Lane 8.org

Don't Stop

You heard me correctly, it’s not a typo.  Your expectations are not high enough.

There are people who publicly and privately think I should back off, or slow down.

And sometimes it’s easy to start to think, “Maybe they’re right”. But it never lasts long.

A song, a movie, a thought, a blessing, a tragedy – all these things snap me out of doubt, fear and uncertainty.

Last night, it was a movie, Invictus, an inspiring story about Nelson Mandela and the South African Rugby team.

Start walking, get moving.

Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in a small (hell) prison cell.

And you’re telling me you can’t walk 4 or 5 days every week?

(next blog)

Each Day Is A Test Of Our Will

Do you struggle to stay focused?

Assuming you do, like me, then how does this lack of focus affect you?

Want to know a profound secret?

Create a ridiculously simple mantra that crystalizes your goal, your desire, your reward.

Here are two of mine. The first for overcoming addiction. The second for remaining motivated to exercise.

1. Every day or not at all. There is no middle ground. None. Period. End of story.

2. Stay healthy, have fun.  Being injured makes staying healthy and having fun nearly impossible.

Saw This Random Bumper Sticker 3 Days Ago

Apparently, and collectively as a Nation, we don’t want it bad enough.

We want it to be easy.

We want it to be quick.

We want it to not interfere with our routine.

We want it to taste good.

We want it to be pain-free.

And over 2/3 of our population is in desperate need.

The only time we can get people to run is when we ask, “How bad do you want it?”

How'd A Tree Start Growing In Another Tree?

The more you write, the more you discover.

The more you discover, the more you want to know.

The more you want to know, the more you seek.

The farther you seek, the more you know.

The more that you know, the more you write.

Same for running and health.

Health Blog

Ok, so Lane 8 is a health blog that just so happens to also be a running blog – that’s what works for me. You’ve got your own thing.

Motivation. How many times does that show up?

Passion. Fire. Burning desire. Steve Prefontaine.

He said, “There may be someone who can beat me, but they’ll have to bleed to do it.”

I’d classify myself as a sprinter, not a distance runner. I (hate) prefer not to run 5k’s, and 10k’s. They make my heart and lungs want to explode.

But I do them anyway, to burn, to bleed, to push the limits of the human heart and to have fun.

Sunday’s goal was to run 20:30. Mile splits of 6:40 + 6:40 + 6:35 + :35 landed this:

Does This Make Me An Expert?

About 2,500 Runners & Walkers

Do you keep track of your progress? I mean, with a few things that are really important to you.

Your checkbook maybe. Or your vacation savings. Or your weight loss or weight gain. Or your running distance or running times?

I love running.

And sometimes I don’t.

Like yesterday at the Central Florida 5k (sponsored by Track Shack) Watermelon Run, I wanted to stop a few times.

You know, quit.

But I didn’t.

Hope you find whatever it is you need to not quit.

Quitting is for amateurs.

Become a pro at not quitting.

And be prepared to bleed to make it a reality.

Eat Fresh

Setting goals is good (and easy), and we all know how to do this. We learned it as a child and it’s called imagination.

Reaching goals is good (and much harder), and we all have had some success with this. We like doing it because of the satisfaction called “sense of accomplishment”.

Now here’s the tricky part.

Maintaining that level of achievement.

That’s what my blogs are about. Dreaming big. Getting there. Staying there.

If your goal isn’t impossible, you’re not reaching high enough.

Don’t forget to factor in the “staying there” part into your big health goals.

It Doesn't Matter How Fast You Are

“I sometimes think that running has given me a glimpse of the greatest freedom a man can ever know, because it results in the simultaneous liberation of both mind and body……The runner does not know why he runs. He only knows that he must run……We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves.” — Roger Bannister, 1956

What If You Wait Three More Years?

Good health, meaning proper (not perfect) diet, regular (not compulsive) exercise, and adequate (consistent) rest are the keys to good health.

Good health doesn’t fall from the sky.

Good health isn’t going to get easier as you get older.

Good health isn’t going to wait until you have more time.

Good health is hard to come by.

Do you want it?

No seriously, do you?

Diet, Exercise & Rest

Every day is the same. We all have a ton of things to do. A ton of things on our minds. People clamoring for our attention. Deadlines. Bills. Chores. Routines. Obligations. Hope. Dreams. Worries.

Getting healthy and staying healthy are probably two of the most desirable on the entire wish list.

Do you want it or not?