All the small things...add up

The thought of reaching your end goal is amazing...the thought of reaching half way to your goal is equally amazing.  The thought of any change other than what you are currently at in a positive way is amazing.  The thought of putting forth the effort to get to that goal, plan out your day food and exercise wise...is definitely NOT amazing.

As I sit here roughly 20 weeks out from the day that I will be competing in my first ever half iron distance my MIND is BLOWN.  How I talked myself into this huge feat is just plan crazy but for those of you that know me...it's not that surprising.  I participated in a few local sprint triathlons over six years ago but that is small beans next to what I will be training for in October.  I know I can handle the run portion of this race...I don't know how it will feel after swimming 1.2 miles and biking 56 but the 13.1 miles of me and the road are what I am currently looking forward to the most.  That is my comfort zone and where I will find happiness during this adventure.  My support system seems to think I will do great...guess I should believe them if they believe in me.

South Riding Sprint Triathlon 2009

The training plan for this beast is time consuming and not yet overly intense...seems bearable but I know that it will ramp up quickly and I will be running, biking and swimming all the hours of my days or so it will feel like it.  I have my print out each week of what I have to do.  I transfer it over to the white board next to the bike in the basement,  have it next to my Garmin so I know before bed what I am running the next day, and the swim workout goes into my bag and I am off to the pool.  When I do these items individually none of them seem to remind me of the true beast I will face in October...and that makes it that much more manageable.

So the same goes for this fitness journey that you are on...and that I started in January of 2014.  You can't look at the big picture every day.  The big picture is sometimes scary and will keep you from reaching your end goal.  The big picture is sometimes not realistic and when we focus so hard on that we lose out on what could be.  The big picture on some days is just too much to handle.

Focus on the small things...and the small successes.  For me a week at a time is probably all I can handle to feel like it is something I can accomplish and have success in.  On my Facebook page I have started up a second monthly challenge.  If I tried to do the 125 sit ups on day one of the challenge...I would have failed...but by day 30 I KNOW I will be able to do that...I have gotten stronger and more confident every day.  These challenges are just one more small thing that I add to my day.  These are not on my training schedule for the Ironman but I know they will help overall.  

Don't give up on yourself either.  I know how tempting it is to throw in the towel on a workout or on a day of bad eating and just go off the deep end.  I know how much you want to say F this...I am just fine the way I am.  Sure...you probably are fine...but you could be amazing and more than you ever thought you could be.  I am not talking the physical you...but the you that is on the inside that is dying to shine on the outside!!  The you that feels so much more than how you currently share yourself with others.  The thing is...you can do it...and you don't have to kill your body and soul in the process.  Start out small...and keep adding more small changes.  It will add up and so will all those .2 losses on the scale.  A loss is a loss is a loss and as you continue to stay focused they will continue to add up.  Doing a set of 25 sit ups in a row instead of just 5 at a time...is STRONG and showing improvement!!    

Temptations are everywhere but you just have to decide which hard you want to face each day.  Change is right there waiting for you...all you have to do is try.  If you are currently trying and having success that is great...and if you feel like you are not giving your all...that is okay too.  At this moment you are giving the most you can possibly give to this effort.  If you want to try a small change...do it...see if it is a sustainable one...and see the results change...endurance will increase, pounds lost will increase, and your fitness and lifestyle goal will be closer.

You have decide this for yourself...and you alone.  Start with the small changes...

Embrace the suck...choose you!