A few days ago I had my longest marathon training day to date – 16 miles of power walking. In a few days I’ll be going beyond that with an 18 mile training day. In between I’m doing anywhere from 3 – 6 miles a day.
All this is in preparation for the Eugene Marathon on May 9th. Finishing the marathon is my birthday gift to myself. I’ll be turning 61 a few days after the marathon and thought this would be a great way to celebrate.
To say that at times the training has been tough is a total understatement. It’s been grueling. More so than I imagined.
I’ve experienced pain, exhaustion, frustration, and have had doubt creep in demanding me to answer, “Who do you think you are to do the full 26.2 miles?”
Yet, I did a few things to assure I don’t give up. I can tell you this…I definitely plan to complete my goal. Here’s what I’ve done and continue to do.
1. I read a ton of books on the subject to learn as much as possible.
2. I got the right shoes and gear.
3. I hired a professional trainer in order to learn from someone who can get me across the finish line with as little chance of injury as possible.
4. I made a commitment to do whatever it takes to stick with this.
5. I train on a daily basis with one day off a week as I steadily increase my distance with each passing week.
6. I am very public about my training which holds me accountable to those who are cheering me on.
7. I surround myself with others who have participated in marathons and/or are training for one.
These seven steps are an insurance policy against quitting.
What I find intriguing about the process is how many parallels my marathon goal has to running a business. Over the years I’ve done the following to build a successful business.
1. I read a ton of books on the subject to learn as much as possible.
2. I got the equipment and software to assure streamlining as much as possible.
3. I’ve hired several mentors and coaches in order to learn from those who can teach me the ropes in the simplest way possible.
4. I made a commitment to do whatever it takes to stick with this.
5. I do something on a daily basis with one or two days off a week as I steadily increase my knowledge base and circle of influence.
6. I am very public about what I do.
7. I surround myself with others who are in business in order to achieve at the highest level.
One way I do #7 in business is to attend conferences where my colleagues, mentors and friends hang out. This weekend I am at NAMS13. I’ve been speaking and attending NAMS for years. It is by far one of the premier events to not only learn from dozens of incredible men and women who dig deep into everything from A – Z in the online space, it’s also a great place to meet some of the top movers and shakers in the online business space.
David Perdew, founder of NAMS, never fails to amaze everyone who attends. For this NAMS there are over 400 people registered. His goal for the next NAMS in August is 550 and already hundreds of spots are claimed. That’s how popular this event has become.
Earlier tonight David decided to really make filling the next NAMS a lot of fun (and actually, pretty simple) for 48 hours starting at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, March 19th the price of NAMS14 is only $100. That’s almost too good to be true, but it is true.
You see, David wants to fill all the spots in order to focus on making NAMS14 the best ever. I have no idea how he’s going to do that but knowing David, he will.
For the next 48 hours you can get your ticket for only $100 but once their gone, their gone. Simple as that. Don’t delay, get your spot right now. Go to http://kglovesnams.com/
All you have to do is click the Claim My Seat button and you will get the best price of only $100 while seats last or until Sunday the 22nd… whichever comes first.
See you in August.
Hi Kathleen
Nice article and I agree with the comments. To follow up on the first one to read a load of books on the subject I would like to recommend my inspirational running book, “Run Your Destiny,” available on Amazon.
Best of luck in your training.
Thanks so much Mark. I will check it out. I am power walking and I have found great value in reading running books to focus on mindset and form that I can transfer to power walking.