Do you want to run your dream race?

Whether that’s a 5k, marathon, ultramarathon, or any other distance, it can sure seem like a big jump at first. When you contemplate running the race of your dreams, it sometimes becomes overwhelming.  We assume our DREAM race is far beyond our grasp, but the truth is, it’s right in front of you. All it takes is a moment, the moment when you decide to take action. It’s the moment when you decide to sign up and start training for the race.

Know this: the current life you live is the accumulation of all the decisions you’ve made up until now. Your whole life comes down to the decisions you make, and if you change your decisions, you will change your life.

When I ran my first marathon, I didn’t begin to change when I crossed the finish line. When I decided it was possible, and made it a goal, that’s the moment I changed. You can’t make new changes for the future with an old mindset from the past. The moment when I believed in myself, is the day I became the person who could run a marathon. The rest was following a process. And that goes for all the distances I’ve run, especially the 100-mile ultramarathon. You run a marathon with your body, you run 50-miles with your mind, and you run 100-miles with your spirit.

But why does our dream race seem so far away? Why does it feel more like a quantum leap than a hop skip and a jump away?

Most of the time it’s based on how we compare our perception of pain versus pleasure. We determine if the pain of failure outweighs the pleasure of crossing the finish line.

What do I mean?

Well, for most, the fear of failure is so vast that we don’t even start training. We’d rather stay safe on the sidelines than take a shot at something extraordinary.

But it’s not our fault, that’s the way our brains work. Our brains are not designed to be uncomfortable; they are designed to survive. So our natural tendency is to avoid any type of stress, like a failure. Our brain perceives stress as a threat to our survival. So unless you move forward, despite the chances of failure, you will not run your dream race.

But here’s the good news: with a simple change in your perception, your dream suddenly becomes a reality.

But it all starts with a DREAM…

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DREAM

Do you know what the beauty of a dream is?

They are everywhere!

The phone that you’re on, the car that you drive, the running shoes that you wear, all dreams. These inventions were all someone’s dream at one time.  First, they did not exist. Then someone pulled them from their imagination and pushed forward despite their fears. One day their dream turned into a reality.

Albert Einstein, arguably the smartest person in human existence, said, “Imagination is everything. It is the preview to life’s coming attractions.”

What does that mean to us as runners? It means that if you want something bad enough, it all starts in THE mind. It all begins with a thought, and if the thought is compelling and specific enough, it creates a dream.

Do you know what the difference is between a thought and a dream? A ‘thought’ is an ‘idea’ that occurs suddenly in the mind, whereas a ‘dream’, is an ‘ideal’ as in a cherished thought with an aim. So unless your dream is COMPELLING, like something you cherish, Or SPECIFIC, so you know precisely where you’re aiming, you will not follow through.

That’s the beauty of your dream race. A dream race is specific because you choose the race. Also, the race is compelling because you’re achieving one of the biggest goals of your life. If a dream race is not specific and compelling then I don’t know what is. So, take the steps needed to achieve your dream race by starting with action.

RELATED: 18 Meaningful Running Goals That Will Last In 2018

ACTION

Taking action is the most crucial aspect of any dream, running goals included. The moment when you take action is the moment when you turn your dream into a reality.

You can sit and think about crossing the finish line all day. But unless you lace up your shoes, start a training program, and sign up for the race, your DREAM race will always remain a DREAM.

So when you’re on that edge, and you’re looking off the cliff of your dream, LET GO! Jump into the unknown! Know that when entering into the unknown you can either have fear or faith. It’s one or the other, fear or faith, and fortunately, you have a choice.

I choose faith. If you have trouble with faith, DONT WORRY, fear is patient, and it’s always waiting around for you to give up on faith.

“What if I start and give up?” “What if I lose my friends when I start running?” “What if I get hurt?” “I hear running is bad for your knees! I will sit on the couch where it’s safe, I’m no dummy.”

But let me ask you something. Do you think the couch was created by someone sitting on a couch? How about the TV you’re watching? How about the phone you’re on? Do you think those people on the TV got those bodies by sitting on the couch where it’s safe?  Where they couldn’t get hurt? Do you think they were “coach dreamers”?

That’s where courage comes into play. Courage isn’t doing something that you know you can do. Courage is when your fearful and scared but you push yourself through it anyway!

Know that to reach your dream race you will have to ‘jump’. Every one of the millions of runners in the world has jumped. It’s required for reaching any goal you will ever set in your lifetime.

HESITATION

So when you’re on the ledge, Jump! Because if you hesitate then guess what? You go right back to dreaming. Unfortunately, many people stay in the DREAM <—> HESITATE cycle (refer to the dream roadmap). It’s a cycle from dream to hesitate, back and forth. The cycle traps you in a mental prison of emotion! You never begin to train, never sign up for the race, and never even walk out the door to run. Hesitation kills more dreams than failure ever will.

So how do you combat hesitation?

Act on your instincts.

Intuition is powerful. I once heard a saying that a prayer is an act of talking to God, and intuition is an act of God talking to you.

Look, I can’t force you to jump, that would do you no good. But what I can tell you is I’ve always gone with my intuition when it comes to running. Intuition has brought me across many finish lines.

I thought a marathon was impossible now I run marathons with no food or water. I never even knew ultramarathons existed, then I found myself in a race with one mile down and ninety-nine to go! And do you think I listened to other people when I started running ultramarathons? No way! People thought I was insane! I didn’t ask other people for permission, I asked myself. I went with my intuition, meaning, I went with my HEART. No, I did not hesitate. I took action and now I’m in the best shape of my life and it’s only becoming better.

FAILURE

Running is the most common form of movement there is. We were born to run! YOU can run ANY distance! Yes, it’s possible!

So when you’re on the edge, make the decision, don’t hesitate, take action, and leap! And there’s a good chance you will FLY and if you don’t FLY you will FALL. But guess what? You will always get back up. Picking yourself up is another example of how we are programmed to survive. But when you’re back up it’s time to make a decision.

Will you be open to receive a gift or surrender to failure?

What’s the gift? The gift is the lesson you learn from your perceived failure. I say perceived failure because failure is the best learning opportunity there is. There is no better way to learn than from your mistakes. And if you view them as such your life suddenly shifts. Suddenly there is no more failure, only growth and lessons learned. Can you feel the power in that kind of life?

Sometimes we get sick, sometimes we get injured, and sometimes we miss training runs. But if you can find the learning opportunity, then a perceived failure becomes a GIFT, not a letdown.

FLY

So if you LEARN from your FALL you go right back to ACTION. When you learn from your mistakes and take action, you will continue through this cycle.  The LEARN <–> ACTION cycle (refer to dream roadmap) will continue until there’s only one way to go…UP. Now it’s time to FLY. It’s time to sore to a DREAM COME TRUE!

It’s time to fly and reach your dream race, and run those miles, and cross that finish line! And guess what? You do not only cross the finish line, but you BECOME the person who can cross the finish line.  This type of transformation gives you the ability to continue down the next path, to your next race, and continue to grow as a runner. You grow into the runner of unlimited potential….the runner of your DREAMS.

DREAM COME TRUE

WARNING: When achieving your dream race it will change your life forever. You will understand that your unlimited potential is extraordinary and ANYTHING is possible. You realize what was holding you back before was the limiting beliefs you held and the excuses you made. Look, it’s much safer to sit on the sidelines. But for those who are ready to run their dream race, who don’t hesitate, who take action and learn from their shortcomings…it’s your time to fly. So look over that edge, take a few steps back, get a “running start”, and take a leap of faith! Your time is not tomorrow, your time was not yesterday, your time is NOW!  It’s your time to FLY! It’s your time to reach a DREAM COME TRUE by running the race of your dreams! So let go of that ledge and NEVER let go of your dreams!

REMEMBER…IT’S YOUR TIME TO FLY!!!

So for those ready to begin their running journey check out: 10 Incredibly Useful Running Tips For Beginners or 11 Tips For Becoming A Better Distance Runner

For those who are ready to run a marathon check out: 26.2 Extremely Helpful Tips For Running Your First Marathon

For those who are ready to take a leap into the unknown and run an ultramarathon, grab a copy and start training TODAY. It’s called The Ultramarathon Guide: A Simple Approach To Running Your First Ultramarathon.

Click here for the paperback version on Amazon

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