Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Is It Really This Easy?

A few weeks back a saw a sign that made me laugh at first but then it got me thinking.  The sign said “Spring is just around the corner, but so was the donut shop!”  It had a picture of an overweight individual looking sad and troubled.  As I looked at that picture I wondered how many people this was true for and just how many people really felt bad at not being able to make a change to improve their fitness and health.
Let me take you back in time to spring 2011.  A friend of mine came into my office and proudly proclaimed he had signed up for the Columbia Marathon in March of 2012 and was excited as can be. I was happy for my friend and asked him if he was ready to do what was necessary with diet and training to make his dream come true and he assured me he was.
Its now late summer and I asked my friend how his marathon plans were coming. “Well you know it’s our busy time of year and I’m working a lot and the kids are out of school so it’s been hard to find time, but I will make it happen.”  I let him know March was not that far away and as a causal runner 26.2 miles was going to take commitment some work and he assured me he would make it happen.
Fast forward to early fall and while waiting for a plane I called my friend and asked him how is training was coming. “Well you know how busy it is with kids and school and work is still busy so it’s been had to find time to train…but I really want to run this race.”  Does this pattern sound familiar to anyone regarding plans to start and exercise program.
Later that same week I was in a restaurant in New York City thinking about my friend and his goal to run a marathon and the litany of excuses he had provided me why he was not able to train.  I wanted to help him and my solution would be framed neatly into on simple but powerful sentence that would put everything into perspective for him.  I called him and simply asked, “How Bad Do You Want It?”
Could it really be this simple?
Yes it is.
If you want something bad enough, you will find a way to accomplish your goals, and that includes starting and exercise program or making the decision to run a marathon or complete in a triathlon.  It’s a choice you have to make, and the hardest part is committing to the decision. The rest is execution.
Do I want to get up every morning at 4:00 a.m. to work out? Of course not, but I want to complete my first IRONMAN and Ultra marathon worse than the sacrifice if early morning training.  It’s my decision to train early so as not to take away time from family and other obligations.  Where there is a will, there is a way.
Recently, another friend and I were eating lunch and talking about getting in shape. He asked me what my secret was.  I placed my hand on his shoulder, smiled and said, “How Bad Do You Want It?”
Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer and Groups Exercise Instructor, exercise, health and endurance enthusiast.  He competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra marathons, triathlons and other endurance events.