What does it mean to me? Well, run strong, to me, means to do the very best you can. Put your whole heart into it, make every step count. Hold your head up and be proud. This is your run, your moment. You are the only one who can control the outcome.
Whether it is 20 miles or 2 doesn't make a difference. They are your miles, run them strong!
Maybe running isn't your thing. Maybe you bike or swim. It doesn't matter. Just do what makes you happy and do it to the best of your ability and be sure to have fun!
Think big! Big to me, at the moment, is a half marathon, 13.1 miles. But to you it may be 3.1 or 26.2. Maybe it is sprint triathlon or an Ironman. Maybe you want to learn to fly an airplane, or just master flying a kite. Whatever it is, if you can dream it, then you can do it!
We all have dreams but so many of us let them stay just that, dreams. Why? Fear of the unknown. Fear of failure, or rejection. I say embrace those things and don't be scared. They are part of life, but so are happiness, success and hope. Believe in yourself.
I have to admit, some days this is harder then others, but when I see my kids look up to me, watching my every move, it all comes together for me. I have to be strong and think big for them. They are the greatest joy in my life and my biggest dream that has become my reality. I believe if they see me work hard and succeed and be happy then they will too.
I am about to officially sign up for the Nike Women's Half Marathon. This race takes place in San Francisco October 14. I will be doing it with Team In Training and at the moment there are 10 of us making up our team. We will be running to honor the memory of my girlfriends daughter and will be running the weekend of what would of been her 16th birthday. Out of the 10 team members, I am the only one in Rhode Island. If anyone is interested in training with me and making the trip to SF, then please message me and I will give you the info.
I will be writing about this at least once a week while training, the good and the bad. I am hoping to inspire and be inspired by the stories that I will be hearing form the people that I am training with. I am hoping my family can see that you can make a difference by doing what you love.
So tell me, what does run strong, think big mean to you? Remember, you don't have to be a runner to answer this. Tell me what some of your goals are and what motivates you.
So, I say to you again, run strong and think big my friends!
Good luck in your training. TNT is a great organization and this will be a great experience for you! Can't wait to read more:)
ReplyDeleteGood Luck :) I am excited to see you progress. Hopefully I will be able to write about such triumphs as a runner !
ReplyDeleteThanks! I am sure you will have plenty to write about!
DeleteI love this mantra! It's a great one for racing-- run strong and push hard, think big, for me meaning believe in yourself and that possible pr!
ReplyDeleteYou are going to kill that half! What a meaningful way to reach that milestone, I'm sure it will be a very emotional race on many levels.
ReplyDeleteRun strong, to me, means using my core to give it all I've got. Come g back from injury, it means using my entire body to push myself farther and faster.
I can totally relate to that. I am feeling pretty good and hope to start running this month. I will finish that race if I have to crawl across the finish line.
DeleteYou and I have talked about this before, because our goals seem to overlap a lot.
ReplyDeleteI too, am headed for a Half as my goal (not the Nike women's though...seeing as I am a man they might take some issue with it) but I am looking at the Rock n Roll Half in Philly and then the Philly Half a few months later.
I also am motivated to do this both for myself and for my family.
And as for what motivates me, I would say that the amount of support that I get on a regular basis from my family, friends, and the readers of my blog (www.bigandysrunning.wordpress.com) are a HUGE push for me. I also have a quote from one of my favorite movies that really moves as well (from The Shawshank Redemption)- "get busy living, or get busy dying"...that's damn right.
At any rate, I really like: Run Strong, Thing Big. To me it just speaks of setting your goals high and then chasing them with conviction. Pretty cool stuff if you ask me.
I know you will rock that half, and all the training from now till then. You keep on Running Strong and Thinking Big...
-Andy
Andy, you are my BVF! (best virtual friend) Love that movie also and that is one of the best quotes there is. I so love what you wrote, "chasing them with conviction." I couldn't agree more and will remember that always. You too, will rock those races and I can't wait to hear about them. I have really enjoyed reading about your progress so far and look forward to more. Just so you know, the Nike Women's Marathon lets men in, if fact there are two on our team. So if you want a trip to SF...
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