When it starts to get hard

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to run my 4th half marathon this past Saturday.  (After doing one last fall the full marathons are on hold for the love of my knees and feet.)
Coming from not being convinced I could do more than a 5k just in 2010 or so and doing my first race in 2012 it seems pretty unbelievable.

Training went really well for this race.  I ate good clean food the week before, abstained from alcohol the night before (even though I was at Hall and Oates concert!), and the weather was beautiful and perfect for running.

I was able to post my best time to date with a finish of 1 hour and 53 minutes and an average of 8:30 per mile.  It almost seemed like the whole race was meant to be one happy experience.  Then mile number ten hit.
My left knee started to bug me and my whole body started to ache.  I knew I would be able to easily finish the race if I just started walking.
But then I saw a sign that read “Embrace the Suck!”

It hit me.
This is a half marathon.  Though I’ve become better at them it is still an incredibly hard thing to do.
When it starts to get hard in life…no matter the situation…it’s time to dig deep and push through.  Not slow down and start walking.
The last three miles or so were incredibly mental to keep up at the pace I was at but I kept telling myself that “This kinda stuff is supposed to be hard!”

But when you can keep putting yourself in these types of situations and have the mental edge and focus to push yourself through when it starts to get hard it will only make you that much stronger when you come out on the other side.

When it starts to get hard you have a choice.
You can slow down and start walking or you can power through because you know some things in life are meant to be hard.
But you know that when it starts to get hard you start to get strong.
And if we can get to having that strong of a mindset we shouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Whether it be physical, mental, or emotional it will start to get hard sometimes.
And if you feel like you might be willing in to give into the hard times always remember…
EMBRACE THE SUCK!

Thanks for being part of the crew as always, I’m glad you are here!

What is the point of all of this?
To find my passion and live…to encourage others to do the same…to then build something awesome in the world from the ground up…and get a crack like addiction to raw inspiration along the way.

You say you don’t have the time to live this way?  Give my Efficiency Recipe a shot…it’s less than a round of drinks and it might change your life.  Purchase it HERE!

My two books are HERE…the guidelines for how I live…

Spread Good Vibes, Demand the Best from Yourself, Carpe Diem,

Mike