WEEK 27: DAY 183: Summer Recap

Wow, has this summer flown by! I cannot believe it has been since Day 102 of training that I last made an entry. I apologize for my absence this summer. I have been in Houston, Texas doing a tax internship, and time has not been on my side. I shouldn’t say that. Time is always there. It is up to you and me to decide how we will use that time. I quickly discovered how difficult it is to train for a marathon when one is working a 50 hour work week. Discipline is essential if any training is to be done, for one must either train early in the morning before work or later in the evening when the sun is going down.

I must be honest with you, I was not as religious about my running as I had been while I was in school. I did join a gym down here in Houston, so I stayed faithful to my lifting regimen, but my running suffered.

I did not let that hinder my spirits though. Over the course of the summer, I have filled my mind with positive messages from inspirational authors. I have read Matthew Kelly’s The Rhythm of Life, James Ray’s The Science of Success, and Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret. All of these books had much to offer me in the area of personal motivation, but the one message I found that was clearly present in each of these pieces of literature was this:

What you think about, you bring about.

That’s right, you have the ability to achieve whatever you want in life. It all starts with a dream and a vision. Create that vision of your success, and keep it present in your mind as much as possible. James Ray says, “The more vividly your dreams live in your mind, the more quickly they materialize.”

So each night this summer, before I went to bed, I would close my eyes and visualize myself running in the Chicago Marathon. I would visualize myself running with confidence, a confidence as if I have been waiting for this race my whole life. I don’t visualize myself barely crossing the finishline. I see myself sprinting to the finish with all the energy I have in me because that is the reality I want to create.

So, while my physical training may have slowed for the past couple of weeks, I am in better shape mentally than I have ever been in my life. In the weeks to come, I look forward to sharing with you the wonderful messages I have read!