Marathon: My personal journey

Just before my father passed away from cancer, he said this to me “Jimmy- one thing that I have always admired about you is the fact that you NEVER give up.” He went on to talk about how I would always believe in myself despite a dire circumstance. I could tell you many stories about why this is important. 

However, I will leave the talking to Babe Ruth. He said this “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up”.

As a runner, I have endured many challenges. During the 2011 Chicago Marathon, I started having leg cramps at mile 14. I have never cramped that early or that bad. To get through, I had to rely heavily on my determination and self-talk. I remembered how proud my Dad was of my never give up attitude. My time was off, but I finished. To this day, I have many great finishes. This was my greatest though, as I faced something truly difficult and never gave up. Dad- you were with me the whole time and thank you!

As you work on your running or business career, do you have moments like this?

Never give up!

Image Source:

http://www.thedebtprincess.com/2012/06/22/never-give-up-my-experience-with-time-warner-cable/

In high school, I attended a baseball camp hosted by a reputable Big Ten school that was NOT the Iowa Hawkeyes. At the camp, a coach featured drills based on “mechanics”. He told us to practice the drill mechanically correct for 21 days, and it would become a habit.

I was hooked on the power of 21. I have used it with great success. While researching this blog post, I found out that the approach is a myth. @!#$%!

All is not lost though. In reflecting on my success, I remembered that each habit forming practice traveled through three different phases. They are similar to the ones outlined by Tom Bartow. They are as follows:

The honeymoon phase looks at basic inspiration and the fight thru elaborates on “reality” setting in on the equation. Tom outlines some key steps to surviving fight thru and you can read them at the Forbes link below (authored by Jason Selk). 

My favorite aspect is “second nature”. It is the process of getting into a “rhythm” or “groove”.  Marathon running, endurance sports or business are all tied to these three phases of forming a habit. In training for a marathon you have the honeymoon phase, reality sets in and you will eventually find your groove. The key to all of this is to stay patient and realize it is a process. Trust yourself and the process will work!

Source:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonselk/2013/04/15/habit-formation-the-21-day-myth/

 

 Image source:

http://www.logomoose.com/pending-logos/21-twenty-one/

As many of you already know about me, I love competition. Every single aspect about competing, I love it. This week I am dedicating my blog to the legendary Dan Gable. If you look in the dictionary for the term competitor or competition, they will always have a picture of Dan or a footnote with reference to him.

I have met Dan and listened to him talk about courage, training, work ethic, belief, preparation and execution.  This is his recipe to compete. Dan had the whole package as a collegiate wrestler and Olympian. He won gold in 1972 and his collegiate record was 181-1.

Dan always believed that he could win. Check out these two quotes:

As a wrestler he said “I shoot, I score. He shoots, I score”

As a coach he said “The first period is won by the best technician. The second period is won by the kid in the best shape. The third is won by the kid with the biggest heart”

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Gable#Collegiate_and_freestyle_career

All of this relates to you, business, running or whatever you compete in. Have a winning attitude and bring your bag of courage. When you do, it will result in the win. Just ask Dan.

Check out this image created by one of his former wrestlers at the University of Iowa (go hawks):

Source:

https://www.facebook.com/jeretcoechiri

I was fortunate enough to hear a talk by the legend Dan Gable. Dan Gable was an Olympic wrestler and a legendary Iowa Wrestling coach. He was giving a serious business talk and started to slip into “coaching” mode. He started talking about preparing, training, and executing. Dan vividly talked about the countdown to the ZERO hour. Every moment of intensity and emotion must lead to it. 

He said it’s the moment where it is just you and your opponent (he coached wrestling). The ZERO hour applies to business and especially running. Every race I have run features a starting corral. The corral is the place where you get ready to run. A countdown ensues and then you start. When you start it all hinges on you. What a great feeling! The moment when you can seize the day and make it yours- Your ZERO hour. Train for it, prepare for it and have fun!

Thanks Dan for a great talk, it has stuck with me for so many years.

Image Source:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/338966309424715489/

Are you here? Can they feel you? Are you seen? How do you feel?

Good questions- right?

When you step into a start corral or business meeting, can you feel your emotional energy, confidence and “mojo”? If you feel it, then others will too.

A week or so ago, a coworker said “Jim you are the noisiest person” …..I took this as a complimentJ

It’s because I like to clap, sing and I really enjoy the privilege of being on the earth- alive.

If you have raced with me, I do the same thing. I high five and pump up any kids at the race. If a fan has a great sign, I will visibly let them know it. 

I know the experts say to conserve your energy, but I really enjoy connecting with the crowds. People enjoy it too, for the most partJ It’s my way of saying “thank you”. Also, I am letting you know that I am there.

People like people that are present. 

For the metal fans out there, you can imagine the energy and vocals of Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden front man). Just like me, he is energetic and noisy. I am told he runs well too. Maybe we will cross paths and sing you a tune. We will both be loud, but odds are he will sound better. I won't know the differenceJ

Go- be present and have fun!

Here is a clip of a great song you will enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLIu3DvUbiI

Image source:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/3687927/Bruce-Dickinson-is-too-Iron-mighty.html

A few years ago, I picked this word as a personal theme for the year. It worked very well and I was just thinking about bringing it back. It is such a meaningful word. It implies preparing and executing. In many scenarios it is rooted in competing with another team or people.

In running a marathon, you compete against yourself. This is what makes it so difficult and extremely fun too. Throughout the training process, you learn about yourself. During the actual race, you find a personal set of limits and how to exceed them. It’s a celebration of you!

Cool image of the 40,000+ runners at the 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. If you squint your eyes, you might see me in the back.

Image Source:

http://running.competitor.com/2011/10/news/watch-the-chicago-marathon-live-online_39353

Today, I was talking to one of my new friends Chris Ho. If you don’t know her, you will get to know her soon. She is an amazing person. We talked about blogs, running, rescuing dogs and her Dad. Her Dad sounds like a wonderful man and I hope to meet him someday. In Chris’s office, you will find the most AWESOME quotes. We were talking back and forth and I asked her if I could take a picture for the BLOG and she chose this one.

In this quote, it highlights the difference between being average and focused. This directly relates to life, business and running. Sometimes life will throw you an obstacle or two, it is inevitable. Vince Lombardi talked about the concept of obstacles are only seen, when you lose sight of your goal. I hear this and directly relate it to Bruce Lee’s quote. Focus is really important for the average runner. It quickly separates the marathon entrant and the marathon finisher. I try to keep things simple and focus on three keys during a race. It results in success! Below you will find a great photo of Bruce Lee. He is certainly a man on a mission. To see the intensity, you know he is focused like a LASER!

Chris- thanks for sharing the quote!

Image source: http://danieltuttle.com/bruce-lee/

Today I slept in and didn't run. It felt good to sleep in, but terrible to miss out on running outside. Tonight I have read many quotes about competing and motivating yourself. My favorite feeling is that tomorrow is another day. I will move forward.

My wife just asked me if I was going to run tomorrow a.m. and I said “YES”. She said it’s going to be twelve below….I will not miss it! My goals won't accomplish themselves...and running keeps me centered. It is a ton of fun! See you tomorrow a.m.!

Image source:

http://www.self-esteem-enhances-life.com/self-motivation.html

One of my favorite things to do is set the tone for a week. Mondays are great for setting the tone. A big and energetic attitude will always make the difference for you. I like making a big entrance full of confidence and energy. On Monday’s it is easy to lose sight of the fact that it’s the most important day of the week. If you keep focused on a positive attitude and make a big entrance to every day, it will pay off in the long run. Below you will find three movie clips to my favorite “entrances”. 

The Iowa Hawkeyes, A Knight’s Tale and MEGAMIND all feature great entrances, so please enjoy and remember to set a positive tone!

Big Entrances! 

Iowa Back in Black:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK01nX_evIc

Knights Tale:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hi8IWqic0U

Megamind:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQJJjcrwXQE

One of my goals this year is serious weight loss. Sounds easy- right? You may have similar “stretch” goals on your plate this year too (no pun intended J). Most of my goals are rocking this year, I am exceeding every one….except one. Yep- you guessed it. Why do we fall short of some goals?

The answer is pretty complicated. In my case, it comes down to being really serious about the task at hand and a modification of behavior. I have bought and have read excerpts of Matt Fitzgerald’s Racing Weight: How To Get Lean For Peak Performance. It’s a great book. Matt published this article that talks about getting serious about weight loss. If you have weight loss as a goal, it’s a great read.

Matt Fitzgerald's Article: Want to Lose Weight?

I have re-evaluated my commitment and am ready for the journey! June 2014 is my first milestone, I can’t wait for you to see the results!