Deciding and 40 Miles

I'm trying to run farther.

The genesis of this is silly thing:  in a fit of "I can set a goal" on my electronic trainer program, I put in a goal of 40 mile in three weeks.  Not a big deal, right?  That didn't account for the New Home cold, where I missed some days (as I mistakenly figured that 30 F was too cold to run).  Suddenly,  I looked to the timing and realized I had only 43% completed with a week to go.  I calculated the difference - and found that, with a little pushing on my part, I could make it.

And so, starting yesterday, my mileage went up.

The biggest challenge I found is not that the distance is about twice what I usually run.  That's not so hard as I'm not running for time (now) - maybe that will come later.  The hardest challenge has actually been the fact that I am really running that far.

It comes down to mental decisions - something that I have pondered and noted before.  The decision that, before I even step on to the road, I am going to run the distance that I am going to run.

Knowing that decision up front makes the whole event a great deal easier.  Certainly there are places where I can step aside and pull back, that I can peel off early and go home to the cup of coffee that awaits me.  But I've decided in my mind that I am going to accomplish this thing, and so I am committed to doing it.

The remarkable thing, of course, is that life is no different.

We complete that which we set our minds to.  Think in your own life: what are those things which you did completely?  They are the things which you decided to do - up front, before you even began the thing. 

This is a critical step and one often missed.  How often have I done the opposite:  started an activity not deciding up front that I would finish it and then, when I get halfway through and am suddenly bored or tired or have lost interest, finding the way out prior to finishing.

Commitment is the key.

Does it have to be a written commitment?  Some writers would say yes - and maybe in some situations that is true.  Certainly I don't write down finishing my run in the morning - but I decide it in my head before I step out the door.

Will I make my running goal?  I don't know - even without a commitment, it is still a fair distance to make up.  But even in trying, I have found another key to success:  Decide before you Do.