in·spi·ra·tion
|
Noun
mo·ti·va·tion/ˌmōtəˈvāSHən/
|
Hi folks! Thanks for stopping by.
One of the many beautiful rivers in North Carolina, which is teaming with life that you largely cannot see without a microscope.
We are all inspired by different things, some, like Tom (an inspiring person), by their spiritual beliefs, myself by the magic of nature, others by possessions or money, helping others, wanting to recover from a serious setback, interacting with other people, pleasing parents long dead, physical activity, risk taking, intellectual pursuits, and so on and so on. Getting to know, and use, what inspires you is critical for the development of the consistency needed to engage in a long-term program of safe exercise for better health. It is just too easy to ‘fall off the wagon,’ but if you know why you’re doing it, and I mean a deep down inside kind of knowing, then the chances are that you’ll pull yourself back into line every time you falter.
Willbe is learning to trust his new home with FitOldDog and his family.
It is also critical that you learn to trust yourself, and know that you can do it, whatever it is you set your mind too that is within your physical and mental limits. The issue of trust is an interesting one. Lao-tsu says, in the Tao te Ching, “Trust the trustworthy, trust the untrustworthy.“ I wondered about this for a while, and then realized that it meant that living a trusting life is more fulfilling than an untrusting one. This doesn’t mean be naive or stupid, just giving others the benefit of the doubt. It is a kinder approach to life, and the hardest person to really trust is yourself – so give yourself a break, for heavens sake!
FitOldDog’s iPhone stopwatch, which is being used to settle into a target 9:00 mile marathon pace at the track – this is pretty close for 800 meters!
Once you know what inspires you, and you trust yourself to do it, be it intellectual, spiritual or physical, you need to be motivated to move and get it done. This might be reading to your kids, building a new business, getting a college degree, learning another language, getting in shape, losing weight, or, yes, completing an Ironman race (crazy as that sounds – it’s never too late!).
The simple secret to motivation is to DO SOMETHING!
It sounds odd, I know, but once you start you’ll wonder whatever it was that was holding you back. Just do it! That’s it! Once you get going you’ll start planning, and improving, and overcoming setbacks, which are really lessons in disguise, and you’ll become a whole new you.
OK! What’s stopping you?
-k @FitOldDog
Dear Mr. FOD,
1. You are an inspiration.
2. I had discovered a hereditary heart condition at 35 (my father neglects to go the doctor to this day and I would have known I was propense had he gone).
3. That is a cute doggie.
4. Keep doing what you’re doing. I have a 72 year old friend who still goes swimming at the crack of dawn, scuba dives and is an equestrian. She hates going to high school reunions because everyone who is not dead is soon to be due to poor health choices.
Hi Tauromaja, thanks for the encouraging words, they’re really appreciated. I hope that you are training too? Willbe is cute and he has destroyed much of my old truck, trying to get back to me for some reason while I was in the grocery store, making it even more endearing (the truck, that is). Apparently, sun visors are not mandatory for state inspections, which is good, and nor are cup holders. Thanks, Willbe! In relation to your friend, I’m pleased to say that two years running at the Eagleman Half Ironman I was dropped during the run by an 81-year old athlete (Bob Scott, great athlete and seemed like a nice guy). I find that encouraging, as I don’t plan to stop unless forced. Yep, High School Reunions are something I avoid. At the last one almost everyone was in really in bad shape, and that was 20 years ago. Once, again, thanks for your kind words. Cheers, Kevin (aka FitOldDog).
Hi tauromaja, I really enjoyed reading your profile, especially the bit about lacrosse. You sure look like a girl, but who knows, as long as you are happy. If you watch my 2011 Lake Placid Ironman finish video http://www.viddler.com/v/63c0c9b9 you’ll note that I’m quite happy and not near death, I just went slow as I didn’t want to break my AAA stent (I call him Rupert). In fact, I got two other people in my age group running again near the end of the race, and that felt good. The next year I bonked for the first time in 6 years (I have my theories about that – I made the mistake of trusting a cardiologist), but I’m planning two full Ironman races this year, including Los Cabos in March, plus a local half. As you are really young, you should have fun doing a full Ironman, just make a plan, be consistent, have fun, when your legs hurt, as they will for the last 10 miles of the run, just smile. I love the sport because it is really all about training (the race is just a bonus), and it involves both mind and body awareness training, which I find fascinating. Hope to see you at one of my races one day. Cheers, Kevin