“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.” ― Seneca
Why do you do these crazy things, Martin?
I get asked this all of the time. My friends don’t get why I’m always up to something. I’m always trying something new, pushing myself, or just getting myself into trouble.
What are the challenges?
Let’s look over the challenges that I’ve thrown down in here…
No booze for a month — This is the toughest one for most! You can’t have a sip of alcohol for a whole month. Not even one sip. Can you go one full month without a drink?
My half-marathon with no training — Yes, a half-marathon. Yes, no training. Why? Because I attempted to train but I would give up after a few laps. I didn’t run the 21k until the actual day of. I don’t know how I survived, but I did. I guess the motivation was the fact that the finish line was by the hospital that my brother was staying at after open-heart surgery.
*Note: You don’t have to do the half-marathon without training. You should probably train for it.
Eat like a vegan for a week — Goodbye, chicken. I didn’t do too well with this one. It was still interesting to not eat any meat for a full week. I don’t know how I did it.
21 days for a flat belly — All about losing that flab! Nothing too fancy here to be honest. Just a three week challenge to push yourself to extremes.
Track spending on food for a month — This wasn’t pretty. I didn’t enjoy this one. Seeing where you spend all of your money is rather eye-opening.
Boost your testosterone to feel like The Incredible Hulk — Important for all guys. This is my ongoing experiment to feel like a man. This is a lot of fun because you feel like the Incredible Hulk after a few weeks.
Have more energy than ever before — Are you tired of being tired? Do you want more energy? This is the experiment for you. I want you to have more energy.
What’s the point of these challenges?
Challenges give you focus.
What are you working on? Do you have anything coming up? What excites you?
Every challenge has given me focus and forced me to get things done.
Life gets boring.
It really does. There’s only so many times you can get wasted with the same people and talk about the same stuff. You need to do something exciting. There’s no better feeling of being alive than the last stretch of a race!
You have to build your confidence.
How confident are you?
You’re likely thinking that you don’t need to boost confidence. Well, we all do!
Physical challenges boost your confidence and help you feel like you fit in.
It forces me to get out there.
I won’t lie, I can get pretty boring and stuck in routines. Signing up for random runs has forced me to get into the habit of waking up early, doing something different, and meeting people I would have never ever run into.
Some examples:
- Two cute girls who always run in the mornings and don’t go out.
- A senior gentleman who has been running for multiple decades.
- The family man that was risking divorce by signing up for a 10k on Mother’s Day.
That’s why I love these challenges!
What if you fail a challenge?
Ugh. This is where I’m at right now.
I’m a fan of radical thinking. I also do realize that all or nothing, or taking risks in general leads to failure.
What do you do? What happens?
I always refer back to this quote (I’m a sucker for quotes):
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill
That quote and some sleep should do the trick.
What challenge will you pick?
Try one of these challenges. This isn’t a suggestion. I’m pushing you outside of your lame comfort zone.
Choose a challenge. See it through. Share your results.
“If you set your goals ridiculously high and it’s a failure, you will fail above everyone else’s success.” — James Cameron
Holy crap I can’t believe you just went out and ran a 1/2 marathon without training. I’ve been “training” for 14 weeks and still feel unsure if I can run the whole time. I like the idea of challenges too. It’s good to get out of your comfort zone and stretch yourself a bit.
Hey Tonya! Thanks for the visit. And to be honest, it was a horrible idea. I need to train like mad for the next run. I was out of commission for a few days after the fun.
All I suggest is proper rest and eating before the event. Lots of water during, some crazy tunes, and the support of the crowd. I couldn’t stop with all of those people cheering me on.