Goals and Dreams

"The first rule of achieving your goal - know what you want. I don't really worry about the reward, but to set in motion the machinery to achieve it. When you drop a pebble into a pool of water, the pebble starts a series of ripples that expand until they encompass the whole pool. This is exactly what will happen when I give my ideas a definitive plan of action."

- Bruce Lee.

In 2014 I set a goal of training for and running the Big Sur Marathon in 2015 and dedicate the race to my running buddy Jim Sheadel, who had died of a heart attack in 2007. The race in 2015 would be the 20th Anniversary of our first running of the Big Sur Marathon in 1995.

This goal presented several challenges. First was the challenge to register for the race since this is one of the most popular marathons in the U.S. and in 2013 the race filled up in 55 minutes. To help with this issue the race organizers broke the registration for the 2015 race into several dates and time to hopefully improve your chances of getting registered. It was on the 2nd attempt that I was able to get registered.

Now the 2nd challenge I had to face was to train for the event. Although I had run 18 half-marathons, hundreds of 5K, 10K, 15K and 10 Mile races in the preceding years, the last marathon I had run was in 2002, twelve years earlier. Could I do it? I wasn't sure, but I thought of Bruce Lee's quote stated above and set about making a plan.

A goal without a plan is just a wish.

So I sat down and made a plan:

GOALS FOR 2014

1. Begin track workouts to improve speed.

2. Continue to build mileage and endurance.

3. Begin core workout program.
 

4. Run Peachtree Road Race 10K (July 4, 2014)
 

5. Run Carpet Capitol 10 Miler(12/13/2014)

GOALS FOR 2015
 

1. Run Prairie Dog Half Marathon (1/18/15)
 

2. Run USATF 8K XC Championship (2/7/15)
 

3. Run Snowman Stampede 5 & 10 Mile Races (2/21/15)

 

4. Runnin’ of the Green 7K (3/15/2015)
 

5. Run Big Sur Marathon (April 26, 2015)

 

I accomplished the goal of completing the Big Sur Marathon and dedicated my effort to my friend Jim. I felt his presence during my run and actually had several conversations with him about the wind that day. We had fought the wind when we ran Big Sur in 1996.

 

After Big Sur I decided to set some new goals. One week from tomorrow I will run my last planned race for this year at the Boulder Backroads Half-Marathon and complete my almost 2 year quest.
 

6. Run Bolder Boulder  10K (May/25/15)
 

7. Run Garden of the Gods 10 Miler (June 14, 2015)
 

8. Run Peachtree Road Race 10K (July 4, 2015)
 

9. Run Pikes Peak Ascent (13.1 Miles 7800+ feet of ascent) (August 15, 2015)
 

10. Run Coal Creek 10 Miler (September/5/2015)
 

11.  Run Boulder Backroads Half Marathon (September 19, 2015)

 

With goals sometimes come dreams and I had always dreamed of running the Avenue of the Giants Marathon in northern California. So after a few weeks of recovery I will toss the next stone into the pool and begin preparing for May 1, 2016 when I will accomplish my next goal.

 

 

Wishes become dreams: but without a plan it's just a wish.

A dream becomes a goal when a plan for attaining it is defined.

A goal becomes a mission when unwavering self-belief and purposeful zeal are realized.

 

The difference between a goal and a mission is attitude.

 

Think like a bumblebee; train like a horse.
 

The bumblebee doesn't know it isn't supposed to be able to fly, so it just flies.

 

The horse doesn't question its training preparation or on race day compares itself to the other horses, it just races.