How to Hit Your Best Average

4.26

Jim Rohn said, "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." I think he's right. If this is true we should very careful about who we follow. I'm a Christ follower, so I look to Him first to influence me; beyond my faith, I need to choose my coworkers, friends and acquaintances very wisely. If we want to live a wellness lifestyle, we need people around us who understand the value of wise choices, nutrient-dense foods and being physically active.

As the years advance, the groups we hang out with may change. What's imperative is that we step back every so often and ask ourselves if we benefit from being around this group, and are we also a benefit to them? If not, we have to give ourselves permission to change - seek some new horizons, find some new heroes, connect with new and valuable relationships.

Yesterday I finished my third Spartan Race. It was a Stadium Sprint at Citizen's Bank Park in Philly. What a blast. There has been something life-giving about connecting with the Spartan Race lifestyle. My workouts are more focused. I love the challenge of running across it, carrying it, climbing up or over it, or jumping on it. I have accomplished more physically in the past 2 years than I ever thought I was capable of.

All it took was giving something new a try. The Spartan Races seemed interesting and classy enough (some mud runs and obstacle course races are not nearly so respectful.) And sure enough, I've found a new group of very worthwhile influencers. I'm sure I will up my average by being a part of the Spartan Race movement.

For yesterday's race, I didn't flub any of the 21 obstacles. That meant NO penalty burpees, and a much better finish time than if I was cranking out 30 burpees on obstacles I couldn't do. I finished the 4 mile race in 59:47, which for me was an incredible time.

Thousands of racers were in Philly yesterday for the Stadium Sprint at Citizens Bank Park. I think we all upped our average by living the journey that got us race day... it is much more about the journey getting there, than about race day itself. For that, I'm thankful to have found the Spartan Races.

How about you? Today is a great day to look closely at who you are hanging out with and recognize the influence they have in your life. And making a few changes and additions can help you hit your best average ever.

By the Way

The Spartan Race Stadium Series sprints are held all around the country in famous baseball and football stadiums. The running course takes you on the concourses, up and down stairs and ramps, and even behind the scenes (we got to run through the visitors dugout and did push ups in the visiting team locker room.) There is tons of running in the bleachers, sometimes carrying a sandbag or a couple of 5 gallon water jugs. While we did a lot of typical Spartan obstacles like the spear throw and Atlas carry, there was no mud or fire, and we got to do box jumps and jump (a weighted) rope. It was awesome...