DAY 32: Morning Motivation- Enthusiasm: Is It In You?

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

So you’ve recognized opportunity, and you’ve chosen the road you will travel down, now what? Well, now we must do the traveling, which can be enjoyable or miserable.

How can you make your journey towards achieving your goals enjoyable?

LIVE WITH ENTHUSIASM!

I know it’s easier said than done, but think about how you feel when you are with an enthusiastic person. This person has life in him, a genuine passion for life which can be seen in his everyday actions and mannerisms. I thrive off of enthusiastic people!

This morning I read an article in Josh Hinds’ “Let’s Talk Motivation” Newsletter about how enthusiasm is contagious. Enthusiastic people inspire enthusiasm in others. This spreading of enthusiasm in others occurs as a result of the positive environment created by this enthusiastic person. We feed off of each other’s attitudes and moods, both positive and negative, so it is imperative that we create a positive environment for ourselves and those around us by living an enthusiastic life.

How is you level of enthusiasm?

Let me guess, when you first established your goal, you were so excited! You couldn’t wait to get started working towards it.

Then what happened?

Simple, your spark of enthusiasm was quickly extinguished, or severely dampened, by those doubters of your dream and the numerous distractions you face each day.

What can you do to maintain your enthusiasm?

1. Well, reading this blog is a start. Daily inspiration is essential to keeping your focus and enthusiasm. Even if you reread the same inspirational piece over and over, it is feeding the brain with these positive vibes that will train your brain to live with enthusiasm despite the negativity you may encounter.

2. Keep a daily journal. Record when you felt enthusiasm in your actions and why. Record who inspired enthusiasm in you or how many people in whom you inspired enthusiasm.

I realize maintaining constant enthusiasm is impossible (and probably unhealthy), but if you can remind yourself to show your passion for life in everything that you do today, you will be miles ahead of the rest of the crowd (what a great marathon pun!).

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Bench Press- Lock-out 4 sets

Curls- 3 sets

Scull-crushers- 3 sets

Pullups- 3 sets

Dips- 3 sets

Abs

DAY 31: Morning Motivation- The Road Not Taken

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN
By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

I’m not an avid poetry reader, but I know inspirational poetry when I see it! Little did you know that Robert Frost was writing that poem about your life! As we discussed opportunity yesterday, it is everywhere, and with each opportunity we have to make a decision whether to accept or decline. Accepting the opportunity leads us down one road, and declining leads us down a separate road. When pursuing a goal, such as running a marathon, you will most likely have to choose that grassy road less traveled by the majority of people in order to get to your desired destination. Along this road you will encounter obstacles in the form of long runs and workouts, and at times, you may wish you had chosen to travel to beaten path, for it is clear and easy to travel down. But when your mind tries to talk you out of continuing down the road less traveled, remember how this poem ends:

I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Keep traveling down the road to success. You’re getting closer than you think!

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Warm-up 1 mile

Run 3 miles

Cool down ½ mile

DAY 30: Morning Motivation- Opportunity

Each morning, I read the Wall Street Journal and the USA Today to catch up on what’s happening in the world, but usually I focus my attention on inspiring stories of which I can write about for my Morning Motivation. As I was flipping through my paper this morning, I saw on a two page spread in large letters:

“OPPORTUNITY…it’s everywhere when you know where to look.”

What irony! As I was browsing the paper for ideas, I literally found “opportunity” in big, bold letters!

I enjoyed this large advertisement, so I taped it on my wall. As I read the message of the ad again, I realized that this really was my “opportunity,” that is, my opportunity to touch on such an important subject, for opportunity truly is everywhere.

However, I believe identifying opportunities is more than just know where to look, but rather it is knowing how to look at situations. Opportunity depends on your perspective. Opportunity could be staring you right in the face (maybe not literally as it did for me this morning!), but you may just not see it as such.

Problems are opportunities. They are opportunities to find solutions.

Temporary failures are opportunities. They are opportunities to learn from our mistakes in order to progress toward our eventual success.

We would not have electricity today if Thomas Edison had not seen his temporary failures as opportunities to learn. Edison made thousands of failed attempts to illuminate the light bulb. With each shortfall, Edison did not see defeat. Edison saw the opportunity to learn yet another method by which not to build the light bulb. If you are presented with enough doors of opportunity, one is bound to open, and after a persistent effort, Edison found that door, inventing the light bulb and changing the life style of mankind forever.

Each day we are presented with the opportunity to prepare our mind and body for our marathon. With busy schedules and limited time, fitting a workout in may seem more like a problem than an opportunity, but keep in mind your motives. What actions are going to propel you closer to achieving your goals? When you concentrate on how an event or activity will ultimately help you as opposed to how this event or activity will strain you for time, you will see that the so called “time-filler” in front of you is really an opportunity waiting to be pursued.

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Bench Press- 4 sets

Curls- 3 sets

Incline Bench- 3 sets

Pullups- 3 sets

Row- 3 sets

Abs

WEEK 5: DAY 29: Morning Motivation- Simplicity

Its amazing how so many events that take place in life happen at just the right time. It is the precise timing of the event that makes its happening so effective. God always knows exactly when to throw a sign of enlightenment into our lives.

I say this because while we are entering our fifth week of training, exams are starting to pile up on me, and I can’t help but feel a little stress now and then. Just the other day, I was thinking to myself how I always manage to cram my schedule in a way that I make my life so complex. Sure enough, last night God acknowledged my questioning by airing the movie Forrest Gump on TV.

I love Forrest Gump because I love how Forrest maintains such a simple life, keeping his love for his family, friends, and country a priority without getting distracted by the complexity of life. Forrest is born with a mental deficiency, which is viewed by many as a defect in Forrest, but in reality, Forrest was blessed. He simply lived by the simple lessons his mother taught him, and that was good enough for him.

We gain an appreciation for the simplicity and purity of Forrest’s life when we compare his life to the life of his love, Jenny. Jenny had a abusive father, and as she grew up got distracted by the hippy movement, partaking in drugs and not fully discovering who she was. For every great achievement of accomplishment Forrest achieved, Jenny had a polar opposite experience in which she realize her life was filled with complexity and disorder.

While Jenny always loved Forrest, I believe she took Forrest’s mental state for granted, thinking he was not capable of rational thought. She didn’t think Forrest could help her find the answers she was searching for. It is not until the end of the movie that she realizes that Forrest was in fact a great human being, living an honest and simple life. While many of his achievement appeared to be accidental, they were the result of his honesty and care for others.

After watching the movie, I realized that a lot of the stress I have had was created by me. I need simplify my life. I need to prioritize what is important in my life, and then I need to live my life accordingly. Forrest was consistent in his beliefs his whole life.

So, from this lesson, take some time to consider your priorities. What activities in your life are causing distractions? How can you simplify your life? You may not find the answers today, but it couldn’t hurt to put some thought into it.

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Warm-up 1 mile

Run 5 miles

Cool down ½ mile

DAY 28: Daily Reflection

As I reflect on my life over the past two weeks, I can proudly say that I have stayed faithful to my training schedule. It has not necessarily been easy to fit my workouts in each day, especially with tests and schoolwork consuming my time, but I made it a priority to follow my training schedule accordingly. I sacrificed a little sleep this week in order to fit my workouts in, but in retrospect, I am very glad I did.

As for reading daily motivation/ inspiration, I have made an honest effort to read each day before I go to bed. I failed to make the time to read over the past two days though, so this week I will make sure to read before I go to bed each night.

I love reflecting in silence. Some find silence scary because we rarely experience complete silence in a given day. Radios and TV’s add that background noise to our lives, which serves as security to some. Given the amount of noisy distractions that we so easily come by, this objective has been difficult to accomplish. For the coming weeks, I plan to wake up ten minutes earlier I order to reflect in silence.

As the time of the semester for tests has arrived, I have had to work hard to fir my workouts in, but I have not let my workload deter me from following my training schedule. I plan to continue excelling in my school work while still completing my daily workouts.

Relationships are essential to life. Without them, with whom would we have to share our experiences? Maintaining a healthy relationship with the ones that I love is a natural habit for me by this point in my life. I don’t need to remind myself to balance my relationships. Even though fitting workouts in means sacrificing time in my day that could be spent with those that I love, I have expressed to those special people in my life how important staying disciplined is to achieving my goal, and they respect my dream. But when I do spend time with them, I make sure to do as Matthew Kelly says by spending my time in “carefree timelessness”—releasing my worries in other areas and enjoying the present moment with my loved ones.

DAY 28: Morning Motivation- Personal Assessment II

As we complete week 4 of training today, let’s see how we’ve progressed since our last personal assessment:

1. Have you given your body a fair chance to improve by staying faithful to your training schedule?
2. Have you given your mind an opportunity to grow by exposing it to motivational/ inspirational material each day?
3. Have you set aside ten minutes each day to reflect and pray in silence?
4. Have you kept a healthy balance in your life between your training and work/ school?
5. Have you kept a healthy balance in your life between your training and your relationships?

Take a few moments to recall how you have addressed each of these questions in your life over the past two weeks. Reflect on what you have done well and consider areas where you know you can do better.

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Warm-up 1 mile

Run 3 miles

Cool down ½ mile

DAY 27: Morning Motivation- Write It Down!

“The discipline of writing something down is the first step toward making it happen.”

-Lee Iacocca, Automobile executive

Have you ever had and errand that you needed to run or a task you needed to complete around the house, but you keep on forgetting to do it?

What do you do to remind yourself to do it?

YOU WRITE IT DOWN!

You write it down so you see it later and remember to do this task. People do it all the time at work, in school, and around the house in order to get things done. It seems to be an efficient means of reminding people to accomplish these small-scale, chore-like tasks, so this brings me to my next question:

Do you write down your goals?

If you already do, congratulations. You have already developed a very helpful habit to achieving your goals. This is a fair question to ask because so many people do not follow this practice. Especially for long-term goals, many people do not see the relation between my analogy of writing down chores and writing down goals. Long-term goals seem so far away write now, but from my perspective, this abundance of time between the present time and our desired destination gives us more reason to write our goals down.

Why write goals down? Here are a couple of reasons worth considering:

1. Writing down goals makes them more concrete. If you just have a dream in your head, it is very easy to push it aside when distractions arise. If you write your goals down, you are more likely not to ignore them because they will be staring you in the face each day.

2. Writing down goals helps you stay focused. I know that the happenings of day to day life can pull your attention away from your goals at times, but if you have your goals written down in a location that you frequently can view them, you can remind yourself what you are working for, and thus redirect your focus towards your achieving your goals.

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Bench Press- Lock-out 4 sets

Curls- Pyramid to 7

Military Press- 3 sets

Delt 21’s- 3 sets

Pushups

Abs

DAY 26: Daily Reflection

Today’s adventure took me three miles, and even though I did not improve my time from the previous day for the first time in two weeks, I was pleased that I kept the same pace as Tuesday. I am pleased that I am beginning to develop consistency in my running. I am becoming comfortable with raising the bar of expectation a little bit more each day.

And that is worth celebrating over!

DAY 26: Morning Motivation- Life is an Adventure

"Adventure isn't hanging on a rope off the side of a mountain. Adventure is an attitude that we must apply to the day to day obstacles of life – facing new challenges, seizing new opportunities, testing our resources against the unknown and in the process, discovering our own unique potential."

-John Amatt

I love movies. With movies, you can lose yourself in the excitement or drama of the storyline, forgetting any worries you may have in your life, even if just for a short time. I especially love to watch action movies because I love the thrill of the adventure. Take Indiana Jones for example. It is amazing how Indiana Jones dodges boulders and bullets to save the girl and become the hero.

For you adventure buffs, unfortunately real life is not an action movie. You may not be chased by killer ninjas today, but that doesn’t mean there is no adventure in your life.

As John Amatt said in our opening quote, adventure is an attitude, and it is up to you to make your life adventurous by applying this attitude. With every opportunity we are presented, we are faced with two adventures to choose from—accepting the opportunity or declining the opportunity. Whether we accept or decline the opportunity, we are still faced with an adventure, so we might as well make it a fun and worthwhile adventure.

In everything you do in the adventure of your life, you will learn something new about yourself. It may not be earth shattering knowledge, but it is still progress along the path to discovering who you really are. With each day that you continue to train, you are reaching a stronger conclusion about yourself that you have what it takes to run a marathon. I know that each day I finish a workout, I feel more confident in myself.

Life is an adventure. Go live it!

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Warm-up 1 mile

Run 3 miles

Cool down ½ mile

DAY 25: Morning Motivation- Slow Me Down

SLOW ME DOWN, LORD

Slow me down, Lord.
Ease the pounding of my heart
by the quieting of my mind.
Steady my hurried pace
with a vision of the eternal reach of time.
Give me, amidst the confusion of my day,
the calmness of the everlasting hills.
Break the tension of my nerves and muscles
with the soothing music of singing streams
that live in my memories.
Help me to know the magical, restorative power
of your touch.
Teach me the art of taking minute vacations,
slowing down to look at a flower
to chat with a friend,
to pet a dog.
Remind me each day of the fable of the hare
and the tortoise.
so that I may know that the race is not always won
by the swift.
There is more to life than increasing its speed.

Let me look upward into the branches of the towering oak,
and know that it grew slowly and well.
Slow me down, Lord.
Inspire me to send my roots deep
into the soil of life’s enduring values.

-Richard Cardinal Cushing

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Bench Press- 4 sets

Curls- 3 sets

Incline Bench- 3 sets

Pullups- 3 sets

Pushups

Abs

DAY 24: Morning Motivation- Persist...Persist...Persist

“When the morning’s freshness has been replaced by the weariness of midday, when the leg muscles give under the strain, the climb seems endless, and suddenly nothing will go quite as you wish—it is then that you must not hesitate.”

-Dag Hammarskjold, Statesman

Life is unpredictable. Each day we encounter new opportunities and challenges. It is our reactions to these opportunities and challenges that reveal the character that we possess to persist towards our goals through good times and bad times.

When we wake up each morning, we are presented with a brand new day, a day we can utilize to better ourselves—physically, mentally, and spiritually.

And we fully intend to do so… except that once we step foot out of bed we are bombarded with obstacles trying to prevent our self-improvement—TV, radio, news, even friends and family. While you may have a particular agenda in mind for the day, your colleagues, friends, or family may not understand your priorities. Sometimes, events take place that change your plan for the day.

Life comes at us fast, always throwing a curveball that can’t seem to anticipate. It is at these times that we must rely on that calm and disciplined voice within us to tell us to keep our focus and stay on task.

Today, you may be thrown an extra assignment at work, and you may be forced to stay a little later. Or maybe you just found out that you have a quiz tomorrow that you need to study for. Despite these inconveniences, remember to keep your focus on what is important to you. See your workout through. You may lose an hour of sleep tonight, but that hour is not wasted. It is being invested in your goal.

Don’t let the speed of today cause you to doubt pursuing your goal. Don’t hesitate—do it!

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Warm-up 1 mile

Run 3 miles

Cool down ½ mile

DAY 23: Morning Motivation- Benefits of a Goal

“Set a goal to become a millionaire for what it makes of you to achieve it.”

-Jim Rohn, Motivational Speaker

I found this quote in one of Josh Hinds’ “Let’s Talk Motivation” newsletters about adapting to change. This quote struck me as intriguing, for there is much truth to it. In his newsletter, Josh Hinds clarifies Mr. Rohn’s piece of advice by saying:

“When we develop the skills needed to achieve our goal, the rewards of the particular goal may come or go in our lifetime, however our ability to recreate the result is always there—ready for us to tap into at will.”

I believe both Mr. Rohn and Mr. Hinds are on to something here. It is very easy to let our desires to reach our goals consume our focus, for we must put forth much effort in order to achieve our goals. However, as Josh Hinds said, the rewards of a particular goal only last for so long. It is the lessons we have learned and the skills that we have acquired while working towards our goals that last forever.

Keep this thought in mind as you go about your day today. Remember that you are not just working hard to prepare yourself for one race, you are working hard to develop the habits and skills to make you a successful person in anything you do in life.

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Bench Press- Lock-out 4 sets

Curls- 3 sets

Incline Bench- 3 sets

Pullups- 3 sets

Delt-21’s- 3 sets

Abs

WEEK 4: DAY 22: Morning Motivation- What Goes Around Comes Around

“Life is something like a trumpet. If you don’t put anything in it, you don’t get anything out.”

-W. C. Handy, Blues Musician

When I was a very little, my younger sister and I used to play together at home. For the most part, we had fun together, but naturally there were times when we got upset with each other. At these times, we would say something mean to hurt the other’s feelings. Whenever my mom would here us acting ugly, should would tell my sister and I, “What goes around comes around.”

As kids, my sister and I did not understand the meaning of this phrase, but as we got older, we realized what our mom was teaching us that if you are polite and courteous to others, others will be polite and courteous to you. On the other hand, if you are rude and uncaring towards others, others will be rude and uncaring towards you.

With this phrase, my mom was teaching my sister and I a very important lesson about life in general—that today’s actions will determine tomorrow’s results. A particular goal may require a sacrifice of time and effort today, but it will eventually come to back to you in proportion to the amount of time and effort you put into it. If I am trying to help myself as best I can to prepare for this marathon, sitting in front of the TV instead of doing today’s workout is not the best use of my time. Sure, I could sit in front of the TV and enjoy this time of relaxation today, but in eight months, that short-term pleasure I enjoyed will come back to cost me on race day. If I sacrifice an hour of my day today to prepare myself for the race, the satisfaction of crossing the finish line on race day will just be all the more satisfying if I know that I put forth all the effort I could.

What are you going to do today to prepare for tomorrow?

Remember… what goes around comes around!

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Warm-up 1 mile

Run 3 miles

Cool down ½ mile

DAY 20: Morning Motivation- Discipline

“My definition of discipline is as follows: do what has to be done, when it has to be done, as well as it can be done, and do it that way all the time.”

-Bobby Knight, College Basketball Coach

Many years ago, I was inspired to keep a journal. I had seen a friend do this, and I thought it would be very rewarding to be able to look back on my childhood memories when I get older.

So I went to the store and bought a brand new journal. It had an American flag on it, and I was excited to start writing. So I went home and wrote about my experiences of the day. It took some time to write everything in it, but I found the time to do it because I was committed to keeping this journal.

Well, after about a month, I realized that keeping a journal was not as easy as I had thought. While I still wanted to record the happenings of each day, I never found enough time to make sit down and write in it. By the end of the second month, my journal was collecting dust.

Looking back on this experience, I realize that it was not necessarily a lack of time that prevented me from keeping my journal. It was a lack of discipline. I knew this journal required attention for at least 15 minutes each day, but I let other activities and distractions get in the way of my journal.

Our lives are so busy today that it is very easy to become distracted of our goals. There is always something else you could do instead of running or lifting. I’m sure the TV in the corner of the room is calling you to just relax, but when the time comes to decide how you are going to spend the next hour, you need to ask yourself,

“What is going to put me in a better position to achieve my goals?”

The TV may be appealing, but when I ask myself this question, I always end of heading to the gym because I know a god sweat from a challenging workout will give me a better chance at completing the Chicago Marathon.

We are always presented with choices. It takes discipline to make the choices to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done.

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Bench Press- 4 sets

Curls- 3 sets

Chest Press- 3 sets

Pullups- 3 sets

Delt-21’s- 3 sets

Abs

DAY 19: Morning Motivation- Character

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved.”

-Helen Keller

Have you ever taken time to sit back and acknowledge your accomplishments in life? What were they? Making the 8^th grade basketball team? Graduating high school and/or college? Achieving the highest sales in your company? Chances are that whatever your accomplishments are, you had to put forth much time and effort in order to achieve them.

As you recall these memories, do you notice something they all have in common?

Each of these moments of your life represents the results of much soul-searching within you—times when you had to learn much about yourself in order to progress toward your accomplishments.

Most people view difficult times as bad luck and misfortune, but in reality these tough situations are the best opportunity for you to grow as a person. It is in the face of these uncomfortable situations that you learn the most about yourself.

When my motivation to run is struggling, I just tell myself that today’s workout is another opportunity to better myself. I’ve had times when I let my lazy body get the best of me, and I did not enjoy the felling of regret that lurked in my mind the rest of the day. The best feeling is having finished a workout despite having every part of you body telling you to quit.

That is when character is built.

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Warm-up 1 mile

Run 4 miles

Cool down ½ mile

DAY 18: Morning Motivation- Overcoming Roadblocks

This morning, I am still riding on the inspirational high I got by listening to Mark Albion speak last night. Mr. Albion gave the audience his advice to finding a meaningful life. He said that the number one fear that people have in life is not having a meaningful life! Yes, this fear ranked higher than death!

Everyone wants to be a part of something meaningful and important, and many times people confuse important with meaningful. Completing a project for work may be important, but not particularly meaningful to you because you may not have a passion for what you do.

Mr. Albion said that the main reason people push their passions and dreams aside is because of the psycho-social risk involved with pursuing them. This psycho-social risk is the sound of the voices that one hears from his or her peers criticizing your actions. In essence, it is peer pressure in that many people do not chase their dreams because no else is.

But there will always be people and obstacles in the way of achieving your dream. Mr. Albion said,

“The shortest distance between two points is always in construction.”

How true is this statement?!?!

Our dreams are never fulfilled in they way that we have planned, but that certainly does not mean they cannot be fulfilled. As you look at your progress training, have your workouts gone as planned? Are you a little ahead? Maybe a little behind?

Wherever you stand at this point, you are exactly where you need to be. With each day of training, you are climbing the ladder of success. Keep putting forth your efforts today to make for a more effective tomorrow!

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Bench Press- Lock-out 4 sets

Curls- 3 sets

Scull crushers- 3 sets

Pullups- 3 sets

Delt-21’s- 3 sets

Abs

DAY 17: Daily Reflection

Today I had the privilege of hearing Mark Albion, author of the book Making a Life, Making a Living, speak at Notre Dame. Mr. Albion gave a very inspiring presentation about finding your purpose in life and making a difference in the world. He asked the audience many questions in order to help us discover what it is that we have a passion for in life.

The question I most enjoyed from Mr. Albion was when he asked,

“What is it that makes you come alive?”

Another important piece of knowledge that I took away from the presentation tonight was,

“Don’t get really good at what you don’t want to do.”

It is so tragic to see people go about their lives living a life they do not enjoy. So many do not take their passions seriously, and as a result, they push these passions to the backseat in order to have a boring job that provides for them financially, but makes them miserable.

It was very refreshing to have Mr. Albion send the audience this wake up call to take action to do what we love.

What is it that makes you come alive?

DAY 17: Morning Motivation- Having Fun

“Sometimes I find myself getting a little too serious. When I’m having fun, it breaks the tension and I play much better.”

Andre Agassi, Professional Tennis Player

Oftentimes, in the honest pursuit of a worthy goal, I’ve noticed people, including myself, become tense as they try to remain focused. Such concentration is admirable, but I know there is a balance between stress and carelessness that can allow us to enjoy our journey towards our goal, while still maintaining our focus and commitment.

I realize that, many times, running does not seem fun, especially when you look at it as a chore and not as an activity. But when I appreciate the fact that I am blessed with the ability to run, suddenly things don’t appear so bad.

So today, if you’re running outside, enjoy the fresh air and the scenery around you. Use the time while you are running to clear your mind of any stresses you had last week. Think of that feeling of satisfaction that will enter you after you’ve pushed yourself to the limit …and a little bit more. That is fun to me.

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Warm-up 1 mile

Run 4 miles

Cool down ½ mile

DAY 16: Morning Motivation- Personal Assessment

“Success is a peace of mind which is the direct result of… knowing that you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”

-John Wooden, Former UCLA Basketball Coach

If our training ended today, could you tell yourself that you did the best to become the best you are capable of becoming?

Or could you have done more?

Periodically, I like to step back for a moment to look at my progress up until now. With this personal assessment, I can identify what I need to work on in order to become the best I am capable of becoming.

So today let’s see where we stand in our training:

1. Have you given your body a fair chance to improve by staying faithful to your training schedule?
2. Have you given your mind an opportunity to grow by exposing it to motivational/ inspirational material each day?
3. Have you set aside ten minutes each day to reflect and pray in silence?
4. Have you kept a healthy balance in your life between your training and work/ school?
5. Have you kept a healthy balance in your life between your training and your relationships?

If you answered no to any of these questions, take a few moments to consider ways in which you can improve this particular area. Pat yourself on the back for recognizing these areas for improvement, and make a strong resolution to focus on these areas in the weeks to come.

Even if you answered yes to all of the questions, think of ways to improve yourself even further. Should you raise the bar of expectation a little higher this week?

As we continue to train over the next eight months, make an effort to check your progress every two weeks. Ask these questions again. Maintain your focus and commitment, and you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish!

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Bench Press- 4 sets

Curls- 3 sets

Incline Bench- 3 sets

Lat Pulldown- 3 sets

Pushups- 3 sets

Abs

DAY 15: Daily Reflection

It’s amazing how a little patience can make a run feel so effortless. As a ran my five miles today, I didn’t focus on the distance, and I didn’t focus on the time. I simply told myself that I was going to finish, but I just had to be patient. I still pushed myself, but I made sure that I didn’t tense up as I ran. I took on a much more relaxed approach to my run today, and it resulted in my breathing much better and actually running faster!

Perspiration was certainly present, a sign that the persistence of my mind had challenged my body. I’ve always heard that patience was a virtue, and today I applied that virtue to my workout. What a simple adjustment! What a great start to a new week.

WEEK 3: DAY 15: Morning Motivation- Patience

“Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.”

-Napoleon Hill

What do these three factors—patience, persistence, and perspiration—have in common (besides the alliteration!)?

They are all factors of time.

Patience is the virtue of waiting, allowing a period of time to pass in anticipation of a future moment.

Persistence applies this patience to a particular activity, such as running. When I am struggling with one mile to go, I must apply this virtue of patience while I push myself to the finish.

Perspiration is a natural reaction by the human body to cool the skin when the body has become hot. We make our bodies sweat each time we run or go to the gym by putting in the time to challenge our bodies.

Persistence and perspiration are dependent upon patience. Patience is important in any aspect of your life. To have patience is to be at peace within oneself regardless of the external circumstances of the world.

If we are going to succeed in running our marathon, we must be patient. Lack of patience, along with lack of commitment, is why so many people fail to accomplish long-term goals. But a goal is called a “long-term goal” for a reason—because it requires time!

We live in a society that promotes instant gratification. We are taught that we should only do things that reward us now. This mentality is causing lower and lower levels of patience in people. If patience is to be at peace within oneself, then our declining patience is what is driving so many people mad. People are lacking inner peace, and they are showing it externally.

Today, during your workout and throughout the course of the day, make an effort to apply patience to your life wherever possible. When your body tells you that you aren’t making any progress in your workouts, remember patience—you are progressing one step at a time with each day of training.

Having inner peace within yourself makes any task more manageable. Before today’s workout, take ten minutes in a quiet place to find your inner peace.

Pray. Reflect. Think about the events of last week. Use your ten minutes how you like, but use them in silence. Silence is powerful.

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Warm-up 1 mile

Run 5 miles

Cool down ½ mile

DAY 14: Daily Reflection

I returned to the frozen tundra known as South Bend today, which means that it was back to the indoor track for me! As uninspiring as it was to run 3 miles around a short track, I ended up pushing myself to run the best time that I have run since I started training. When I began my run, I just told myself to push hard for the first mile. When I got to the mile mark, I challenged myself to see if I could keep the same pace until the two mile mark. Once I finished two miles, it was downhill from there in terms of distance, so I just told myself to kick it to the finish. When I finished, I was just as tired as I would’ve been had I run my normal pace, only I had run a minute and a half faster. Obviously I had it in me to push it to the next level. It was simply up to me to convince myself that I could do it. I believe two weeks of Morning Motivation was too much for my mind to deny that I can do it. The lazy side that had previously tried to slow me down finally realized that I was not going to give in today. And that is a moral victory!

DAY 14: Morning Motivation- The Power of the Mind

The other day I ran across an article in the Wall Street Journal titled, “How Thinking Can Change the Brain.” This headline intrigued me, so I read the article in its entirety. The article discussed neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to change its structure and function in response to experience. In particular, the article discussed the results of tests performed on the brains of Buddhist monks during meditation. While in meditation, a presence of strong gamma waves were discovered in their brains. The most remarkable finding of this study, however, was that the presence of these gamma waves never subdued in the brains of the meditating monks after they stopped meditating!

So, what is the significance of this finding? If you can read past the technical medical jargon in the article, you can see that these studies are making the case for a very important reality for mankind—that mental training can create an enduring brain trait! That’s right, your own thoughts really can change you, and that is why it is so important to fill your brain with positive thoughts each day. That is why our Morning Motivation is such a crucial part of our training. If we are going to run this marathon, we need to tell ourselves each day that we can do it in order for it to finally be engraved in our heads.

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Warm-up 1 mile

Run 3 miles

Cool down ½ mile

DAY 13: Morning Motivation- What is Important?

Yesterday, as I was driving down the interstate, I listened to one of Matthew Kelly’s audio CD’s called “Becoming the Best-Version-of-Yourself”. I had listened to it before, but it was very refreshing to hear it again. In his talk Matthew reads a quote from in the Gospel of Luke that is part of the Gospel reading for the first week of Advent. In this passage, Jesus says:

“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from the anxieties of daily life.”

Ever since I heard this quote three years ago, I have had it taped onto my laptop computer where I can see it everyday in order to remind me not to get caught up in the speed of life. This quote reminds me to remember what is important in my life, because many times, we have so much to do in one day that we forget what is really important.

So, maybe we should take a second to ask ourselves, “What is important in my life?”

Is staying an extra hour at work more important that spending an extra hour with your spouse furthering your relationship with one another?

Is watching that reality show on TV more important than going to the gym today?

Is getting that extra ten minutes of sleep more important than fueling your mind with the positive reinforcement of a good book just before you go to bed?

My guess is that if you are reading this blog in the first place, you stress more importance on developing relationships, health, and intellectual stimulation. But it is still important to take a step back every once in a while to assess the actions of our life to make sure they are in sync with what is important in your life.

Has your heart become drowsy from the anxieties of daily life?

If so, take action to rejuvenate. Read a good book (if you haven’t noticed, I am a fan of anything Matthew Kelly writes). Devote a little less time to school or work and more time to the relationships that are important to you. If you’ve been struggling to fit your workouts in each day, tell yourself that you owe it to yourself to exercise your body. Think of it as a “timeout” from your busy life.

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Bench Press- Lock out 4 sets

Curls- 3 sets

Chest Press- 3 sets

Pullups- 3 sets

Dips- 3 sets

Abs

DAY 12: Daily Reflection

You could not have asked for more beautiful weather today- 70s and not a cloud in the sky! I’d have to say that if you were not inspired to get outside and run today, then you will never be inspired because it was that pleasant of a day.

I had a great run too… up until the last 200 yards. I got the opportunity today to practice persistence firsthand. I was in my last half mile, so I was sprinting toward the finish. As I turned the final corner in my neighborhood, I noticed an old woman roll down her window so as to ask for directions. Caught in my final kick, I had to hit the brakes quickly in order to stop and assist her. However, in my attempt to slowdown, I rolled my ankle, causing me to fall to the ground.

I quickly rose to my feet in order to help this old woman, which took only a few moments, and then with less than a quarter mile left, I sprinted the rest of the way to the finish line.

When I got home, I iced my ankle just as a precaution, but I don’t see this little stumble getting in the way of my future workouts. You never know what obstacles life will throw at you. Today, my obstacle to the finish line was in the form of an elderly woman in a minivan. Of course, my intentions for pausing during my run were good, but this instance still resulted in my falling to the ground. But it is not about falling—it is about getting back up and finishing. And that is what I learned from today.

DAY 12: Morning Motivation- Persistence

“Every successful person finds that great success lies just beyond the point where they’re convinced their idea is not going to work.”

-Napoleon Hill

If there is one thing that I hope you have learned thus far from reading your Morning Motivation each day is that the mind is a powerful tool. It can lead you to success, and it can keep you from success, depending on how you control your thoughts.

I love reading success stories of people who kept faith and did not allow doubt and negativity to stop them from attaining success. I’m sure we’ve all heard the story of Thomas Edison and his 1000 attempts to invent the light bulb. But have you ever tried to put yourself in Edison’s shoes to see how he felt after his fifth failed attempt? After his 50^th failed attempt? Or even after his 500^th failed attempt?

How did Edison handle his failures? Well, I can assure you he did not view them as failures, to begin. With each attempt that did not make his light bulb light up, he viewed it as having found yet another way not to invent the light bulb. After enough discoveries of how not to do it, he was bound to find one way to make the light bulb work!

And that is the key here—persistence!

Persistence is probably the last thing you want to hear when you feel like quitting because many times it involves walking a little further down a path that many people would have stopped traveling down long ago. It can be lonely and uncomfortable, which is why so many people fail to reach their goals.

Especially with physical training, everyday I feel temptations from my body telling me to stop now before it gets to hard. It would be very easy to stop then, and my body would be very thankful at the time, but not completing my workout would not be in the best interest of my ultimate goal. When caught in a dilemma between my body telling me to stop and my mind telling me to continue, I always think of the question my dad used to ask me:

Short-term pleasure or long-term happiness?

All I have to do is answer this question, and I know how to handle any decision. Applying this to my training dilemma, not completing my workout would give me short-term pleasure, but would ultimately keep me from obtaining the long-term happiness I desire when I complete the Chicago marathon. If I sacrifice the short-term pleasure now and push my body a little farther than it would like, then I will be better preparing myself for race day, and the satisfaction I will feel when crossing the finish line will be that much better.

So when you experience a conflict within yourself today, ask yourself. “Short-term pleasure or long-term happiness?” It’s up to you!

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Warm-up 1 mile

Run 4 miles

Cool down ½ mile

DAY 11: Daily Reflection

Today I attended my grandmother’s funeral. It’s amazing how quickly a funeral will put things into perspective for you. So many things in our lives seem insignificant when you think about how short our time is in life. Our time here on Earth is very brief relative to all of time, which makes every second we have here that much more special. Today I heard family, friends, and former colleagues tell me what a wonderful person my grandmother was— a caring woman, generous and always thinking about others. She was “class personified”.

As I listened to what everyone had to say about her, it made me wonder, “What will people think of me when I die? How will I be remembered?” I wasn’t thinking this in an egotistical manner so as to fish for compliments, but rather, I was thinking of these questions as a way to direct my actions and thoughts in the future. If I want to be remembered as a kind and generous person as my grandmother, then I had better start performing acts of kindness and generosity, not just every now and then, but as a habit.

On the other hand, if I want to be remembered as someone who had a vision of what he wanted and then achieved it, then I need to create a plan and remain faithful to it.

Given the circumstances of my grandmother’s funeral, I was not able to make it to the gym to lift as I would have liked, but to make up for it, I did do a pyramid of pushups from 10 to 50 and back to 10. Today was my grandmother’s day—she deserved to be honored. Normally, if you are to progress towards your goals, especially long term goals, you cannot let circumstances hold you back. However, when the time comes to thank God for blessing your life with the presence of a wonderful woman, you take a time out in your life to do so.

How do you want to be remembered?

DAY 11: Morning Motivation- Moments

Life is a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Many times, in order to succeed, we must push through the down times in order to develop the character or the courage we need to accomplish our goals. My dad always told me,

“Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it.”

The lesson my dad was teaching me was that my success in life is not dependent on the circumstances of my surroundings, but rather it depends on the attitude I take to deal with these circumstances.

When difficult or uncomfortable times arise, I like to think back to Matthew Kelly’s book, Perfectly Yourself. When addressing this topic, he says:

“The thing I love most about moments is that moments are manageable. I can manage a moment. Days, weeks, months, and years seem like eternities sometimes. If I tell myself I’m not going to eat any chocolate for a month, I begin to obsess over it. But if, when the cravings for chocolate begin to speak to me, I tell myself, Not right now, I can handle that. In this way moments play a powerful role in teaching us how to make and celebrate progress.”

When your workout gets tough today, and your body is telling you to take it easy, remember to tell yourself Not right now. You have the potential to do great things. You just have hope over a few potholes in the road to develop the character you need.

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Bench Press- 4 sets

Curls- 3 sets

Tricep Pulldown- 3 sets

Pullups- 3 sets

Row- 3 sets

Abs

DAY 10: Daily Reflection

Today’s workout was one of those workouts that you are glad are over. Sometimes you just can’t put your finger on what exactly made the workout so difficult, but it was. I’ve done 4 miles before, so inexperience was not the reason. Today was just a day where you had to just keep telling yourself you were going to finish, regardless of how fast (or slow) you run it. And that’s exactly what I did. It wasn’t the most glamorous workout today, but the best part about it is… it’s over!

DAY 10: Morning Motivation- Disciplined Action

The other day, as I was browsing through one of Jim Rohn’s weekly ezines in my email inbox, I found an inspiring article on taking action called “The Time to Act” by Jim Rohn. He are two pieces that I wanted to share from the article:

“We intend to take action when the idea strikes us. We intend to do something when the emotion is high. But if we don't translate that intention into action fairly soon, the urgency starts to diminish. A month from now the passion is cold. A year from now it can't be found.

…The emotion soon passes unless you apply it to a disciplined activity. Discipline enables you to capture the emotion and the wisdom and translate them into action. The key is to increase your motivation by quickly setting up the disciplines. By doing so, you've started a whole new life process.”

Can you relate to any of Jim’s words? I know I sure can! Oftentimes I get excited about a new idea after reading a book or watching a movie, and a week later, I have lost that spark of enthusiasm.

Every year, as a New Year’s resolution, I set a goal to read about six inspirational books that year. In past years, I had never structured a timely plan as to how and when I would accomplish this very manageable goal, and as a result, when the idea of reading would cross my mind, I would just tell myself I could do it tomorrow. Well, tomorrow turned into next week, and next week turned into next month, and before you knew it, the year was over.

This year I have applied disciplined action to my goal by allotting 15 minutes each day to read before I go to bed each day. At this rate, I can read one book every two months. This disciplined structure has kept that fire to read lit within me, and as a result, I finished my first book of the year earlier than expected.

Now how can we apply disciplined action to our marathon training?

To start, I have posted my training regimen on my wall to remind me what I need to accomplish each day in order to prepare myself for race day.

Seeing what I need to do on paper tells the logical side of my brain that I need to workout, but it is the inspirational stories and motivational quotes that I read each day that spark the fire in the emotional side of my brain and actually get me to the gym. I need these short pieces of inspiration each day in order to rekindle the fire that was lighted when I came up with this crazy idea to run this marathon.

So, before your run today, map out your plan for the next 9 months. What can you do to keep your focus for another 37 weeks? Put some serious thought into this question. How are you going to motivate yourself in 3 months? In 6 months? Think about it now while the “inspirational iron” is still hot!

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Warm-up 1 mile

Run 4 miles

Cool down ½ mile

DAY 9: Daily Reflection

I had to really push through today’s workout, but I am certainly glad I saw it through to the end. Just as running clears my mind, lifting relieves stress from my system. Any unnecessary aggression is released when lift weights.

Today, I took a step towards maintaining balance in my life while at the gym by enriching a relationship with someone I have not fully appreciated. Since I am at home for the week, I went to my local gym to lift. While I was there, I saw an employee of the health club who I see there every time I workout there. His name is Al, and he is one of the friendliest people I have ever met. He is always happy to see you, and you can sense his sincerity in his voice when he asks you how you are doing.

As I have noticed over the years, though, many people have taken Al’s good spirits for granted, as some people tend to be very short with Al in order to complete their workouts faster. I have been guilty myself at times of speeding up my workouts at the expense of a quality conversation with Al.

Today, however, I made an honest effort to go out of my way to take a good ten minutes to talk to Al. Although Al’s presence in my life and in the lives of everyone who exercises at the gym is very short, and many people do not even notice him, I truly appreciate his genuine kindness, and I hope he continues to brighten other people’s day.

What steps did you take in maintaining a balanced life today?

DAY 9: Morning Motivation- Maintaining Balance

So by now, you’ve told yourself you’re going to run this marathon, and so you are doing everything you can to remain focused. Maybe you have put up a sign by the door to remind you of your goal every time you walk by it. Maybe you have found an inspirational book that you read each morning or night to keep that fire lit within you. These are great actions to take in order to maintain that focus towards your goal.

Aside from your efforts to advance yourself closer to your goal, how is the rest of your life? How is your work/school going? How is your relationship with your family/friends? Most importantly, how is your relationship with God?

I ask these questions because maintaining a balance between your dreams and the rest of your life is just as important as the actions you take to climb towards your goals.

In his article, “Winning: Defining It! Achieving It!” by Chris Widener, Widener says:

“To truly win; to be a success, is not to overachieve in one area, but to maintain balanced achievement in all areas of our lives.”

Let’s think about this statement for a moment. We live in a society that encourages people to concentrate their efforts in one area and to specialize in it, and Chris is telling us to balance our efforts in all areas of our life? What gives?

This contradiction arises because too many people underestimate the importance of our faith and the people around us in our lives. Many times, in an honest effort to do everything we can to achieve our goals, we lose sight of what is truly important to us—like God, our family, and our friends.

As we push through another tough week of workouts, remember to take some time each day to enrich the relationships you have in your life. Call up your friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Maybe plan a date for you and your loved one this weekend. Spend a few moments in silence to thank God for the people in your life.

You’re working hard on the physical and mental facets of your life. Don’t forget to exercise your emotional and spirituals facets either.

Here’s to a fantastic Monday!

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Bench Press- Lock out 4 sets

Curls- 3 sets

Incline Bench- 3 sets

Pullups- 3 sets

Delt 21’s- 3 sets

Abs

DAY 8: Daily Reflection

Today’s workout was very satisfying, both physically and mentally. It felt great to get in a good sweat outside, but it felt even better just to have some time to clear my mind. Running is unlike any other hobby or sport. It allows you to escape from the hustle and bustle of life, even if just for a short period of time, while still allowing you to get some good exercise. When I run, I can rewind the events of the day in my head, allowing me to better assess how I need to handle complex situations that may have arisen. Today, a run was just what I needed to clear my system.

How do you spend your time while you run?

WEEK 2: DAY 8: Morning Motivation- Serenity

"God, grant me the serenity to accept things the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

-Serenity Prayer

This prayer is holding a special place in my heart today. As I was traveling home yesterday to grieve with my family over the passing of my grandmother, I finished reading Matthew Kelly’s newest book, Perfectly Yourself. In his last chapter, Kelly talks about dealing with circumstances out of our control. He said that “when times get tough, people rise to the occasion and draw on their best selves.”

Kelly presented the Serenity Prayer, which I presented to you at the beginning of this passage. I think it is my favorite prayer because it says exactly what I need to hear when difficult times arise. It also helps me put into perspective what I can control and what I can’t. Obviously, my grandmother’s passing is beyond the control of my family and is in the hands of God. But what is in our control is the love and support we give one another in order to, first, celebrate the life of my grandmother, and then to help each other return to a life of normalcy in which we return our focus to our goals and aspirations.

As you continue to stride forward in the direction of your dreams today, take some time to assess what factors in your life are out of your control and what factors you have the ability to improve. Let go of those areas out of your control, and take positive action to improve those areas in which you can change. Make the most of this Superbowl Sunday!

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Warm-up 1 mile

Run 4 miles

Cool down ½ mile

DAY 7: Morning Motivation- Attitude of Gratitude

This morning, I woke up to a beautiful morning. It appeared to have the makings of a fantastic day. I was getting ready to read a little morning motivation before my run today when I received a phone call from my dad telling me to pack my things and come home because my grandmother is in her last days.

Just like that, my plans for the day have changed, as I will by traveling 1,000 miles to get to my grandmother in Louisiana. My family knew the time was near, but it is still never easy to handle the emotions involved with the thought of losing a family member.

Without much time to get to the airport, I will not be able to complete my workout for the day. I will however, have much time in the airport terminal to reflect and pray for my grandmother. With such a quick turn of events, I want to at least instill some inspiration to you so you can complete your workout. In light of my grandmother’s condition, all I can think to say is to appreciate every day that God has given us. Be grateful for the opportunity God has given you today to better yourself just a little bit more. Don’t look at today’s workout as a chore. Look at it as a blessing. Have an attitude of gratitude. Use what God has given you to arrive at, what Matthew Kelly calls, the “best-version-of-yourself.” You get to experience life, which I am being reminded is very fragile. So, go out there and take advantage of this beautiful day. Today is not a roadblock for me. Everything happens for a reason, so I will make the best of what is to come in the following days, and then I will continue to move forward to prepare myself for the Chicago Marathon.

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Warm-up 1 mile

Run 3 miles

Cool down ½ mile

DAY 6: Daily Reflection

How was today’s workout? Have you used today’s 24 hours to better yourself? I had a grueling, but great workout today. My friend Dave, with whom I lift, suggested that we do a curling pyramid to seven today, and not wanting to reject a good challenge, I agreed to do it with him. (A curling pyramid is when you do one rep, take a break, do two reps, take a break, do three reps, take a break, etc. until you reach seven reps, and then you go back down.) Wow, that was a challenge to say the least! After completing the pyramid, I really had to push myself to get through the rest of my workout. What’s challenging is not getting a set started, but finishing the set when your body wants you to stop one rep short of your potential. This is yet another opportunity to train your body to obey the mind.

Take a moment to reflect on your day. Find a quiet place to relax and unwind. Did you take the proper action to move forward in the direction of your goal? What could you have done better? Write these ideas for improvement down to remind yourself how you can better yourself tomorrow. Remember, tomorrow has 24 hours. How will you spend them?

DAY 6: Morning Motivation- Personal Accountability

DAY 6: Morning Motivation- Personal Accountability

“A man, as a general rule, owes very little to what he is born with—a man is what he makes of himself.”

-Alexander Graham Bell

I believe Mr. Bell understood the importance of personal accountability. Personal accountability is taking responsibility for what you have control over in your life. Many times, while in the weight room, I hear people make comments, such as “I could lift that much if I were as big as him” or “If I worked out as much as him, I could get that big.” It always bothers me to hear these comments because they are just big disclaimers saying, “I haven’t committed as much time and effort as this person has to acquire his muscle mass, but, of course, I could do that if I put in as much time as him.”

The thing that is easier said than done is putting in the time. Time is the main component of personal accountability because it is the only variable in which everyone is on an equal playing field. I understand that genetics have much to do with how are bodies are structured, and therefore, not everyone has the frame to lift 400 pounds. We are all different. But everyone does have the same 24 hours each day to improve their life in whatever aspect they desire. The difference between the people who made those comments in the weight room and the person they were talking about is the way in which they manage their time. Clearly, the people who made these comments aspire to acquire the strength of their fellow lifter, but are they committed to sacrificing other aspects of their life to make the time to achieve it?

As we begin another beautiful day, let us remember that each day that we take action to better ourselves—mentally, physically, or spiritually—we are pushing ourselves one step closer to our desired destination. Each day is an opportunity to advance one step up the ladder toward success. Today we have 24 hours to improve ourselves a little more than yesterday. How will you use your 24 hours?

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Bench Press- 4 sets

Curls- Pyramid to 7

Chest Press- 3 sets

Pullups- 3 sets

Dips- 3 sets

Abs

DAY 5: Daily Reflection

Due to a conflict tonight, I had to due my workout early this morning before class. It was a little difficult getting up at 7:30 am, but once I finished the workout, I was glad that I got up so early. It really is a great feeling to know that you have run four miles before most people have even gotten out of bed!

Adding an extra mile to the workout wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Mentally, I approached it as if I were running 3 miles, as I did on Tuesday, and when I hit the 3 mile mark, I told myself to just keep going a little farther. It certainly was testing on my body for my mind to deceive it like that, but that is how you train the body to obey the mind.

Overall, I’d have to say it was a great workout. You should try running early in the morning. It really is a great way to start your day.

DAY 5: Morning Motivation- Self Belief

When I was figuring my new workout into my calendar, I thought that training would begin this Sunday, but I realized that I accidentally skipped a week when recording it into my calendar, so today is actually Day 5 of training. I’m not worried because I was running this week already just to get a head start. So that explains why entries for Days 1-4 are missing. On to today’s Morning Motivation…

As we begin our push through our first week of training, I think it is important that we understand the role our thoughts play in the pursuit of our goal to run a marathon, or rather, the role our thoughts play in the pursuit of any goal we have set. The mind is a powerful thing, with the ability to give you the mental strength to proceed in tough times and the ability to halt your progress when paralyzed by fear and doubt. Penn State football head coach Joe Paterno once said:

“You’ve got to believe deep inside yourself that you’re destined to do great things.”

In other words, in order have a chance at success, you, yourself, have to believe that you will succeed. When you can look yourself in the mirror with confidence and tell yourself you can and will do it, who is to stop you? Yes, there will be people who will try to tear down your confidence with negativity, mainly because they don’t have that confidence in themselves. But don’t succumb to negativity. Fill your mind with positive thoughts, for positive thoughts are fuel for success. ALWAYS know that you are destined to do great things. You just need to ask yourself. “Do I believe in myself?”

Here’s to a great Thursday!

TODAY’S WORKOUT:

Warm up 1 mile

Run 4 miles

Cool down ½ mile

MAKE SURE TO STRETCH BEFORE AND AFTER YOU RUN!