Livin' the Dream

5.20

"Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil." 
--James Allen

It was December of 2015 that I first put down in writing that I might someday run a Spartan Race, and maybe even attempt the Spartan Trifecta (three progressively harder races, run in the same year.) That was truly a 'dream' and a stretch goal at the time, yet here we are in late 2018, and the dream from several years ago has been fulfilled.

Last month I ran my 3rd of 3 Spartan Races this year, to complete my Trifecta. It was a tremendous day! (as they have all been). Jen and our girls joined in the trip to central VA to be a much-appreciated cheering section. The course was lots of rolling hills, which made it 'easy' compared to the ski slopes of PA and northern NJ that I've run for other Spartan Races.

What was a seemingly crazy dream from years ago, became reality. Was it a snap of my fingers, and there I was, mission accomplished? No, not a chance. It's been hundreds of miles of running (lots of hills included) thousands of burpees, push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups and squats. Climbing trees, bear crawls, lunges... the workout list goes on.

You have your dreams, and your goals ahead of you. Don't latch on to what I or others are doing. Find your own dream, your own path, your own motivation, and follow. We do best when we don't compare ourselves to others, but simply compare our today, with our yesterday. How is MY journey shaping up? Have I overcome what kept me down or took me out? Have I grown or accomplished or met the challenge of whatever adventure is at hand?

Maybe you have a big dream before you. Pursue it. Take strides to accomplish it. Make the most of today and eventually you'll see how far you've come. Before you know it, you'll be livin' your dream.

By the Way

I don't run for shiny metals (although they're cool) or for the cheering crowds (although the kudos are appreciated). I run to conquer what's between my ears. There is no stretch of road or muddy obstacle that keeps my down. But my own head-trash? That can take me out in an instant.

This is my reminder of the 2018 Trifecta accomplishment - a wedge from each race (red for the Sprint; blue for the Super; green for the Beast). Dream fulfilled.