Tag: goalsetting

Was Gonna, Why Bother and #GSD

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I’m attracted to doers, the kind of people who approach life with an attitude to get shit done #GSD, no matter what the challenges may be. I have limited tolerance for the “was gonna” mindset. This mindset leads to stories that begin with: “I was gonna do [X thing] but [insert bullshit excuse here].” This mindset may also lead to a lot of empty talk about what a person plans to do, yet those plans never get executed. In the failure to try to pursue goals, a “was gonna” mindset presents reasons, excuses that seem perfectly valid. However, I believe …

Dreaming Big Isn’t Glamorous

I blew a snot rocket, carefully positioning my head with the wind and timing the blow with the rhythm of my footsteps. It was a miserable late winter day, with strong winds and little ice pellets that couldn’t decide if they wanted to be rain or snow. They bounced off the track as they fell from the sky. I dodged little patches of ice on the track, taking note of their location as I looped, then looped again. I was alone with my thoughts and a series of pyramid repeats – ranging from 200 to 1200 yards. Of course, I was …

Just Do It

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Nike had it straight when they came up with this gem: By now, this tagline is cliche. But, think about it this line as if it were fresh, and recognize how powerful the sentiment is. You have a goal that requires hard work. Sometimes, you might not want to do this work. Other times, the work might seem too hard – too far outside your comfort zone. In another moment, there might be fear or anxiety about the uncertainty that comes with training and racing toward bigger and bigger dreams. Think about those moments in light of this line. Now, just …

Burning Nomads

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One of the things that I like about big goals and dreaming big is the way the thought of the goal itself sets a spark that lights a fire in my core. The fire focuses me. It excites me. It lets me know I’m alive. The last big fire went out the second the announcer at Ironman Louisville said my name to step right up and grab my golden ticket to the big show in Kona. The relief washed over me with the same intensity as the fire that burned to get me there. Since that day, however, I haven’t even …

Asking questions, seeking answers

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After three years of working toward a slot at the Ironman World Championships, the goal became a part of my identity, my decision making, my lifestyle. Now, the race is long done and dusted and the mysteries have been revealed. So, what’s next? My interest in the 140.6 distance has all but disappeared, while my desire to participate more in the ultra world (both triathlon and running) continues to grow. Even so, I haven’t settled on “THEE” goal that drives me. On the one hand, I’m totally okay with that. I’m having a low-stress, fun year of racing and training so far. On the other hand, I …

Boiling Frogs and Gradual Adaptation

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Every new distance seems impossible when you first begin to wrap your head around it. Think about the first race you ever signed up for that you thought was really long.  Before you started the training, the race distance probably seemed almost insurmountable, right? I mean, how could anyone go X miles? The very first distance I ran that made me think: whoa, this is going to be LONG was a 6 mile run I did during a high school crew practice, circa 1989. We ran daily, but never that far. But, we had gotten in trouble, so we were punished by running 6 miles, …

Patient Aggression: Reflection on the Year of the Plow Horse

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Little did I know a year ago, when I dubbed 2014 the “Year of the Plow Horse,” how much I would come to depend on the characteristics of the reliable ol’ plow horse to make it through some of the more challenging races I’ve done. The plow horse is a strong, sturdy animal. She has a lot of work to do, but she can’t rush through it and burn out. No! The plow horse must be patient as she pursues the goals for the day, the week, the month, the year. The plow horse has been uniquely bred with the intention to balance both speed and muscle, …

Age is a just a number & sex is just a division

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Unless you consume absolutely no mainstream or social media of any type, it’s very likely you’ve seen this incredible feat by Kacy Catanzaro, the first woman to finish the American Ninja Warrior finals course. It’s incredible. It’s inspiring. And, it made me weep, thinking of how accomplished, how fulfilled this woman must feel. But, the more I thought about it, the more there was something about the response to her achievement that irked me. The tone in the announcer’s voices, the amazement on the faces of the spectators, the proclamations of utter surprise all about the social webs–including myself at first. The …

Is Belief in Yourself Egotistical?

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Before Ironman Lake Placid, I read an article in Triathlete magazine by Chris “Macca” McCormack, titled, “‘Ego’ is not a Dirty Word.” Macca’s main message: have belief in yourself. He goes on to say that some may see this belief or confidence as an overblown ego, yet he cautions that such a view is wrongheaded. He writes: “Our ego is simply the way we see ourselves, and in a competitive environment, this is without question our defining variable. This word “ego” is tossed around nowadays with such a negative spin on it. It annoys me to think that by believing in yourself and pursuing …

Fight the Voices in your Head

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I pulled into the packed gym parking lot. It was January 2.  New Years Resolutions, I thought to myself. As I walked into the gym, and prepared myself for my swim, I looked at the newcomers and smiled, hoping to be encouraging. I know that many of these people will not be here in a month or so, and that saddens me. I know that each of these well-intentioned people will reach a point where the going gets tough – maybe the time commitment becomes overwhelming, maybe it becomes just too easy to hit snooze instead of getting up to …