If you want to accomplish
something awesome, then you should hang out with awesome people. Sounds pretty
simple, right? While sipping my coffee on a recent dreary Monday morning, I had
this moment as I was perusing Facebook: I am surrounded by some pretty awesome and goal-oriented
people. My newsfeed was literally full of marathon moments, race PR’s, long
Ironman training sessions, photos of fall colors that were snapped on a hike or
mountain bike ride, crossfit competitions, outdoor adventures with
kiddos, and ultra running successes. The list goes on and on.
And now- 5 easy steps to accomplishing something awesome:
2. Get on Facebook. Or Google. Or Instagram. Or
Pinterest. Or whatever social media site is all the rage at this current time.
I met the other girls of Sparkle.Pounce. through my local triathlon club that I
found in a Google search. Whoever would have thought that a simple Google
search could lead to finding a group of friends that believe in some of your hopes and dreams more than you do? Even if I had never met these girls, I found
a bunch of pretty amazing people that I most likely never would have crossed
paths with in life had it not been for this club.
In 2012, I spent three straight days swimming, biking, and running with these crazies from my triclub. It was terrible and awesome all at the same time. |
3. Now get off Facebook. Now is the time in your
plan to get out there and turn the if and when into the here and now. I have a love-hate relationship with cheesy
sayings, but whoever penned “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a
single step” was spot on. If you have always wanted to run a 5k, the best
advice that I can offer is to lace up your running shoes and run down the
block. And then find other people to run down the block with you.
4. Understand that it’s OK to be the new girl. When
I first joined my tri club, my husband was working full time and in grad school
which meant that he didn't have a whole lot of free time. This meant that I was left going solo to training runs, group bike rides, and
club meetings at the local brewery. Before each run, I would get so nervous. I would be completely terrified that my
not-so-fast run pace would hold back the entire group and ruin everyone else’s
workout. I totally understand that being the new girl can be scary, but I always tell new members that the club
will give you exactly what you put in. So go to those group training runs, social
events, and most importantly- volunteer to help out when you can.
5. Surround yourself with awesome people. If you
have always wanted to do an Ironman, and you surround yourself with others that
would also like to do an Ironman, then there is a good chance that you will
someday be talked into registering for an Ironman. I recently sent a link for a
stage trail race (run 18 miles on Day One, 22 on Day Two, and 20 on Day Three)
to a friend and her response was “That looks AWESOME! We have so many races to
do, we need to start planning for the next 5 years!” I am so thankful that I
have friends that respond to the idea of running for three days in the
mountains with “AWESOME” and not “you have lost your mind.” I am quite
confident that it will be pretty difficult to be a couch potato for as long as
I am friends with these girls.
There it is- how to do something awesome in 5 easy steps. Be thankful for those in your life that push your boundaries and inspire you to chase those dreams. And in the meantime, keep posting your accomplishments- because not only do I love seeing them, but you never know who you are inspiring.
-Steph
-Steph
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