This week continues where I left off last week. I have 10 Life Lessons I learned from running distance, especially the Dopey Event 3 years ago. 4 days, 4 races. I went through the first 5 last week, so here goes the next 5!
6. Push the Boundaries: We can’t always stay in our comfort zone. Whenever we start feeling comfortable with where we are with our exercise, or running routine, we need to increase the challenge. If not, you will never find out how far you can go. This is me holding my medals for completing the marathon portion of the Dopey race, the “Goofy” medal because I did the Half Marathon and Marathon, and the coveted “Dopey” medal, for doing all 4 races over 4 days. This final day was the last 3 medals, but I earned 7 total for those 4 races.
Life Lesson: Only those willing to push the boundaries will be ready for the next challenge that comes into their life. If you are unwilling to challenge yourself, or push yourself, you will stay right where you are, which can become boring and dull in a hurry.
7. Do not burn out:
There is a reason why you need a rest day when you exercise, or at least have recovery days. If you don’t give yourself a break, things become much more turbulent, and you start to not be as efficient, become frustrated and angry, and have an even harder time getting sleep.
Life Lesson: If you continue to push yourself running, or exercising in general, without taking the time to rejuvenate, you will become less effective in everything you do. We all have to take a break, and learn to recover. Your health depends on it!
8. Cross Train:
We may have certain exercises that we like to do, but we have to be able to engage in other activities in order to work other muscles, and prevent breakdown of other muscles. Cross-training can help build up those other muscles, build endurance, and help with recovery from other activities. I have to emphasize this a lot to my running friends. We cannot just run! We have to do other things, and we have to learn to let our bodies recover.
Life Lessons: We cannot just become good, or interested in one thing. We have to have other interests, and explore other hobbies. Life can get really boring otherwise. Besides, you never know what other things you may really enjoy by exploring, and “testing the waters” of other things. It is also a great way to become more motivated in general as well.
9. To each their own:
Each runner, or athlete, (of which we are all athletes!), has their own unique physical and mental attributes. They may work out alone, or in a group, or may like walking, or biking, better. Whatever! The best exercise to do is the one you are going to do!
Life Lesson: There are many unknowns in life, and each person is unique. You have to be able to focus on your own strengths, and continue to keep working on your weakness’s. Just because somebody else may do things one way, does not mean that it may work for you. The opposite holds true as well. You may do things better than somebody else, and where you are strong at, others are not. Play to your own strength’s!!!!
10. Celebrate your success:
Whatever you set as your goal, once it is achieved, it brings about much satisfaction and joy. So celebrate it!
Life Lesson: No matter how small or big the goal, it deserves a celebration, and someone to celebrate it with! Chances are, those same people you are celebrating with helped you achieve those goals in the first place. They deserve to celebrate too! You should not need to have a reminder for this! Just do it! Then things just seem to flow much better with everything in life. You become more efficient. You enjoy life better. You appreciate your life better, and also those people in your life! Then just remember to keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day of New Streak: #763
