The Power of Making Up Your Mind

Bear with me, there is a point to this long post.

Wow, it has been a fun, busy, but challenging year so far. The years not over yet. A year ago from this coming weekend, I had never run a race beyond a 10K, and I had only done that once. Everything else was the shorter 5K races, and only for a few years. I was never a runner in school or my twenties at all, because of knee issues. But it all started at the 2018 KC Marathon.

In less than a year, it has been filled with the:

KC Marathon - 10/2018

10 Mile Chili trail run - 12/2018

Turket Trot - 11/2018

Liberty Hospital Half-Marathon - 3/2019

Oklahoma Ultra-Marathon 31 miler - 4/2019

St. Louis Half-Marathon - 6/2019

Katy Trail 50/50 Ultra-Marathon 31 miler - 9/2019

And to cap it off, the Chicago Marathon on Sunday. - 10/2019

I'm not saying this to brag, but to tell you that anything is possible if you set a clear goal, make up your mind to complete it no matter what, have faith, and remember why you are doing it along the way. If you make up your mind to do something, and not let anything get in the way, you can accomplish anything. God will see you through it, if it is for a greater cause, He is there supporting you through it.

Throughout the year, I've had deer come up so close in the dark, that I could smell their sweaty hides, and actually had some pretty good dialog with them, one-way of course. I've had foxes stand and watch me run in the dark, bright blue birds lead me through the woods for nearly half a mile, and a mountain lion roar at me loud enough, I thought I was in the Lion's Den in the zoo. Had cars swerve at me, trying to hit me.

Had some of the most amazing conversations with God and friends along the way.

I've also fallen on my head on the concrete in the dark, struggled with Narcolepsy, beat my childhood knee disease Osgood-Schlatter, and been diagnosed with Basal Cell Skin Cancer. The basal cell almost knocked me down as I couldn't run for nearly 4 weeks in the middle of summer and actually tore up the training plan I was working from, but decided I wasn't going to let the little "c" stop me and continued on.

Full time job, full time summer scout camp, 2 family vacations, soccer, gymnastics, and so many other fun family activities.

I've had people tell me I'm crazy, that I can't do it, that my body can't handle it, that I'll fall on my face (which I did).

So the whole point of this is, when you think you are alone, when you think your goal is too much, when you think it can't be done, that life is knocking you down, know that, if you make up your mind to do it, to beat it, to accomplish it, you will. Get rid of the fear and self-doubt and just go for it. You've got this, whatever it might be in your life. God is with you.

Thank you to my awesome wife, Daressa Smith, and my kids who have supported me over the year. Daressa inspires me every day with all she has gone through, and is doing her first KC Half-Marathon on Saturday, which she is going to smash. And thank you to all of my amazing friends who have encouraged me, and sometimes discouraged me too, but that helped to fuel the fire.

""Passion” has its roots in the Latin word pati, which means “to suffer or endure.” Therefore, at the root of passion is suffering. This is a far cry from the way we casually toss around the word in our day-to-day conversations. Instead of asking “What would bring me enjoyment?” which is how many people think about following their passion, we should instead ask “What work am I willing to suffer for today?” Great work requires suffering for something beyond yourself. It’s created when you bend your life around a mission and spend yourself on something you deem worthy of your best effort. What is your worthwhile cause?" - Todd Henry, Die Empty: Unleash Your Best Work Every Day