Sucess come before work?

“The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you’re willing to pay the price.” – Vince Lombardi

This is absolutely true! Another true statement is that every journey demands a first step. Sometimes, it’s a small one, like dipping a toe into cold water. Other times, people make bold leaps, disregarding caution and taking several risks (and facing setbacks from injuries). Regardless, that initial step is undoubtedly the most significant. However, there are subsequent steps, a third step, and so on. Each one presents its own challenges!

The issue with setting a goal and maintaining it isn’t taking that first step. It’s the steps that follow that first step. Starting a new routine, goal, and activity is easy. But it’s when I reach week two and beyond that I let everything else get in the way. Success requires effort! There’s no magic solution. 

The mind makes choices we direct it to make. To illustrate, imagine yourself alone in your home, sitting on the couch, engrossed in your favorite game or TV show after completing a grueling 50-mile or 100-mile race. You’re so sore that you struggle to move. Suddenly, you realize you’ve forgotten to grab your favorite beverage to accompany those chips (I know, a poor choice, so let’s switch it up to Kale Chips), and now face a dilemma. Since you’re the only one home, you have two options: either watch your game while savoring a delicious beverage you’ve just made yourself or continue to sit there, wishing you had the energy to get up from your comfortable position and get yourself one.

I believe that if you genuinely want to drink your favorite beverage while watching your game, you’ll find the motivation to get up off the couch and open a bottle of refreshing goodness. So, if you can muster the energy to get up and grab a beer, what’s preventing you from stepping out of your comfort zone and pursuing greatness and health? Ultimately, both actions require a strong desire on your part. To achieve your desired level of success, you must want it intensely enough to take action. 

As mentioned earlier, the second most significant obstacle I face in achieving my goal is overcoming the initial step. Sometimes, I take a tentative step into the water and immediately recoil, screaming and flailing my arms (shaking uncontrollably), declaring it too cold and impossible to enter. However, usually, the initial shock of the cold subsides within a minute or so, allowing me to adjust to the temperature and realize that I’m swimming in a warm, refreshing pool, soaking up the sunshine. But I wouldn’t know this unless I muster the courage to grit my teeth and plunge in.

Long-term health is a significant commitment. However, it becomes challenging to achieve if something is truly worth it. It requires effort and dedication, and unfortunately, many people, including myself, have become complacent. Society has ingrained a culture of laziness, where individuals hardly exert their own physical and mental energy. In fact, many people feel as though life has been handed to them on a silver platter. 

Pain and fatigue are merely side effects of being the best professional athlete. As long as they persist in battling these challenges, they will continue to emerge victorious. This is the very foundation of their success and the reason behind their sustained dominance. Nobody achieves gold by idly sitting on their butts, munching on potato chips (or kale chips). Instead, we often find ourselves lamenting, “I wish I could,” rather than taking proactive steps to make it happen. If you aspire to be thin and healthy, dedicate yourself to rigorous training. If you dream of starting your own business, invest your time and resources wisely. And if you desire to own a house, work diligently towards your goal.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have their lives handed to them, and even then, it appears that people aren’t content. They seem to be missing something, and I believe they’re missing the pride and satisfaction that comes from knowing they gave their all and paid off every debt in life through hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. Nothing can diminish that kind of satisfaction. I know many friends who filed for bankruptcy while I endured 12 years of hardship, but I managed to make it on my own, without any pity or outside assistance. It was all about hard work! Now, I need to focus on my health, just like I did with my finances. I’ll get it under control through hard work and long-term effort.

So, I reminded myself that I don’t always have to dive headfirst into the deep end. I need to get my feet wet before I can learn how to swim. So, I’ve been doing solid workouts for a few weeks now. I’m sore, my breathing is really difficult, and I don’t feel good at all. But this is the first step. I need to focus and get through it, and then I can address these issues when I’m in a better place. As long as no one, including me, listens, I’ll be just fine! 

All you quiet dreamers, carry on!

Fat man in the bathtub

This post was meant to be about my frustration with being overweight. I once heard a great story from another runner. A runner told him that he knew it was me. His friend was running the Afton 50K when, at about 25 miles, this overweight man passed him. The man thought, “I can’t let him beat me, so I ran harder. After about 10 minutes, the thin man reluctantly said, ‘That overweight man is a great runner,’ and let me run out of sight. Love that story.

Then, my middle and high school years flashed through my mind. I listened to Little Feat, but I didn’t understand their clever lyrics. If you know Little Feat from the early years, think of Dixie Chicken, Feats Don’t Fail Me Now, or Fat Man in the Bathtub. Click the song title for a video. What did they mean? I never knew, but they were cool! Fat Man in the Bathtub is a powerful ode to sexual frustration. The girl keeps rejecting him, building tension. The best line is, “All I want is a hit-and-run!” Dixie Chicken is a great example of relationship frustration.

I wrote that title on this cold January evening to rant about health science and Body Mass Index (BMI). According to the theory, I should weigh at most 167 pounds, but I haven’t been that low since 1975 when I was a 7th grader. At 197 pounds, I ran a 3:24 marathon, and at 220 pounds, I ran 77 miles on the Superior Hiking Trail in 26 hours. Despite my efforts to lose weight, I’ve always been the big man on the block!

I have a friend with a healthy BMI of 21. Despite smoking, drinking, and eating poorly, he’s thin, weak, and tired. He struggles with simple tasks and can’t even walk a mile without feeling exhausted. However, if we dress ourselves both in suits with our BMI embroidered on the front, the person in the tuxedo is always considered healthier.

We judge based on our eyes and scientific data. Since the 1970s, scientific studies have changed our understanding of what’s right and what we should do every decade. However, the most reported scientific results are often related to corporate sponsors, which encourages researchers to prioritize profit maximization. It’s all about the dollar.

The mind is the key to health and well-being, but science often offers quick fixes instead of hard work, dedication, and self-care. Carry on, my friends, and live your life following what you believe, not what the scientists tell you is right or wrong.

All you quiet dreamers, carry on!

Comments from my original blog - I merged the blogs.

SteveQ

There's a group of people now called TOFI's - thin outside, fat inside - who look fit but carry a lot of unhealthy fat around their organs. There's also evidence that some people can be both fat AND fit; I recall a woman who finished the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon in 14 hours and was 50 pounds or more overweight. I couldn't do that (at my BMI of 19).  Thursday, January 16, 2014 at 10:19:21 AM CST

Anonymous

Bmi is a joke, for sure. It's impressive that you can do stuff well while carrying that weight. Imagine how much faster and healthier you'd be if you lost it. Calories in and calories out. End of story. Easier said than done, but good habits don't just happen at random.   Monday, January 20, 2014 at 1:03:49 AM CST

OK, I got it!

I bet you’re tired of my blog rambling about my exercise success or event reports. I started the 2014 New Year strong with six consecutive days of varied-level workouts. However, on the seventh day, I had a physician’s visit. I’m beginning to believe that the mind can destroy the body, but the body can’t destroy the mind. It’s crazy how a physician’s words and facial expressions can just send your mental well-being spiraling downward.

While I’m still uncertain about the cause of this persistent infection that I can’t seem to shake off in the long run, my physician and I believe it originated from the bike accident that occurred several years ago. I’m currently undergoing a step-down regimen of prednisone (30, 20, 10, 5, and 2.5 mg every four days, totaling 20 days) and eight days of 500 mg Levaquin treatment. If these treatments prove ineffective, I anticipate that surgery will be necessary. Is it acceptable to express my growing weariness of battling this condition? I detest the Levaquin! It makes me feel as though my muscles have dried up into beef jerky. 

Whatever the outcome, I won’t let this hinder my determination to complete Grandma’s Marathon for the 30th consecutive year. Yes, I’ve registered, and so has my son. I’m not sure why he would willingly accompany me on this arduous run, but he has registered nonetheless. He’s an exceptional individual; I’m at a loss to comprehend the circumstances that led to his transformation. It must be the nurturing nature he inherited from his mother.

Well, tomorrow is a new day. I need to remember that each day is a blessing.

As many are aware, I’ve had recurring thoughts about my grandfather, Bill, and his stories. For quite some time, one particular story has been particularly troubling to me. He once instructed the children to place their hands on the Bible after we had committed another misdeed. This lesson emphasized the consequences of telling a lie that had escalated to a point where it was impossible to conceal.

As he began his story, he emphasized the significance of upholding the morals and virtues inherent in God. He posed a thought-provoking question, “Imagine how history would have unfolded had Abraham Lincoln not confessed to chopping down the Cherry Tree.” Despite the children’s attempts to correct him, Grandpa remained steadfast in his conviction. He concluded his statement with a foreboding warning, “Someday, you will comprehend.” Although I never fully grasped the lesson at the time, I believe I have come to understand it four decades later.

He insisted he was right, and we grandchildren shook our heads at his foolish statement. He intentionally told a lie and insisted he was right, making us realize that when you know you’re wrong and keep trying to convince others, you look increasingly stupid. He’s right; not living the truth can be embarrassing.

I will wait for the Levaquin to allow my muscles to lubricate again and start regular workouts. Mentally, I want to work out, but physically, I struggle.

All you quiet dreamers, carry on!