When I started out a little over a year ago, running sad little mile and a half bursts from my house, I had motivation. I was getting too heavy. I felt tired all the time. I needed a “comeback” and so, I set a goal. I wanted to run 100 miles from August when I started to my birthday that October 28th. I came in ahead of that challenge, and so, I set another one. I signed up for the Dismal Swamp Half Marathon in April, trained all winter, and again – I succeeded. Then there was the 5K a Day in May challenge (I fell slightly short of that, three days, I think, because I injured my foot). In July I signed up to finish 100 miles in July and get a nifty belt buckle. I wear that buckle every day, and have exceeded 100 miles a month ever since.
More recently we had a team challenge in one of the Facebook groups I’m part of. We were supposed to pick a mileage goal from August 1st to October 1st. Unfortunately, I thought it sayd August through October, and I said I’d go 300 miles. I only got 237, but that’s fine… it was the challenge that did it.
Now I’ve set myself a new challenge. I’m not only a runner, I’m an avid football fan. I’m not only an avid football fan – I’m a rabid SAN DIEGO CHARGERS fan. I live on the east coast now, and that makes it hard. I haven’t seen them live since one of the companies I worked for a while back took me to see them in the new Redskins stadium. We lost, but that didn’t matter.
This year, I’ve decided that, since I can’t stop myself from saying “WE” are going to go all the way this year, and since I know I can’t get out on the field and help, that I’ll do SOMETHING … because it’s better than nothing, and because it is a new goal. I have several now, and I’ll see them all complete about the same time. I will run 1000 miles this year (probably by early December). I will also run 254.6 miles between the 1st of October and the Superbowl – the distance down Highway 8 from San Diego to Phoenix. I figure, if they are going to work all season to get there, the least I can do is put in some personal effort.
If you’re a fan, and you have some bit of Chargers memorabilia – shirts, hats, bandannas, whatever, and you want them to go with me on one of my runs, send them along. If you have suggestions on how I can use this running to benefit a charity, I’m all ears. If you happen to know Philip Rivers, let him know I’m out there, pounding the pavement and thinking about February. Heck, I even have a Jackalope decked out in all my running “Bling” – race medals, a Chargers pennant – and who knows? Virtually running across the mountains into Arizona, I might see a relative of his…
If you are a runner – keep finding goals. You are welcome to join our Facebook Group –Team Badass, Miles & Smiles. We’d love to have you. Me? Time to hit the road. I’ve only done 11.5 miles in the last two days, and I have a LONG way to Phoenix…