Lane 8 Flashback

It’s 5AM, November 17, 2009 here in Orlando, Florida. I write five blogs every single day. Adidas has a tag line, “Impossible is Nothing“!

Nike has one too, “I’ve Got Soul“.  It’s even a You Tube video.  It’s what I’m I’m craving right now – a little soul.

That video, even though it’s only 63 seconds, never fails to inspire me. How many days, and how many ways, do you inspire yourself before you ever walk out your front door?

Seriously, how many?  Hey, you don’t owe me an answer. You’ll never owe me anything. But I challenge you to challenge yourself and ask, “What do I owe myself?

Hurts Like Hell

Blah, blah, blah….hurts like hell. Still.  My foot hurts.  A lot.

If you’re new to Lane 8, welcome.  Earlier this year, there were quite a few Lane 8 blog posts discussing my foot pain and whether or not I could travel to Finland for the Master’s Track & Field World Championships.

And yesterday, after writing the post, “43rd”, it caused me to do several things:

  • Be amazingly thankful
  • Become more confident
  • To feel like a victor, rather than a victim
  • Pray for others to overcome their own struggles

The last one in particular is the one that seems most important.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Fall down seven times, get up eight.

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

Carpe diem.  It’s completely up to you. You are the CEO of YOU, Inc.

Yep, it’s gonna hurt like hell to reach your big dreams.  Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Once you realize that hard work is the way, the way gets easier.  It doesn’t become easy, simply easier.

43rd

Friday we went to Twistee Treat, like we always do, and our order came out the drive thru window, like it always does (without ordering).

The friendly Twistee Treat employee, Lori (may or may not be her real name), asked, “How’d it go?”

We’ve been going to Twistee Treat for four years and Lori was always there on Mondays and Fridays.  For the past year or so though, Lori has a different schedule, we rarely see her.

Quickly, my brain started working overtime to remember what Lori was referring to.  Nothing.

So I sort of embarrassingly asked Lori, “How’d what go?”

“The track meet.”

Then it hit me.  I gave Lori a Lane 8 business card at some point and must have described the Lane 8 vision.  You know, “If your goal isn’t impossible….I don’t care if I get the worst lane and come in last.”

Because I’ve had time to process, and have overcome the reluctance to just spit it out, I was able to come right out with it, “Forty-third.  In the world.”

“There were 5,300 athletes from 80 different countries.  In my event (400m) alone, there were 63 athletes aged 50-54.  Eight of them were Americans.  Seven made it to the semi-finals.  I was the one that didn’t.”

43rd. In the whole world.  Ya with me?

What’s Impossible?

“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small people who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s not an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary… Impossible is nothing.” Adidas

“If your goal isn’t impossible, you’re not reaching high enough”.   – jeff noel

Good luck today with your health goals.  Set ’em high.  Carpe diem.

Good but not great, still

Good but not great, still.

Today’s run, three miles.   Ten minutes into it, the mild pain started to subside.  I was happy to run 20 more minutes relatively pain free.

I’ll take it as a very small victory.  It sure was better than the other day when I had to stop.

Listen, I realize this may bore some people.  I’m even semi-bored myself.  Seriously.  Right now I’m just working through some rough times.

I’ll have a better tone tomorrow, because I have some great news to share.