So you started something. You embarked on an adventure. You began a story. You started out doing the impossible. Something you believed in. Something you thought was a great idea. So you forged ahead. Threw off the excuses and got going. "Surely people will line up to join me!", you thought. So you got started and kept going and kept going, but slowly, as you began your journey, you began to look around and the followers you thought would come, ...
Literally Impossible
I was talking with Johnny at Starbucks after we finished the Sylvania triathlon together this past weekend. We went back and forth about the race and blogging until he paused at one point and said, "You know Joel, I should point out, the things you do aren't literally impossible things - they're more like unlikely things. The fact that they've been done before actually proves they're possible." I get this all the time from readers, friends and anyone who ...
Always Be Better
I ran my second triathlon of the season this past weekend. This course was the Valpo Triathlon, the same course where I did my very first triathlon last year. When I ran this race last year, I never really conceptualized all the things I would go on to do. Another sprint tri, an olympic triathlon, a half marathon, a full marathon. When did these things happen? Sure I had written them down on a piece of paper and posted them online, but that's just words ...
A Glutton For Punishment: The Need For Pain
I’ve been in a lot of pain this week. A lot. Running a marathon has literally been the most painful thing I’ve had to do in my entire life. Not only was I hurting immediately after the marathon, but this whole week has been a blend of slow movements, ice baths and newly invented swear words muffled under my breath. My penguin walk upgraded to a hobble and is now a slight limp [Go healing!), but my ankle is still problematic and hurts as I walk so I’m going ...
How To Run A Marathon Barefoot (And Not Die)
Running a Marathon – Not Impossible It’s been almost 6 months since my last official race. That's a long layover between athletic competitions for me, but that’s what happens in the Midwest. It gets cold, snowy and you don’t want to step foot outside, much less run in it. Anyways, a few months back after being cooped up all winter, I decided I was going to run a marathon. The weather started to warm up and I’ve been training quietly for a marathon for ...
The Renaissance Man’s Guide To Maintaining Momentum While Doing Everything Pt. 2
This is the second of 3 posts on The Renaissance Man’s Guide To Maintaining Momentum While Doing Everything. You can read part 1 here. Making The Shift Ah, implementation, always the hardest part. Let's jump right in. Remember from last time that shifting tasks is like shifting gears in a manual car. Once you got it, it’s no problem, you keep your momentum and you can go even faster. But, if you screw it up, you’ll jack up your gearshift, make a lot ...
Video Update: Just Because You Haven’t…
I was up early this morning and had a few things on my mind I wanted to share, so I shot this video: [If you're reading this in email, click here to watch the video.] Here are some highlights for you - :08 - Big Race Coming Up :30 - My annoying mental pattern 1:06 - The difference between the Impossible and the "not done yet" 1:40 - Why worry isn't worth it 3:06 - Jump in. The main thought I really want you to take away is: Just because you ...
25 Quotes To Inspire You To Do The Impossible
"It always seems impossible until it's done." - Nelson Mandela "To believe a thing impossible is to make it so." - French Proverb "Never tell a young person that anything cannot be done. God may have been waiting centuries for someone ignorant enough of the impossible to do that very thing." - G. M. Trevelyan "So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable." - ...