– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Can you beat your time? Make your time? Meet your time? Those are all questions facing you in a race.
In a race, time is a moving target, something to be chased. Time is a living being, a feeling, a presence you cannot deny. As in life, you race against time. It will get you in the end (we all have an end), but can you beat it – just this time?
Time is the final component we will discuss in setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. We have discussed setting specific, measureable, attainable and realistic goals in previous columns. All the columns can be found at http://www.ruidosofreepress.com/pages/sports_area.
This series is helping prospective triathletes prepare for the Ruidoso Sprint Triathlon, a 3.5-mile run, a 10-mile bike ride on roads and a 400-yard swim in the Ruidoso Athletic Club (RAC) pool on June 9.
The satisfaction of meeting or exceeding a goal, no matter what it is, is what makes the effort meaningful. But it takes time. And each day our time is limited, of course, by time.
Why not set a time to meet your goal? Time passes whether you do something or not. So do something now to make that time more productive. Give yourself a due date and make it happen.
How much time do you waste doing nothing? How many hours do you spend in counterproductive activities that are not on the path to achieving your goal? Will skipping the next episode of House really change your life? How much energy do you waste being “upset” over what someone said or may have said? How much negative energy do you waste each day worrying and gossiping about something, or someone, over whom you have absolutely no control?
Are your kids really going to miss you at 6 a.m. when you go out for a jog? Perhaps, they will be proud of you for setting a goal and will learn life lessons from watching you work to achieve your goal.
Think of who has inspired you in your life. It was probably someone who worked hard to achieve a goal.
Right there is your bottom-line reason to get up each day and do something. If not for yourself, then for your family, for those who love you, for those who want and need you to become the person you were meant to be.
If you feel shutdown, then you need to evaluate your associates. Surround yourself with people who support your dreams and goals, and you will achieve those goals. When you surround yourself with people who try to stifle your dreams, you are stuck in a cave of despair. Decide if you are going to change your life, better yourself and become the person you were meant to be.
Remember, it’s your time.
Bob and Betty are our triathletes taking the time to prepare for the Ruidoso Sprint Triathlon. They’ve been dedicated and working hard to rearrange their lives to attain their goal.
This week, coming off a hard week, they have a week of reflection and recovery. Join them and take off one quarter of your exercise time for each run, bike ride and swim.
Use that extra time to evaluate your goal, make changes and reflect on where you are and where you want to be. Talk to your loved ones. Tell them your dreams. Ask for their support. Listen to them and offer them your support. Perhaps they have goals and dreams about which you never knew.
We all need love and support, no matter where we are in life and where we want to go. Take the time.
Sarah Crewe is a USAT (USA Triathlon) Level 1 coach who coaches triathletes and is a certified RPM, yoga and American Swim Coach Association Level 2 coach. She is lead faculty for health and physical education at ENMU. To contact Sarah Crewe for training or learn more about the Ruidoso Sprint Triathlon, call the Ruidoso Athletic Club at 257-4900.
If you have any training questions for Sarah Crewe, email them to editor@ruidosofreepress.com.
Always contact your doctor before beginning physical training and it is advisable to have a personal coach.