Are you due a challenge?
That is a very serious question and for a good reason. Sometimes when we choose a big goal, involve other people, or do something for charity it can have an incredible impact on our willingness to show up and see it through. Be honest, if your goal is improved health and by going this route you achieved that goal, made some new friends and raised money for a great course then surely that is a powerful win!
Just a few ideas to get you started and obviously related to your current level and fitness goals
5k
10k
Half marathon
Marathon
Ultra of some sort
Bike ride
Indoor row
Swimming
Bodyweight exercises in time, or for numbers
Obstacles and assault courses
Mud races
Relay event
Charity boxing
Athletics competition
Walk in a day
For fun, I did the following and mostly with no real training for any of them. In fact, the marathon was done offroad and with a previous 12-month distance of 5k as I was a sprinter
Offroad marathon 110 floors of elevation in the forest – 5.5 hours
Europe’s toughest mudder – 3 am, falling down, in a half wetsuit and with a chest infection I did 2 laps of 5 miles each
Spartan super race – my favourite
100000 steps in 24 hours – done in 19.5 hours and with some sore feet
London to Brighton bike ride – great fun
1 million KG in 24 hours for Great Ormond Street. A team of us lifted and lifted some more and done this in 19 hours straight through
You do not have to go to this extreme, but there is something about setting a big challenge, doing the work and then completing it. It really does teach you a lot about yourself and you grow an incredible amount as a function of seeing this through.
So set yourself a challenge, do it with friends, or even do it for charity
There is no better way to start your journey and make yourself accountable by tying completion to something much bigger
If you are new to fitness then I would certainly avoid a marathon. However, a 5k in a few months would be a great achievement. No time goal, just finishing it. Then you can get your time and if you want to continue then a program that will improve you and decrease your time as you get fitter and stronger as a runner
If you are already in pretty good shape then I have found it very rewarding to test that engine at some point. Almost primordial, there is something to knowing you are truly alive and doing something that you would have put as being completely beyond you. The person you become through these challenges is powerful as you learn about yourself, grow, face problems, adapt, dare I say manage injuries and arm yourself with some amazing stories for the grandchildren.
How does it work?
You can either pick something random right now, or you can note down a few things you are interested in, do your research in terms of –
Dates
Time
Cost
Location
Equipment
Training
Then go to the ones that pulls you in and begin
The great thing about tying it to a charity is not just the giving back to a great cause, but the fact that once it is out there and people have given you money – you deliver
When I did Europe’s toughest mudder I was literally the only person at that start line who should have been at home in bed as I had a serious chest infection and felt like death. People had sponsored me and so I honoured them and their commitment and showed up. I realised just how close I was to probably dying when I stopped near the end of lap 2, walked back to the tent and was shaking so violently that it took me 20 minutes to get changed.
I am still here and I have memories and stories, but do not use me as the example, or motivation and look after yourselves
