Monday, July 14, 2014

So you want to start?

Never let the fear of sticking out keep you from playing the game. Babe Ruth
Is crazy the amount of emails I receive lately about how to start, either a fitness program or start fundraising for organizations using races as a vehicle. My response is you just to do it, there is usually no magic formula. Most people just started to hear about me but I been doing races for almost 9 years, I just started with 1/2 marathons, marathons and ultras close to my house, I didn't care, i just entered anything that was available to me, my fundrasing goal was simple,just emailed a few of my friends to pledge me to the cnib, it all just took off from there. the reason why i have been so successful is due to passion, from the beginning, there was no doubt i loved what i was doing. I had many setbacks and things didn't go to plan always, even at those moments I refused to quit. I view set back as opportunities to adjust my strategy and to keep ego in check. Humility is very important when doing difficult races or advocating for a cause. Humility makes you work hard, you don't take things for granted and you take responsibility fully. Just remember Lance Armstrong, while the work he did is of great value, his ego is what drove him to take the lies to such extremes, he put his ego ahead of his principles, and the problems was that he had to continue the lies to keep protecting his ego. Things would have been so different if he had admitted to cheating, gotten 6 months as penalty and returned to competing, the crazies thing is that we all would have forgive him because of the important work he was doing, but his ego wanted more, wanted the absolute adoration, he wanted the seven wins, the fairy tale. While I been blessed with amazing opportunities, my views of success have not changed, I wouldn't have been called myself a failure when i only raised 200 dollars and did a half marathon, success is waking up with a purpose, working hard and following through. Winning races and fundrasing millions while cheating is not success. We all know what we need to do, is our ego that is keeping us form achieving it, " what if I only run one block?" " what if nobody pledges me?" I advise you to just go for it, walk for 30 minutes if you must first, ask your family to sponsor you at a race even if you only collect 50 dollars is a lot more than if you didn't try, don't let your ego dictate success. Passion cant be stopped or ignored, just go out there and shine and the rest will follow.
No dejes que el miedo de quedar eliminado en el juego te detenga a jugar. Babe Ruth
he recibido muchisimos correos preguntando me como comenzar, a veces me preguntan de comenzar a correr u otras veces de como recaudar dinero para alguna causa utilizando carreras. Mi respuesta es siempre la misma, que es lo que te detiene? solo se necesita la voluntad, es todo. Lo que no sabe muchas personas es que ya tengo 9 años compitiendo y recaudando fondos. Empeze con carreras de corta distancia cerca de mi ciudad y recaudando donaciones entre mis amigos, es porque he llegado tan legos es solo porque desde el principio le puse toda mi dedicacion y lo hice con mucha pasion, para mi no importaba si solo eran 200 dollares o que habia recaudado. Tampoco me rendi al primer obstaculo o cuando falle en mi objetivo, aunque no me gusta perder eso es muy bueno para mantener el ego en linea. La humildad es muy valiosa cuando= estas realizando hazañas dificiles o cuando estas trabajando para una cause, solo necesitas a Lance Armstrong para darte cuanta que dejar que el ego guie nuestras decisiones no es bueno. Si el desde el principio hubiera reconozido que habia echo trampa solo hubiera sido penalizado por 6 meses, con el trabajo tan importante que ya estaba realizando para el Cancer nadie se hubiera sentido defraudado, pero el ego lo llevo a tomar decisiones extremas y tuvo que continuar con las mentiras para seguir protejiendo a el ego. Es una bendicion que mi trabajo en la comunidad y mi pasion por el deporte extremos haya llegado tan lejos pero no lo llamaria mas exitoso, para mi el solo echo de levantarme por las mañanas con un proposito, preseguir mi sueños hasta el final sin jamas rendirme eso es exito, el ganar y llegar lejos haciendo trampa y minitiendo no es exito. Todos sabemos lo que tenemos que hacer para alcanzar nuestros objetivos, pero el ego nos paraliza, " que tal si solo corro por 10 minutos y no puedo mas?" " Y si nadie me dona dinero cuando corra la carrera?" Asi que mi consejo es el mismo, empieza que nada te detenga, si al principio solo puedes caminar por 30 minutos eso es mejor que el estar sentado por horas, y si solo recaudas 50 dolares para tu causa eso es mejor que si no hicieras el esfuerzo. No dejes que tu ego dirija tus acciones. la pasion es contagiable y no se puede detener o ignorar, solo empieza a perseguir tus sueños y lo demas te llegara a tu vida porque tus acciones positivas van a traer resultados positivos.