Yesterday I turned 42, which means today is my first full day as a 42-year old. It also is the last day I'll be a 42-year old who hasn't run a Tough Mudder. Brian and I are in Atlanta for our first TM of the season, and it's going to be a blast running in what could be our warmest mudder so far. Temps are supposed to be in the 80's during the day, which means this could be the first time I look forward to Arctic Enema. It's also the first mudder that I'll run with a Mohawk (assuming they're willing to shave my head at the event tomorrow). It's also the first time that we'll be running as Mudder Legionnaires.
But, what does that have to do with Milestones? Well, the truth is that it all depends on how you define the term. At the end of the day, we all define our own goals and work to meet them (or don't work to meet them). If we're serious and motivated, we will put the effort in to meeting whatever goals we set. This, obviously, doesn't mean that we'll actually achieve all of our goals, but working hard towards them can be seen as a victory itself.
The milestones that I've set for myself this year are to do at least four tough mudders in the US, one mudder in Australia, hit the 50 mile mark at WTM, and complete the Spartan Trifecta. Tomorrow marks the first step towards fulfilling those different goals, but it's not the first milestone that I've worked towards so far. I've been doing the T25 workouts so far this year, and I finished the Beta cycle on my birthday. This, added to the resumption of running consistently, has been the core of the milestones that I've set for the beginning of the year, and I have been very happy with my progress so far.
The beginning of a new process is so full of potential, and it is always the time when people are most excited about the endeavor. The issue isn't in being motivated at the beginning...it's much more important to stay motivated through to completion. Setting milestones along that path can make it more likely that motivation is maintained. As Daniel has said, we all need to figure out what Mudder we're training for - with the mudder being the metaphor for any challenge. I have lots of mudders that I'm working towards - personal and professional - and the thing that I've learned is that it's as important to have a clear sense of how you're going to get there as it is to clarify the end objective.
But, what does that have to do with Milestones? Well, the truth is that it all depends on how you define the term. At the end of the day, we all define our own goals and work to meet them (or don't work to meet them). If we're serious and motivated, we will put the effort in to meeting whatever goals we set. This, obviously, doesn't mean that we'll actually achieve all of our goals, but working hard towards them can be seen as a victory itself.
The milestones that I've set for myself this year are to do at least four tough mudders in the US, one mudder in Australia, hit the 50 mile mark at WTM, and complete the Spartan Trifecta. Tomorrow marks the first step towards fulfilling those different goals, but it's not the first milestone that I've worked towards so far. I've been doing the T25 workouts so far this year, and I finished the Beta cycle on my birthday. This, added to the resumption of running consistently, has been the core of the milestones that I've set for the beginning of the year, and I have been very happy with my progress so far.The beginning of a new process is so full of potential, and it is always the time when people are most excited about the endeavor. The issue isn't in being motivated at the beginning...it's much more important to stay motivated through to completion. Setting milestones along that path can make it more likely that motivation is maintained. As Daniel has said, we all need to figure out what Mudder we're training for - with the mudder being the metaphor for any challenge. I have lots of mudders that I'm working towards - personal and professional - and the thing that I've learned is that it's as important to have a clear sense of how you're going to get there as it is to clarify the end objective.
0 comments:
Post a Comment