get me closer to one of my goals."

About Setting Big Goals

Today's message is about setting Big Goals... Do NOT be afraid of setting a huge goal for yourself, no matter how outrageous it may seem, no matter how far out you may be, no matter where you are in life.  It is never to late to go get what you want.  Just. Go. Do. It!

About Choosing a Goal

The message today is simple... Choose a goal, any goal.  Go for it.  It will change Everything.  Really, it will.

I am just 3 days away from fulfilling one of my biggest goals ever... competing in an Ironman.  Well, a competition against myself and what the course has in store for  me.