Tag Archives: WDWMarathon

Just Be Awesome. . .

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AwesomeI saw this quote recently, and for some reason it turned out to be my motivation for the day.  In fact, I told my son this today when he was nervous about his presentation at school.  It seems so simple – just be awesome.

When I first saw this quote, I thought of the Nike slogan – “Just Do It.”   That slogan was very successful, and served as motivation for countless people.  However, I think it could use some improvement.  Just doing it is a start.  Getting out the door is a start.   Getting moving is a start.  That first mile, 5k, 10k, or half marathon is a start.  However, I have found that once you “do it,” you want to do it better.  That’s where “Just Be Awesome” comes in.

To me, “Just Be Awesome” doesn’t mean I have to be the best or the fastest.  If it did, I might as well find another hobby.  I am never going to be mistaken for a top flight, or even a very good runner.  It means doing it right.  It means having fun while doing it.  It means not taking shortcuts.  It means enjoying it.   “Awesome” has many meanings:  magnificent, fun, surprising, inspiring, beautiful, wonderful. . .(Really, it does. I looked in the Thesaurus).

So, my goal is to make that next run Awesome, no matter when it is or where it is.  It may not be a PR, but it will be awesome.  If I can meet this goal, I cannot imagine how great I might feel.  Luckily, this year looks to have a lot of potential for Awesome in it:  WDW Marathon, Run The Bluegrass, Derby Festival Mini Marathon, Bay To Breakers, Dumbo Double Dare – and whatever other cool runs we can find.  And from the way our boys are talking about wanting to run a bit themselves, they are in for some Awesome as well.  Can’t wait. . .

Getting Back On The Horse. . .

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Greatist.com

Greatist.com

Well, its been two weeks since the Walt Disney World Marathon.  Things have been a bit hectic around here, so there has not been a lot of time to get those runs in.  Rationalizing not running has been easy:  “Too Busy,” “Next Race Isn’t Until March,” “Rest & Recovery,” etc.  Well, now is time to get back on the horse.  The sunshine today actually makes it easier to find the motivation to get back into the swing of things.  When I ran across the motivational photo you see here, all those excuses seemed to fade away.

It reminded me about what I thought when I started with running in the first place, after my wife signed us up for a half marathon:  Just go.  Just go, and see what happens.  When you are sitting in your comfortable chair, or lying on the couch, it is easy to come up with excuses for not getting moving.  But it never fails.  No matter how much I don’t want to run, no matter how much I just want to sit around, I always feel good when I just go. Early into the run I cannot imagine why I didn’t want to run.  When I am done with run, I always feel better about myself.  Even knowing all that, it is still hard to take that first step, especially after a layoff.  However, it is taking that step that makes all the difference.  In running or otherwise, that step, and the courage to take it, is what separates those that do, and those that don’t; those that can, and those that can’t.

There have been a lot of times in my life when I have not taken that step.  However, every time I have managed to summon the strength to take it, it has led to good things.

I just have to keep reminding myself of that. . .

Well, here goes nothing. . .

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I have been joking with my wife a lot lately and “threatening” to start a blog.  She called my bluff, and here I am.  In the summer of 2011, my wife said she wanted to run a half marathon by the time we turned 40.  I called her bluff, and less than 6 months later, we were running the Walt Disney World Half Marathon.  We ended up running 4 more half marathons last year, and even completed the Walt Disney World Marathon a little more than a week ago.  We have grand plans for the rest of this year as well, including the Bay To Breakers and The Dumbo Double Dare.  My boys also have seemed to get the running bug, which is encouraging.  And we still haven’t hit 40.

I am the LAST person I ever thought would enjoy running.  I have spent most of my life living by the mantra of “God only gives us so many steps on this earth, why rush through them?”  However, I have found that with running, I seem to enjoy those steps more.  I have goals to work toward, I have an outlet for my competitive side, and I have a way to get back into better shape.  Almost as important, as my interest in running, and RunDisney has grown, I have discovered that there is a vast running community out there, not only locally, but also in the blogosphere.  Reading other people’s stories has been inspiring and encouraging.

The best part of it all, however, has been the opportunity to spend a lot more quality time with my wife.  We enjoy running together, and that hour or two on a long run presents a great chance for us to talk and connect.

I am not sure what I will do on this blog, but as it says above, I expect it to include a lot of random thoughts from an average guy trying to run.  I am sure I will talk a lot about RunDisney and Disney-related travel, as well as our adventures in running.   Hopefully it will be entertaining.  If not, at least I can say I gave it a good shot, much like my attempts at running. . .

Thanks for stopping by.

We did it! Walt Disney World Marathon 2013

We did it! Walt Disney World Marathon 2013