Redefining Your Limits
2:04 – 11 miles
It has been an interesting week and a half since completing my first ultramarathon. As I was running that course, I started to think about the variety of questions that would be awaiting me the days following the race.
I break the audiences that have asked me questions into 2 categories:
– Active people
– Non-active people
Let’s start with the Active People … I knew that this crowd’s questions would be easier to handle. Maybe not easier, but able to answer with less filtering and choice of words. The questions included:
– Did you hit a wall?
– What did you eat?
– Were your quads thrashed?
– How’s your stomach?
– When’s the next one?
All easy, straight-forward questions to answer.
Onto the Non-Active People …
– How is it possible to go 50 miles in one day?
– Why would you want to do that?
– How are you still walking?
– You didn’t die???
– Are you crazy?
All are valid questions. Answering them in a way that can provide some insight into the experience and not scare them is a little more delicate.
When I talk to someone that has the deer-in-the-headlights look when hearing I went 50 miles on foot, I have developed a new saying:
It’s about Redefining Your Limits
Think about it. When President Kennedy said we were going to put a human on the moon we couldn’t fathom it. When you were learning to ride a bike there were probably times it seemed impossible. Looking back at history, so many great events started with an idea. The idea may have seemed crazy or unimaginable, but that doesn’t equal impossible.
Do you have to run 50 miles this weekend? No. But maybe you take a walk at lunch, use the stairs more, or do situps during commercials. It’s about becoming more aware of what you are doing, or what you are not doing. Take action to start Redefining Your Limits.
