There’s something about setting a goal that makes us think we’re in control. We plan for the perfect situation and expect the situation to remain perfect until we reach the goal. Ever had a weight loss goal and told yourself, “I’m going to work out every morning at 5:30?” You picture yourself going to bed every night at 9:00, getting your eight hours of sleep, and then enthusiastically rolling out of bed at 5:00, excited to hit the gym. But what about those days when you stay out late and don’t get home until 11:00? What about those times when you wake up at 5:00 feeling like death? Will you still rise out of bed to work towards your goal? What happens when the situation is no longer perfect? That’s when the real sacrifice starts. That’s when your drive will determine whether or not you’ll be successful.
November 23rd, I ran a 10K. One of my goals for 2013 was to challenge myself to complete a long distance run. When I set this goal, I neeever would have imagined that the day of the race would yield such horrific weather. On race day, there was a 23 degree wind chill AND rain. To run in the cold is one thing, and to run in the rain is another, but to have to run in BOTH? What were the odds? After pulling into the parking lot at 6:30am, I opened my door, and the cold air immediately hit my face as I fell back into the car. It was still dark outside, and I could not believe that I was going to have to achieve my goal under these conditions. My runs leading up to the race had been okay. I had days when I felt like a beast, and other days when I didn’t feel like running at all. Nevertheless, on race day, I had imagined myself running under a perfectly blue sky on a crisp 50-degree day. I’d push through the race, running faster than I had in my practice runs, and I’d cross the finish line in 62 minutes or less. My goal would be complete, and I’d never have to think about running a 10K EVER again. Unfortunately, I was faced with the complete opposite. I sat in the car thinking about how great it would feel to get back into my warm bed. I mean, this was just a personal goal. Who cared if I didn’t complete it? There would be other 10Ks, right? As more participants got out of their cars to run, I knew I didn’t have a choice. I had to do it.
I stepped out of the car holding the poncho I had purchased the day before but hoped I wouldn’t have to use. As I walked toward the start line, I was in shock as the wind continued to whip around me. Was this a nightmare? I had to be dreaming! I put on my poncho and tried to think encouraging thoughts, while trying to force my feet to continue moving my body forward and not back towards the car. I had been talking about this race for months. I HAD to complete it.
We waited around until 7:00am for the race to start, and when it finally began, I felt like a robot. No feeling. Body numb and stiff from the cold. But at least I was moving. Just… keep… moving… is what I had to repeat to myself. The wind was blowing towards us, and it was brutal. I was still in disbelief that the race was actually happening. After about half a mile, I warmed up a little, loosened up, and found a stride. It was slower than my normal stride, but at least I was still moving. Halfway through, I knew I wouldn’t hit my goal time, but the goal now was to finish and find some heat! I had to talk myself through every single step of that race, and I completed it in 68 minutes, 6 minutes slower than my goal time.
My first thought was, yes, I finished a 10K! I ran 6 miles nonstop in the frigid cold. My second thought was disappointment of not running my goal time of 62 minutes or below. Granted, I had run in extreme conditions (to me). But I wanted to know how I’d do in more optimal weather. So, though I had planned on just running one 10K in my lifetime, I’ve decided to do another one in the spring. Again, I hope and pray for that beautiful blue sky and the perfect temperature, but at the end of the day, I know that I am not in control of the conditions. All I can do is make sure that when race day comes, I’m prepared to put one foot in front of the other and not stop until I cross the finish line.
0 Comments