What is your goal?

Here it is- Friday night. Seems like the talk around town is of Gator Football and rightly so, the first game is tomorrow. I bet you're thinking that I am planning who I'm going to meet up with for tailgating or where I may go to watch the game..umm no.  It is Friday night, so what does every good little runner girl do on Friday night?? YES, sits down and plans her running route for the next morning.  After all, it IS almost time for bed.  Have to hit the sack early if I've got to get up early. Yes, last week I was up at 330 and I may very well be up that early again.  Why am I telling you this AGAIN? Excellent question.. I thought you'd never ask.

As I was running this morning, I couldn't help but think about what I was doing.  Not the actually running part, but getting up early in order to get my run in before I needed to be at work. Early enough, in fact, that MY alarm went off before my husband's did.  Not something that generally happens when you are married to a resident- talk about a crazy schedule. I was up, out the door and on my run while most people were still in bed.  Most of those people probably had intentions of getting up early as well. Maybe they were going to get up early and head to the gym.  Maybe they were going to head out for a run.  Maybe they were going to workout in their living room.  Either way, I was up and running while many well intentioned people (maybe even YOU) were still tucked snuggly in bed.  How does that happen?  I guess a better question would be WHY does that happen?

I know why I got up. That is an amazingly simple answer. I mentioned it last week- I'm training for a race. Period. I have a goal and a training plan that will help me reach that goal.  All I have to do is follow it.  Doesn't get much easier than that.

So why are so many people still sleeping while I am out running? I'm guessing because they do not have a plan.  And because they do not have a plan, they must not have a goal.  Surely if they DID have a goal, they would have come up with a plan- or they would have hired someone to make one- to get them to their goal.
Maybe they picked a goal but they aren't really invested 100%.  Why whould that be? Well, maybe the goal isn't their goal.  Maybe it is something someone else suggested they do.  Or even worse, maybe they are doing it for someone else.  Either of those scenarios would explain why they are still sleeping.  They haven't bought into their goal.  They don't really want to do it.  If you REALLY REALLY want to do something you won't let anything stand in your way.  Think you can't? Then you don't really want that goal.

Think I'm being hard on you? I'm not.  Just doing something most people are afraid to do- I'm being honest.

I get busy, heck I have about 5 jobs.  I travel. East coast, west coast you name it.  I know what my training plan is and I make it work.  I may have to move a run up or back a day depending on where I am, but it gets done. My husband is in his chief year of residency.  For the past 6 years he has managed to fit in his training and his healthy eating. NO MATTER WHAT.  Why? Because he is committed to his goal 100%.

Next time you find yourself saying that you don't know why you haven't arrived at your goal take a step back and assess the situation. Do you really have a goal? Are you 100% committed? DO you have a plan that will take you there?

Do I ever hit the snooze button. Unfortunately yes, then I remind myself why I always need a goal.
It is as simple as that. Goal, plan, follow, achieve. 

I love my job!

It is 10pm and I am sitting in my hotel room reflecting on a weekend in Dallas with GNC.  This weekend was the Vision Women's Expo- a gathering of all type of vendors catering to women. Clothing, jewelry, shoes, cooking demos, CPR classes, teeth whitening, you name it it was here.  Women of all ages attend, often lining up outside before the doors open.

Going into these events with my GNC family, we know our booth will be a big draw. It always is. Offering samples of multi-vitmains, fish oil, meal replacements and protein shakes we find ourselves busy all day while some vendors are left wondering where their customers are.  Although we know we will be a hit, we never know just how many lives we touch until the event comes to an end.  That was the case again this weekend.

I would be lying if I said people aren't excited to get free samples- trust me, they are.  But what they are even happier to get is an answer to a question that has been haunting them, sometimes for years. It often starts with a seemingly innocent comment or question: "Will this curb my hunger?", "Do you have anything that will help me lose weight?", "A friend told me about this product, does it work?" It takes an ear to hear the words coming out of their mouths, but a brain to hear what they are ACTUALLY asking: "Can you help me?". A chance meeting between two people leading to the clarification of  permanent fat loss and dispelling of nutrition myths is a freeing and empowering experience.  Seeing the tears in someone's eyes as they are pouring their heart out to you and the relief and excitement when they realize that they NOW have the answers that they have been longing for is absolutely priceless.  I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to help those around me.  Thank you GNC for affording me this amazing opportunity to help change people's lives.  Live Well!

Common Questions

It has been a while, but please don't confuse my absence from blog writing with an absence from WANTING to write! Lots of great things going on in my world, unfortunately they all require time which subsequently eats into time I had set aside for other things. Ehh, that's life, right?

It is 4am as I am sitting here writing this. Yes, I said 4am.  You're probably thinking that I had a hard time sleeping and am just using my new found time to get caught up.  You couldn't be more wrong.  Nope, I was sleeping just fine.  In fact, I was a bit confused when my alarm went off at 3. Yep, 3am on a Friday morning.  Shouldn't we at least get to sleep in as the week comes to a close? If you are most people then that answer would be a resounding "YES!" As the week draws to an end and the weekend is peeking around the corner most people let out a sigh of relief as they are dreaming of a long, comfy night in their bed. Or maybe even a few nights in a row! Ok, enough of the ramble.. why am I up so darn early? Why, for goodness sake, will I get up far earlier on the weekend than I will during the 'work week'? Easy answer.  I'm a runner and I am training for a race. Period. If you 're a runner you understand.  If you're not, you think I'm nuts.  I'm ok with that.

This blog has been swirling in my head during my runs. Now it is time to bring it to life.  As I am running I often think of the questions that people often ask me when they find out that I run ultra marathons:

1. You run all that way (30 or 40 or 50 miles) all at one time?? How long does that take?
2. Don't you get bored?
3. Do your knees hurt?
4. Why in the world would you do that?
5. What do you think about?
6. What do you eat when you do that?

Sure there are others, but those are the most common.  Generally even after those questions are answered I get another "you're nuts" comment.  I don't mind.  I just smile. Lately I have been smiling even more. And giggling, on the inside, when people ask these things.  I can't overlook the parallel in confusion- you see these are the SAME questions I'd like to ask a non- runner.  Someone that sits on the couch all day doing nothing.

1. You sit all that time? Watching reality show after reality show? How long does that take?
2. Don't you get bored?
3. Do your knees (and your back, and every other joint in your body) hurt?
4. Why in the world do you do that?
5. What do you think about?
6. What do you eat when you do that?

We are both 'confused' about what the other does on a normal basis. Funny though, I welcome the questions and use them as an opportunity to enlighten people about the wonderful experiences I have had during my races and my training.  This is more than I can say for the outcome of MY asking these questions to a couch dweller.

Just something to think about...