Paris Marathon - Crossing the Finish Line

Thank you all so much for your support of my goal to run a marathon in Paris.

Running the Paris Marathon has been a huge goal for me; one that has been in the back of my mind for over 10 years. Why did I leave this goal for so long? I do not know. But I do know that I wish I had decided years ago to do it. I'm sure it would have been much easier to run a marathon at the age of 40 rather than close to 50!

I challenge you to consider what goals you have been storing away, putting off until the right moment. I can tell you that right moment will never come, when are all the traffic lights on green!

Decide what your goal is, however huge, and put a plan in place to achieve it.

I have loved every minute of achieving this long time ambition – from the cold and dark early starts, running in the rain, and the sheer exhaustion after some of the long runs. It has taken me on a journey I never thought possible. At first I believed running a marathon was all about running. Rather, it has been about the challenges I have faced, the opportunities I have seized, and most importantly the team I have trained with, one of whom completed the marathon with me.

Many have asked, what time did I want to do?

It was never about the time. I wanted to run in front of the ambulance (not in it) and complete the marathon before they removed the bollards. To cross the line – was my single focus – whatever it took!

In Paris, France, on Sunday April 5th at 8.45am I crossed the starting line. In my mind the marathon was complete. The 42.195km ( it’s all about the last “point 195”) was the path before me - all I had to do was stay in the race.

Throughout the 5 hours and 12 minutes many thoughts and emotions merged, most of which I cannot share, but as I saw my family at the finish line – I was overcome with emotion – an experience that I will remember for as long as I live.

Was it worth the two year investment? Yes, every second of every minute.

Don’t put your goals off until tomorrow…..you know the story – enjoy the rewards today!

How BIG is your goal for 2009?

I don’t know about you but I have spent many a New Year setting goals. These days, I have learnt to write my goals down for a better success rate.

At USANA we have Commitment Cards. When you make a commitment or set your goal, you write down a ‘consequence’ or penalty if you don’t achieve that goal. We all need someone to hold us accountable and remind us of why we wanted to achieve the goal in the first place.

Over the years I have set myself some rather big goals, but none as big as this year’s goal – to run a Marathon in Paris! Yes it’s a long way – yes it’s a big time commitment – yes it’s hard – and yes it’s in Paris. What has made this goal so big? The cost of two airline tickets (my husband will coach me from the sidelines), the time and the commitment.

Why is it when you set yourself a goal, hurdles seem to appear from nowhere? Injuries I’ve never heard of began to plague me. My physio therapist suggested I take a few weeks off. Time off is something I can’t afford when I only have three months left to prepare. My GP even recommended I give up running.

How many times have people advised you to stick to your real job? Or told you, you’ll never make a success of this. Or asked, why are you doing network marketing? Yes, I’m sure you’ve heard that once or twice. I even heard it from my Mum, of all people, back in the early nineties when I started my business.

So what keeps us connected to our goal? What keeps me on track for 42.1kms in Paris? Well, I believe it’s the SIZE of the goal and the REAL consequence of giving up.

I’m on track. I jumped the hurdles. I had to take a different approach to training, teaching myself to swim long distance. And now with 60 days to go – I will run a marathon in Paris – I will cross the line in front of the ambulance and before they remove the bollards!

So, how big is your goal for 2009? Is it big enough? Does it have a consequence that you can hold yourself accountable for? Are you prepared to jump the hurdles and ignore “professional” advice?

If it’s not big enough, then make your goal bigger. Attend Celebration 2009 in Sydney and be inspired to commit to bigger goals than you thought possible. Jump bigger hurdles – it will set you free.