People set goals and achieve them
daily. For some this task is more difficult than others. However, through hard
work and dedication, you can achieve any realistic goal. Recently, I set a goal
for myself, and through diligence and perseverance, I actually achieved my goal
(with surprising results)!
The first part of achieving your
goals, is to set them. For instance, earlier this year I decided that I wanted to become
a runner. However, I did not just lace up my shoes and set out on the jogging
path. In order to set myself up for success, I made my goal a bit more detailed
and specific. I gave myself the concrete
objective of being able to complete a 5K race in 3 months’ time.
Having my specific goal in mind,
I set out to obtain the tools that were necessary to complete the task. First,
I found a training program, Couch to 5K at coolrunning.com, which promises to
prepare the novice runner for a 5K in 9 weeks’ time, without any prior running
experience. Next, I found a 5K race in
my area that was scheduled to occur after I finished the training program via
active.com. I chose and registered for the Salvation Army Christmas in July 5K,
which was set for the third week in July.
An important point here is that I
did two things which were huge factors in my success. First, I registered for
the race, even though it was months away. This step was a big motivator for me,
as it set a firm date for the completion of my task and due to the fact that I had
already paid for the race, made it harder for me to give up when things got
tough! Second, I gave myself more than enough time to complete the training
program before my chosen race. I knew that starting out on this new endeavor wasn’t
going to be easy, and that I may hit a few (literal and figurative) bumps in
the road, and therefore gave myself more than enough time to adjust to and complete
my training program adequately before the date of the race.
I began the Couch to 5K training
program the second week of May 2013, and after 11 weeks, including some
repeated weeks because I didn’t have the confidence to move on to the next
weeks longer runs and time off due to the unpredictable summer weather, I
completed my first 5K on July 21, 2013. Surprisingly, I came in first in the
Female 25-29 age range! (Hilariously enough, I was the only runner in the age
range, but I’m not letting that come between me and my medal!)
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| (mildly exhausted here) |
Lastly, and most importantly, I could
not have completed this goal without the support of my friends and family. I
told them about my goal at the beginning of this process, and although some
were skeptical, they stood by my side and encouraged me to go on when I didn’t
think I could go any further. Even if you don’t have people literally by your
side to support you, there are many online running communities and blogs which
are extremely helpful to the novice runner and experienced runner alike. A simple internet search for “running tips” or
“running blogs” will direct you to many great places.
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| (looking thrilled with my Mother, Renée and my best friend, Meryl after the race) |
So, there you go, I set my goal
and achieved it. I have a medal and a prize and a few awful/silly race photos
to prove it! However, this story doesn’t
stop at my first 5K, because I am still working on my overall goal of “being a
runner.” It’s hard, and some days I want to quit, but I remember the feeling of
satisfaction after my first race and I think that it’s worth it! I’ve set my
sights on running faster and running longer races, and with the same effort and
spirit that I put into training for my first 5K, I think I’ll be successful!
