Pick your passion, make your plan, and take action.

I remember when my sister told me she was going to do a half marathon. My first thought was honestly wow, that is really far! My second, was good for her! Today, she did it.

Today was the 10th annual Columbus Cap City Half Marathon and an incredible morning! I got to cheer my sister on during her first half marathon. Perfect running conditions with the race starting in sunshine and about 55 degrees, just a little bit too much wind. She finished in 2:04, just shy of her 2 hour goal. Now, I am confident that if she had been paced just slightly further up in the pack to start, she would have made it. But, competitive as us Craig’s are, she naturally has her eyes set on her next half marathon, where she will clear 2 hours easily. I could not be prouder.

Pick your passion, make your plan, and take action. I am often asked – why didn’t you train with her or why don’t you start running for distance. My answer is simple, it’s just not what I am passionate about. I respect and admire it tremendously and believe the training is rigorous and extremely challenging. However, running for hours is not my passion. I like weights. Ugly iron, sweaty gym people, and strair mills that rotate and take you nowhere. Strange as it sounds, that is my passion. Whatever your passion is, follow it! Don’t try to be something you are not. Find what you love, what makes you proud inside, what drives you to be better, and what fits your lifestyle and like Nike says, just do it!

You must make your plan. My sister followed a workout schedule, starting in January to help prepare her for this race. She knew how many miles to log, when to incorporate cross training, that she did need to touch ugly iron once in a while, and how to taper off the week leading up to the race. She didn’t wake up one morning and just go run, she made a plan. Ambitious goals are not achieved without a plan. A purpose driven plan.

Finally, take action. We all have passion for something and we are a society of great planners. However, as far as taking action, oh what an incredible world this would be if everyone would just take the first step towards their passion and goals. Some ways to take action could be as simple as sending in a registration for a race or even a bodybuilding show, scheduling your workouts on your calendar and actually following them, putting your running shoes by your bed so you must utilize them in the morning, telling friends and family what you are doing so they hold you accountable, and finally just doing it. You are the only one who can take action. Most people talk a great talk…next week I will…or well when the weather is better….when I get caught up on sleep…

Stop the madness. Pick your passion, make your plan, and take action. My sister has wanted to do a half marathon, started the training, followed through, and did it! I could not be happier and prouder of her!