Training and taking it up a notch!

Over the last week, I have met some really awesome people who have really inspired me to keep going and moving along.

Vegan Divas – Yummy delicious donuts.  I have been trying to get to this place for a while and on Saturday it finally happened. I had the cinnamon and the coconut donuts and they were glorious.  I also got the vegan quiche and had that for brunch on Sunday and it was amazing.  The taste was out of this world.  I am definitely going to make this my after team in training run on Saturday treat.

Sparkly Soul– I met Kristina from Sparkly Soul at the Team in Training expo and she was amazing.  She told me all about her team in training experience, as well as complimented me on my health and wellness journey.  She is an amazing health advocate.  The headbands are amazing.

 Team Tough Chik– This group is just amazing.  They are so supportive and all about a very positive message of promoting sports for women.  They also helped support me when I needed it.  Experience in this world of health and wellness is very valuable and I appreciate their counsel very much.

I recently read a great story from a post on No Meat Athlete:

 “If you want to take the island, burn your boats”

 This cliche gets tossed around a lot, especially in business books, but I love it.

When we set goals — especially, the big, scary, exciting ones that move us to act — our natural tendency is to leave ourselves an out.

We’ve learned that sometimes we fail, and it’s not much fun. We’ve also learned that when we fail publicly, in front of our friends, it sucks even more.

And so when you set that crazy goal, the one that has the potential to change your life or even define it, there’s a decision you make at the outset, often without realizing it.

The decision is to either bet on yourself — by telling every single person who will listen to you what you intend to do — or to bet against yourself, by keeping it a secret.

You know, just in case you fail. Smiley face.

“I’ll surprise everyone,” we say. “I’ll make all these huge changes in secret, and one day, when I run my marathon / finish my triathlon / celebrate my year as a vegetarian / quit my job, then everyone will see what I’m capable of.”

This, of course, is total bullshit. It’s fear, and all that stuff we tell ourselves is just rationalization.

So what do you do instead?

Tell everyone. Put it on Facebook. Put it on your blog. Set up a public Google Doc where you’ll track your progress, and invite the people you most respect to keep you in line. Find a partner. Write it on your forehead if you have to. Make a deal with a friend that you’ll pay them 100 bucks if you quit. Or that you’ll donate that money to a charity that you hate.

Whatever your boat is, burn it. Instead of protecting yourself so that failing won’t hurt, use that fear of failing as one more reason not to fail.

And if you fail — and make no mistake, you might — I promise it’ll be good for you. While everyone was sitting on the couch watching Dancing with the Stars, you were out there trying. Making progress towards something that matters. Doing instead of watching.

If it doesn’t work out, is that really something to be ashamed of?

So I am burning my boats:

Here is my race calendar for 2013

Jan 18- Zooma Women’s Half – Amelia Island, FL*

Mar. 23- Sleepy Hollow Half- Sleepy Hollow, NY*

April 28- Nike Women’s Half – Washington DC- TEAM IN TRAINING*

June 1- Zooma Women’s Half- Annapolis, MD*

August 10- Sea Wheeze Half- Vancouver Canada

Sept. 15- Rock n Roll Philadelphia*

Oct. ? – Staten Island Half

Dec. – TBD Would love to do the Rock and Roll Vegas Half

*registered

Signed,

your galfriday4hire