Get out there and GET IT!
Saturday, April 2, 2011 at 08:41PM I've got a great friend who I've known for 20 years. Damn it, he's younger than me and he's always kicking my butt out there to do stuff! Cool stuff. Adventures. Not that I mind, keeps me sharp. On my fiftieth we climbed Half Dome, up and back in 10 hours. Some people do it in 2 days. So anyway, I asked him to give some words of inspiration to my readers, especially older guys who've seen too many couches, too many potatoes and too much TV. For those who live the 'Urban Life', you have to keep in shape, you have to keep your soul as well as your body in shape. Cars, bars and rich food take their toll. This is what he told me:
Hello, my name is Craig Koenig and I've know John, the proprietor of this web site for about twenty years. I was excited when he asked me to share my thoughts but I was perplexed when he told me the topic was fitness. For you see, I am not an athlete or fitness expert. I am an average Joe, husband, father and I work at a stressful job that requires a great deal of my time. I enjoy an occasional beer, I have a sweet tooth and I like to sit and watch TV with my family. However, i have been fortunate and have had a few noteworthy accomplishments in my life. I have ridden numerous challenging cycling events (centuries, double centuries, the Death Ride and a 24 hour mountain bike race), competed in several triathlons (including an Ironman), raced numerous foot races (a marathon PR of 3:30), finished several adventure races and dragged my carcass to the top of some of Yosemite's most technical and majestic peaks. I have shot competitively, fought competitively, hold several black belts, surfed the greatest surf breaks in California and generally tried to experience life to its fullest. And there lies the one piece of advice that i'm comfortable giving, find your zeal, live the adventure, have fun and blow all those preconceived notions of what your capable of, away! Change your paradigm and realize if one person can do it, than you can do it to, the sky is the limit. Make a list of all the things you think would be cool to accomplish then find the one that makes you say, "im not sure if I can do that one". That's the one to set your sights on.
When you realize that you don't have to win to have fun, it becomes alot more doable. The prep work alot less daunting. I have a friend who had never completed a triathlon. He was at least one hundred pounds over the weight of the heaviest triathlete. He made the mistake of telling me, "that looks like fun". A year later he completed Ironman Couer D'Alene after loosing over 100 pounds. Not only did he finish but had a great finishing time and an enjoyable experience. He focused on the fun, the sense of accomplishment and the adventure of participating in the event. When he first started training, salesmen at bike stores ignored him and salesmen at running stores smirked when he told them his goal. Screw the naysayers and their preconceived notions. Realize there are idiots everywhere and don't let them get you down. Surround yourself with "can do" people who are fellow life adventurers and understand the love of trying.
You must also humble yourself. Most accomplishments that are worth challenging yourself with involve a certain amount of expertise in their field. There is nothing wrong with being a beginner, in fact its quite liberating. Novices enjoy an advantage in that their learning curve is significantly better. Think about it, the basics of most skill sets are learned quickly and the finer aspects are only mastered after a great deal of effort and time. Take advantage of this and learn from the best. When I took up fencing I found an Olympic Medalist to train with. I thought it was extremely cool and I learned from a man who had been there done that and I didnt need to relive any mistakes he may have made on his road less traveled.
Remember the goal but don't focus so intently you forget to enjoy the process. The culmination may be months or years away, the preparation is here and now so enjoy it. When changes to your mind, body and spirit start surfacing, remember its the effort put forth up to this point that allowed those changes to happen.
This is probably getting too long, so let me recap. FIND YOUR QUEST, no boundaries, if one person can do it, YOU can do it. Then get out there and find people to support you and some semblance of an expert to help you (even if its in books or magazines). Enjoy the process and reap the rewards, even if they are secondary. Think of how awesome it will be on your 100th birthday telling your great grandkids how you accomplished this incredible feat!
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Reader Comments (3)
I didn't know you fenced! :)
What an inspiration!! Thank you for sharing your friend's words of wisdom, hugs~
Awesome post!!!!