Arbitrary? Sure but you have to start somewhere

"Wild Horses I wanna be like you

Throwing caution to the wind

I'll run free too.

Wish I could recklessly love

Like I'm longing to.

I wanna run with the Wild Horses..."

~Natasha Bedingfield

I saw this passage on a friend’s blog and it got me to thinking about my own transformation from what was once a dream to where I am today.

In the beginning, my goals didn’t seem to have substance and didn’t seem to have a clear purpose. I knew I wanted to make a change but felt like I was making my way through the fog one day at a time.


Wilson Creek heading toward the canyon

To be perfectly honest, my goals were all very arbitrary. Lose 15 pounds, lose 25 pounds, etc. In fact, my goal weight was to be in the healthy BMI category for my height. I never thought I would get there but it was a number to aim for.  When I finished training for the Boston marathon, I was in the overweight BMI category at 7% body fat (and in the best shape of my entire life).  BMI is a one size fits all measure that does not take into account frame type or percentage of body weight that is attributable to muscle. The bottom line is, BMI is not always the best way to gauge your progress.
When I started getting in shape, running was impossible for me. Over time, running has become my love and passion. Running was a wonderful way for me to take my arbitrary goals and set them in concrete. When. Where. Why. How long. What do I have to do between now and race day to be prepared?

I have had the privilege of running with great friends in some of the most beautiful country around here. I was also fortunate enough to capture these pictures during a run of a wild mare and her colt in the desert outside of town here in Idaho.

My point is, what seems impossible today is not that far out of reach. Keep working hard and stay committed to your goal.  I like to share with people one simple wish.  My wish is that I would love to be able to package the way I feel both physically and emotionally and give it to people as a gift. So that they would know all the hard times and struggle are worth every ounce of energy you put into improving yourself.

If you ever make it to Idaho, look me up, and we'll go run with the wild horses.☺