By Paul Coats, UVRC Board Member
What do you call someone who chases a goal for 26 years before accomplishing it? Tenacious, underperforming, persistent, stubborn, dedicated, obstinate, zealous, silly? I may be one or all of those adjectives, for good or for bad; but one thing I definitely know, accomplishing my marathon goal felt very very good.
The Upper Valley Running Club played a pivotal role in my extended journey. Not only did the club provide an ample supply of running partners to help with training, great coaching with creative workouts at TNTs, but more importantly with a community of people … friends who provided encouragement, training ideas, and who helped make running fun. If it weren’t for the UVRC, my wife Kristen’s constant support and encouragement, and consistent training partners like Colin Smith, I may still be gazing down the road at that same dreamy desire that was set in my brain 26 years ago.
How about you? What goals have you set, or did you set long ago that you want to dust off? For some of us the goal is to just get up and get going. The UVRC Couch to 5k can help with that. Maybe you want to make it to that next distance, or nail a time, meet some new friends, or give back to your community through volunteerism. The UVRC can help with all those goals … and more.
Perhaps your goals aren’t running related at all, but are connected to career, family, education, or other facets of life. Establishing a habit of setting goals, along with a plan for how to accomplish them, can begin small and blossom into the more meaningful. I set goals that build upon one another and create a sense of accomplishment that gives me the courage to set bigger life goals. For example, my goal was to do the TNT workout every week for 3 months, which lead me to an overall weekly mileage goal, which helped me accomplish a marathon time goal, which helped me qualify for the big event, all of which provides me with the bravery and stamina to do what is needed in my career, home, social life, and spiritual life.
I hope you get excited when you envision crossing the finish line of your own goal, even if it takes a minute to get there.