“When it comes to big goals, ask yourself: What can I do to win today?”

Week 10, my first week of mileage. I was anxious, but also excited, to run again after months of cross training. My body felt stronger and the niggles were mostly gone. The first week went well. I got in four days of running and two days of cross training. The second week, I followed the same routine, but did two run sessions on the uphill treadmill to take some load off of my legs. 

My knee/adductor flared up a bit after my bike session at the end of week two. Cycling is what caused my knee issues a few months ago, so I’ll either pull back on the intensity in future sessions or choose a different type of cross training. The third week, I did a longer run and really felt my Achilles in both legs. Wondering if the two longer uphill treadmill sessions from the week before caused some extra tightness. I also started to feel a bit of discomfort in my left heel after that run, so I decided to cross train the next few days. 

Which brings us to today. Things are feeling better, so I decided to do a treadmill run (it’s currently 2°F outside). It felt great! Well, mostly great. There’s always something for your mind to focus on. I had no pain in my Achilles, which is what I was worried about; just a hot spot under the area of my foot where I had the neuroma.

The steroid injections used to treat my neuroma last year definitely did a number on my foot. They got rid of the pain (on a positive note), but also caused tissue deterioration in the surrounding area (we’ll see how that plays out).

Before today, I was feeling really discouraged. The run today has me feeling slightly less discouraged. After months dedicated to strength training, mobility work, and rehab, my body feels stronger as a whole, yet the weak spots are clearly still weak. Despite the 280 days I have left to train, my goal of 100 miles in October looms large. 

“When it comes to big goals, ask yourself: What can I do to win today?”

I heard this quote on a Modern Wisdom podcast episode during my training session a few days ago. This insight helped remind me that while setting big goals is important to set a trajectory for yourself, it’s not useful to keep them top of mind on your quest to achieve them; doing so only causes unnecessary anxiety. 

What’s most important is to set the lofty goal, and then set smaller, more achievable goals that you can work towards in the short term. This takes your mind off of the big, scary (seemingly impossible) goal, and allows you to focus on the things you can do today, tomorrow, and the next day that will help turn ambition into accomplishment. And, to keep motivation strong and spirits high, continually ask yourself: “What can I do to win today?”

Asking myself this question has helped shift my focus back to my short-term goals of building a strong, resilient body and staying injury-free. These two things are essential for getting to the start line of the 100 mile race, and are my only hope for crossing the finish line in under 24 hours (my moonshot goal). For now, lower mileage weeks and more cross training are what my body needs to continue building strength and warding off injury. 

My run yesterday reminded me that to be able to run pain-free is a gift, and if I keep putting in the work, I’ll get to enjoy that gift more often. It seems this lofty goal of 100 miles is doing its job of keeping me motivated to work on my weaknesses and show up for myself in ways I’ve been unwilling to in the past. As long as I can continue to focus on the small wins, I know I can win big come race day. 

“We all want to see what we are capable of; that is the purpose of the journey, to learn what we are capable of.”

Another useful insight from the Modern Wisdom podcast episode I listened to recently. I’m here for the journey. I’m willing to endure. I’m ready to see what I’m capable of.

Onward and upward, with patience and determination.