2 Corinthians 4:16-17 verse

Blog Post #31

It takes more than me to be able to maintain my pace. This journey to losing weight has morphed into the journey to achieve success across multiple areas in my life. Although my videos and blogs have been from a “me first” perspective, trust when I tell you that I have a lot of others who have contributed to my effort. My good friend, who initially challenged me to get back on track was at the gym when I finished today’s Big Run. I told him I just ran 3.8 miles. He asked, “how do you feel?” “Pretty good,” I said. Then he says, “well hey, come work out with us!” I realized I had no excuse that would fly in on this occasion, so after running almost 4 miles in over an hour, I then underwent another hour of weight lifting and resistance training.

I remember just looking at the weights at some point during the workout because there was nothing in me that was saying I could do it. There he was in the background saying “Come on Louis Riley,” and in my sarcastic undertone I said, “yeah, yeah, yeah….” You see, its moments like this when you learn to appreciate how the mind controls the body. I had so many thoughts of I can’t running through my head, until it was slowing me down. I kept looking for a reason to accept the “I can’t” as my truth, but nothing would stick. I knew from a place deep inside that at least, it was possible…and if it is possible, then why not try. I pushed through fatigue and soreness and I completed the workout. I must admit, I would not have pushed myself as much if I were exercising alone. ‘

In every effort of success, we need to be certain we keep certain people around us who can see our lighter side and not settle for our darkeness. We all need someone in our circle who pushes us to become great. We need that someone who believes in us even when we may not believe in ourselves. I have a few people in my life who fit this description. I would supposed I am fortunate to have them. However, it sometimes takes a lot of swallowing my ego. As I state in the video associated with this entry, I have a rather high opinion of myself. When you tell me I can’t, I automatically think I can. When you doubt me, I want to prove you wrong. So when I hear criticism, like many, my first reaction is to push it aside because I feel like I am being attacked. However, I am built for success. I know that these people come from a sincere place. I listen to their opinions and I then allow it to run through my mental process so that I can pull the lessons I was supposed to learn.

Sometimes when we drop our ego, we will learn the it was standing in the way of what we really need in our lives….

Dreams Mean Work!

There are numerous mind games I have learned to play against myself to help increase my focus. You see, once your body gets to the place where it is physically able to run, the biggest obstacle you will face is your mental ability to endure longer runs. Take today for example. I ran over 5 miles. I always run with a set of headphones on, but sometimes my music gets confused with my GPS signal and it shuts off for stretches. I have learned to let my body go and allow my mind to go to other places. Often, I take the opportunity to reflect on solutions to problems I am having. I often refer to running as a time to meditate. There is a peace that comes about once your mind and body are in rhythm. You can hear your heart beating. You can hear yourself breathing. You can even hear the sound of your footsteps upon the pavement. There are other times when you forget that you are running. Those are the best. It’s as if your body is on autopilot and your mind checks out. It is during these stretches that you build the ability to run long distances. It will drive a person wild if they start running and immediately start looking for the end. There is so much to be learned during the run. Much in the same way, there is so much to be learned during the journey of life. They actually parallel one another. Now, this is not to say that running is the only way to reach this place. There are many. However, running is what I know, therefore, it is what I choose to speak on. Only a runner can understand the peacefulness that occurs to them while out on the route. Running is an addictive drug. Once you get the right dose of it, your body has trouble doing without it. Try it for yourself and find out.

Dreams Mean Work!
Documentation beats conversation:

Last week I did 5 miles as well, but the terrain was much more flat.  This week, I raised the bar a bit by taking on a few more hills.  It was definitely a challenge, but I ran the hills instead of walking them.  This definitely makes me realize how much of an impact the work I do during the weekdays  has been.  My body has definitely gotten stronger.

In addition, the weight loss has become more visible to me.  That’s one of the reason’s I wanted to do a video blog about this journey.   I had lost weight before, however, I didn’t keep a record of my progress, nor were there any photos or videos that I could go back to and visibly compare my progress.  That won’t happen this time around!

Thank you for spending a little of your time with me.  As always, remember:

Dreams Mean Work!

Today’s Run Route: