Goals and Milestones. Almost there! Just 27 miles to go.
In my last post I shared about how I use running to help achieve a fitness goal of staying fit in my 40’s. Last year, I trained for and completed a half-marathon (13.1 miles). I found a half-marathon race in my area, but a race scheduling change put me unavailable to race. I had put in months of training to build my stamina, so I still wanted to challenge myself to run a half-marathon distance on my own. I lengthened my runs incrementally, 4 miles, 7 miles, 10 miles etc. I researched a strategy and asked some cross-country athletes who helped me work out a weekly plan. I kept training as I built my endurance and was ready to go the race on my own in November. I finished that 13.1 mile distance, but not without struggle or feeling like giving up. I hoped to finish in 2 hours, but needed 10 more minutes to complete it.
My next step was to take a 2-week break from running, which I was glad to do. After taking some time off, I checked into my running app and I discovered that my miles on the year was surprisingly 473 miles. Instantly, the Proclaimers “I Will Walk 500 Miles…” song came into my head (actual title “I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)”). I hadn’t really realized how far I had come as I worked on my half-marathon goal. If I had completed a half-marathon, I could surely finish the remaining 27 miles to reach that 500-mile milestone. Over the course of a month, I was able to meet that milestone of 500 miles! (before my 45th birthday).
Oftentimes, we can get so goal-oriented that we can miss milestones along the way. It’s easy to meet a goal, then immediately jump into the next goal. Identifying and celebrating milestones is often missed. Pausing to celebrate completing a goal helps us keep moving forward. I’m a big advocate for goals, it’s how I’m wired. Having awareness to enjoy milestones can give us the fuel to pursue our next goals. A coaching conversation is a great environment to both identify and celebrate milestones. I coach leaders towards clarity, confidence, and consistency in their leadership journey. What goals are you working on? What are some milestones along the way?
Let’s get connected over a free coaching curiosity call.
Photo cred: https://unsplash.com/@photoholgic
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