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The Glory of Goal-Setting

Posted September 23, 2007 at 04:00 PM by Alexandra Haller

Section: Her Fitness, Her Motivation

In the middle of last week I had one of my most glorious running experiences. I ran six miles (a personal best) on the trails of Island Lake Recreation Area. This is a gorgeous, bucolic 4,000 acre park in southeast Michigan---a true gem amidst so many highways and much urban sprawl. Upon entering the park, I can immediately sense a palpable difference in the air.  People have turned down their car radios. I notice the lack of loud stressing noises like jarring car horns and squealing brakes. It’s a truly wonderful place to get away for a swim, walk, bike ride or, in my case, a run.

I have always thought about running those trails but never made it a priority. I was either caught up in a lack of time and didn’t want to make the drive or I wimped out due to bad weather and stayed indoors with the treadmill. I think I was also intimidated. Perhaps I wasn’t burly enough to be a trail runner. Maybe I was a road running rat and didn’t think I could hang with the Teva-wearing, mud-splattered adventurous set.  The trouble is I wanted to be that adventurous type. Therefore, I made a plan to make it happen. Instead of musing and dreaming, I’d put myself into the picture.

When I arrived at the park, the sun was shining radiantly. I decided on the yellow-marked, 6 mile loop for my pioneering run. Truthfully, the only other times I’d done any type of trail running were on a smaller trail with a buddy to help me find my way. Now I was running solo and that was also part of the excitement. Finally, after all the talk I was where I wanted to be. I doused myself in bug spray and hit the ground running.

I felt wonderful. I had left smog and congestion behind and embraced an agreeable array of sights, the wooden, creaking bridges, the smooth water flowing fluidly under them, the startled chipmunks darting from every pile of mud-soaked leaves. Although, to be fair, this wasn’t entirely a Bambi movie. I confronted numerous obstacles of ruts, rocks, roots, branches, steep sandy down hills and steeper up hills. A lot of hills! And they challenged my legs fiercely. Parts of my run were brutal. I’d find myself gasping for breath as I tried to crest another rise in the path, but beneath the pain, I felt a sublime connection with my surroundings. I was an organic part of the earth.

For this run I decided to leave the iPod behind. I was more cognizant of the impact of my feet beating rhythmically on the path. I had to dig for extra reserves of energy inside myself instead of hoping that the next song would dutifully reinvigorate me. I realized a bit regretfully that running has become another opportunity to be plugged in---to the tv on the treadmill, the iPod around the neighborhood. It was as if I had disconnected from the digital whirlwind of day-to-day electronic overload. Thoreau once said “I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.” I embraced his idea fully as I succumbed to the peace of running on that trail.

One thought that continually captured my attention during that run was the invigorating pride in myself that I could see an accomplishment through. Running six miles is still quite a challenge for me. (It also seems like six on the treadmill is equivalent to ten at the gym.) I’ve been on the road to get to this point for quite a long time. It’s frustrating to stay in on Friday nights to prepare for an early Saturday run. It can be disappointing to skip trivia night with friends because you have to put in more miles. However, when you are training for an event, you realize you will have to make sacrifices. It doesn’t mean changing yourself; rather it’s about enriching yourself and fulfilling your dreams.

Your dream might be to quit smoking, finish another degree, learn to hang glide, play an instrument, etc.  Whatever dream you have, there is more power in trying, taking the small steps in the right direction, tuning in to your inner compass then there is in sitting on the couch and staying stagnant. What matters is continuous improvement---when you rest your head at night, can you think that you made an effort during the day? I felt increasing joy when I finished that run, but I won’t stop there. Life’s too short to stop now when I have so much to give.

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Tags: accomplishment, athletic training, goal setting, goals, running stories, stress relief, trail running

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