Challenge Yourself

One way to get back into shape is to set a goal that you see as a challenge. My husband decided several years ago that he was going to run a marathon. Every year he would start to train in the spring for a marathon that was in the fall. Somehow though, he managed to injure himself every year before his marathon and he would decide not to register for it. Two years ago he paid the fee to run in the marathon but a few weeks before he suffered from another injury so he withdrew.

Last year he started training again for the marathon. I did a lot of research on how to train for a marathon. With the resources that I found for him and with the help of an excellent sports therapist, who is a good friend, he ran his marathon. He ran 26 miles in a little over 4 hours at the age of 49. When I brought him home he really did not feel well. He was probably dehydrated although he did have water through most of the marathon. I think running 26 miles would have that effect on anyone no matter how hard they trained. He did not want to run a marathon again. A few hours after he rested he realized that he had accomplished his goal and was contemplating doing it again.

I'm not suggesting that everyone train for a marathon but there are a lot of opportunities to make a goal a reality. You could participate in a walkathon or a bikathon. Every year there are 5 K runs that individuals could participate in. There is always the option to run or to walk in most 5K runs so you do not need to set your goal too high at first.

Once you decide on a challenge, then you can start working towards it. Start slow and gradually work your way progressively toward your goal. If something happens along the way and you are unable to reach the goal that you set, don't feel bad. Just think of what you accomplished in your journey towards that goal. You might want to examine your goal and determine whether you set your goal a bit too high. At that point, you can reset the goal and start again. The journey through fitness sometimes takes us back to the beginning however, it is not time to give up. Reassess your goals, establish your action plan and start working toward that goal again. The satifasfaction of finally reaching your goal makes all the work that you have done worth it.