Today's Moorestown 8k Run & What It Means To Me

Today, I ran in the Scott Coffee 8k race in Moorestown. Making the race more special was the fact that I was joined by some of my clients, who have been working tremendously hard to be physically fit enough to run in the race. For reasons I'll soon get into with greater detail later, running a race is deeper for most than it sounds. For some it is a metaphor for life, for others a challenge, and yet for others a source of motivation.

We all workout for different reasons. There is something different within each one of us that drives us. We are more unique that simply working out "to lose weight" or "gain muscle". As specific as our individual personalities are, the same can be said for the reasons we each choose to better ourselves through taking care of our bodies.

Regardless of your specific reasons for working out, one thing I can tell you from years of experience is to never, ever underestimate the power of a group. Whether it is a boot camp class, a boot camp class running an 8k together, or the roughly 1,200 people than ran today's race, inspiration comes from others. Collaboration allows us to achieve more than we thought possible in many facets of life.

Make no mistake, our group of runners today (myself included) aren't exactly experienced long distance runners. We weren't a group that had been here before, and that made it even more fun. With challenge and adversity, comes the ability to grow.

Today's race was very important to me both professionally and personally, and I would like to share the backgrounds of a few people that make this race important to me.

My Clients

Truly successful Personal Trainers choose this career path to help others-- to put the needs of others at the top of our list. We take great pride in sharing our knowledge and experience with our clients and making a dramatic difference in their lives.

There is no greater feeling as a Trainer than watching one of your clients succeed in whatever their specific goal is. It's a long and meaningful journey for two parties that impacts and changes each of our lives in a significantly positive and lasting way. And because each client is different, and each set of goals is different, each story is different and rewarding in its own way as well.

Let me share a quick background on each of those who joined me for today's race:

• One short year ago, "AP" joined us at my camp. The thought of jogging on a short path for 5 minutes was admittedly intimidating at that time for her. Not to mention a tremendous physical battle. After a short time, AP actually started to enjoy running. She didn't cave into the newness, fear, shortness of breath, or the abnormally hot summer weather. AP has a refreshingly positive attitude towards working out. Early on, she knew she would perform an exercise incorrectly, but it never stopped her from trying and learning the correct form. It would be easy to use the metaphor with AP that she is someone that could fall and would get right back up-- but with her, it's actually a true running story! I remember the day AP ran a mile for the first time, I also remember when she ran 2 (and then 3) miles for the first time. Why do I remember these specific events when I wasn't even there, yet I don't know where my keys are half the time? Because of the joy she took in telling me how she accomplished each of these goals. Last week, with our race 1 short week away, AP took a major step forward and ran 5 miles for the first time. Today was the 2nd time she ran 5 miles-- and definitely won't be the last. What did AP teach me today? That with hard work, you can accomplish anything you want to, no matter how tall the task may initially seem. It may not happen instantly, but with consistent effort, it will happen.
  

• Most people wouldn't dare dream about running in a 5 mile race if they had never run more than 3 miles before. Then again, most people aren't the competitor that SP is. No challenge is ever too hard, no task ever too daunting for her. The only time you ever hear a complaint? When an exercise is too easy. For nearly 1.5 years now, SP has been a model of consistency and hard work. Leaving camp on time never happens-- there's always extra work. What happens when someone works out at a high level on a consistent basis and makes time for extra work? They become an example for those around them-- and what is what SP is. This is why there was no doubt in my mind that despite having never run 5 miles, that she would not only finish today, but would finish with a great time and without stopping. What did SP teach me today? The mind is stronger than the body. If you truly believe in something, not just think it, you can achieve it.

• I have seen very, very few people work as hard as EM. He is the rare person that isn't satisfied with simply performing the task at hand-- it must be performed until exhaustion, each and every time. And the next time? It must be heavier, the form must be perfect, and the muscles and body must still be worked until exhaustion. He understands each workout has a purpose and each exercise within that workout has a purpose, and gives 110% effort every minute of every workout. What happens when the workout is over? That is when the insanely hard work comes out. I've created dozens of seemingly impossible exercise combinations simply because when the workout is over, EM puts in his overtime by performing the hardest tasks we can think of. He ran 5 miles for the first time 2 weeks ago, and just like the others put in a tremendous amount of hard work to get that far. Today he turned in an absolutely fantastic time. What did EM teach me today? When a task reaches its most difficult point, it is simply is asking for you to work your hardest in order to achieve it.

• KP wasn't able to attend today, but this wouldn't be complete without mentioning our spiritual leader. For those that know KP, you know he doesn't have to be "there" to still be provide motivation. So who else would I turn to in the middle of the race, and text message? When in need of a motivational laugh, no one is better. We're all looking forward to the next one, so you can be there. After all, it was your idea!
  

Myself

Distance running has never been a strong point of mine. Despite being a "gym rat" and Personal Trainer, it wasn't until recently that I took an interest in distance running. We are only as strong as our weakest link, so when the opportunity to run in today's race was mentioned, I took it as a personal challenge. Let's just say that over the past few months, I've learned the difference between "jogging" and "running" long distances. So for the kid who had nightmares about the first day of running at baseball practice throughout high school and college, today was a personal victory. One that I couldn't have been happier to share with others.

The Future

It wasn't even 2 minutes after the race, when someone (I believe SP) mentioned "the next one". No one disagreed. The only difference moving forward? I hope and expect for each race to bring a larger crowd of us. Whether you're a boot camp member, personal training client, or simply someone who enjoys this blog-- you are invited to accept a new challenge in your life.

For those that ran today, I know complacency will not be an issue. As hard as you worked to reach today's goal, this was just one step in the journey. There will always be longer courses or faster times to work for.

For those who weren't able to join us today-- talk to me about how to get yourself ready for the next run so that you can be a part of the fun. We'll be starting a run at the studio every once in a while that is open to all levels of runners. It will be in addition to class, and of course free of charge.

One last thing....as hard as it can be to put into words, I'm pretty sure that directly after the race we all felt exactly like this kid in the linked video below. And if anyone actually knows this kid, please tell him I'd love to hire him to be my company's spokesperson!