Extreme Challenge - 50 Marathons in 50 Days

Video: Dean Karnazes 50-50-50

No, I'm definitely NOT planning to run 50 marathons in 50 days but I am intrigued and filled with the utmost respect and admiration for individuals who dare to attempt such challenges.

Last year, the comedian Eddie Izzard ran 43 in 51 days, raising £200,000 for Sports Relief. His 1,100 mile journey took him around the UK.

And recently I stumbled across a newspaper article about Hugh Williams-Preece who will be attempting to run 50 marathons in 50 days running from Lisbon to London - some 1,300+ miles to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care. His extreme challenge begins on 03 March 2010.

I lost the newspaper but wanting to know more about this challenge I searched the Internet. This led me to Dean Karnazes who took the aforementioned challenge a step further.

Dean Karnazes completed 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 different states and, just to dispel any lingering doubt you may have in your mind, he completed this feat in 50 consecutive days. And he claims to be just an "average guy".

His motivation was to highlight the level of obesity in young people. This is an issue that

"Our mission is really to inspire and motivate kids to get outdoors and become more active."
Dean Karnazes

This is an issue that currently has the attention of the First Lady Michelle Obama as she launches the Let's Move! Campaign.

"...due to rising levels of childhood obesity, our Nation's youngest generation could actually face a shorter expected lifespan than its parents."
First Lady Michelle Obama

However, in completing this ultra endurance feat Dean Karnazes inspired people of all ages to join him in at least a leg of his run and or to set ambitious goals of their own.

It's a funny thing though. On one level you do feel inspired by the Dean Karnazes of this world and, on another level, you can also feel quite the opposite because "average" just doesn't describe such individuals.

So, if like me, you've no intention of running 50 marathons what are some of the lessons you can learn from Dean Karnazes regarding goal setting and goal achievement?

Here are two lessons although there are many more...

1. Build a Clear Vision

Without a clear vision you'll falter at the first hurdle.

As Mattias Schmelz said:

"It is not the wings that will give you the vision. It is your vision that will give you the wings".

In other words your vision should be such that it continues to motivate and inspire you when the going gets tough – and it will. And your vision should be such that it inspires and motivates other to want to support you in achieving your goal.

Dean Karnazes was pleasantly surprised by just how many people turned up to run in some of the marathons he was running to support him by running along with him. In many cases, people came from so far that they had to fly to the event.

And so your vision will help you to build your team. Therefore, it's not sufficient to just have a vision you must be able to clearly articulate it as well.

2. Build Your Team

As Bill Bartmann says:

"Nobody accomplishes BIG by themselves."

So you have to have a team to support you. If you're seeking to achieve something big then there will be lots of components to your goals - lots of moving parts. And you will only be good at handling certain elements. Other elements you'll have to "outsource" or get other people to deal with.

Ideally, the first members of your team will be your family even if all they do is give you moral support - something which should not be overlooked. In Dean Karnazes case, his wife worked tirelessly behind the scenes to organise travel arrangements. Just think of how involving it can sometimes be to organise just one trip. Remember, Dean Karnazes marathon challenge was completed over 50 consecutive days in 50 different states - that takes marathon co-ordination!

Clearly you have to hand-pick your team so that you have individuals 'working' on your behalf that you completely trust so that you're free to focus on other elements of your goal.


100-Day Challenge - Start Fast Finish Strong

The human body is just awesome in what it can achieve. Medical studies had suggested that running long distances might be physiologically damaging and so another of Dean's goals was to disprove this theory and so every day throughout that 50 days his blood was sampled and tested.

When Dean Karnazes started this particular challenge he weighed in at 154lbs. He finished the first marathon in a time of 3 hours 50 minutes and the last in a time of 3 hours and 30 minutes. At the end of the challenge he weighed 153lbs.

Dean Karnazes sure knows how to start fast and finish strong!

And, so if individuals can run 50 marathons in 50 days, what goal can you accomplish in 100 days? What goal will you accomplish in 100 days?

Gary Ryan Blair's 100-Day Challenge is the ideal support system for anyone wanting to achieve something significant but this current program is it's available for just a few days more.

Click the link below for full details:

100-Day Challenge



Finally...

Tomorrow, one of my mentors, Kathleen Gage, will be my guest author with a post titled "You Reap What You Sow When Building A Business".

So please be sure to visit Skyline Coaching Blog tomorrow to read Kathleen Gage's article and also to offer your comments on the subject. Kathleen, herself will be on hand to respond to any comments you make.

The $92k Mission and Your 100-Day Challenge

You often hear that even for what, on the surface, appears to be a negative situation you should look for the positive. You can also look for ways to turn a negative situation into a positive one and this is exactly what Serena Williams is aiming to do.

In 2009, the Grand Slam Committee fined Serena Williams a record $82,500 for her outburst at a US Open line judge. In addition, she was fined $10,000 from the US Tennis Association bringing the total fine to $92,500. So she has set herself a $92k Mission to raise $92k in 92 days.

The money will go towards the work of her foundation - The Serena Williams Foundation - which educates and helps men, women and children so that they have a "fighting chance" to be successful in life. She has already built a secondary school in South Africa and will be opening a second school this spring.

One way in which the funds will be raised is through a series of auctions of sports memorabilia on eBay such as the Air Max trainers worn by Serena Williams during the 2009 Australia Open. I personally think the $92k Mission is a good idea and I'm sure that she will reach her target.

Notice though that I said I thought it was a "good idea". You see, I think that for someone, like Serena Williams, who is well-connected and who has a huge fan base that this goal is far too easy. It's not a stretch for her and I'm sure that there are many individuals who would agree with me. Now if she were planning to raise $92k in 92 hours that would be more interesting.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to belittle what Serena Williams is doing - far from it. As a result of her foundation hundreds of disadvantaged young people will gain a secondary education and that is absolutely fantastic.

But now what of you?

What challenge have you set yourself this year? Think of specific goals in each area of your life and then ask yourself which one would have the greatest impact on your life. That's a great goal to start with.

Your goal should both excite and scare you. Your goal should not be something you know how to accomplish. You'll discover how you can manifest your goal as you progressively work towards it. Your goal should be something that is definitely worthy of you.

You may be thinking though that you've set big goals in the past and haven't achieved them. And, if this is the case, you may be feeling that it's pointless to set another big goal because you'll only be setting yourself up for failure.

I'll let you in on a secret.

No one achieves all their goals.

No one.

True, some people have a better track record for goal achievement than others but even the individuals that you perceive as being very successful have endured a string of failures. These individuals may have chalked up more successes than you and they've probably chalked up more failures than you as well in the process.

In fact, this is part of the secret to their success. They were prepared to fail but when they did so their aim was to do so quickly, learn from the experience and move on. So as you strive towards your goal know that everything you try will not be a success but that if you continue to correct your actions as a result of the feedback you've learnt from your failures, you will eventually be successful.

And it's interesting to note that when you eliminate overall failure as an option that it is then magic starts to happen.

Serena Williams has set herself a 92 day challenge but what if we were to extend that time frame to 100 days?

What challenging goal could you achieve in 100 days?

One thing is certain. Whatever goal you've set yourself, you're not going to be able to achieve it alone. You need a support system.

One of my mentors, Gary Ryan Blair, the author of Everything Counts, has an excellent program called the 100-Day Challenge that will support you step-by-step as you progress towards your goal.

Watch the video below for a brief introduction to the 100-day Challenge and then click the link below for full details and be prepared to make 2010 a truly extraordinary year:

100-Day Challenge

Achieving Success - Build a Clear Vision Vision If You Want to Achieve Your Goals

Achieving success in life should be easy. After all, your brain is perhaps the most advanced goal-seeking device that exists. It's literally hard-wired for success. And therein lies the problem and solution to achieve your goals.

Because your brain is so adept at goal achievement it will seek to achieve any target you set it. Unfortunately, many people are unwittingly pursuing the wrong target or goal and one common instance when this occurs is when you do not have a clear vision of what it is you're trying to achieve.

When you don't have a clear vision of your goal it's like trying to complete a complex jigsaw puzzle without a picture of the end result. Imagine having hundred of puzzle pieces, many of them looking very similar and no reference as to how to assemble these pieces. To make matters worse, the jigsaw puzzle pieces you've been given actually consist of more than one puzzle. How on earth are you going to be able to distinguish the puzzle pieces that are relevant to your particular puzzle?

Well that's the challenge we face in life and as Business Optimization Strategist Stephen Pierce said,

"It's very difficult to understand where a bunch of random elements and chunks of information fit if you don't understand what the big picture looks like."

Because what happens when you set a goal is that the Universe responds and starts to present opportunities, people and resources that will help you to achieve your goal. Some of these may seem very obvious but others may be more subtle and may the last thing you'd expect would actually help you in achieving success. For instance, some of these opportunities will be disguised as frustration, rejection and failure.

Take for example, the former School Teacher turned Internet Marketer Lee McIntyre. Before turning Internet Marketer he said he once applied for a promotion at the school he was teaching and that he believed that he was ideally suited to but he wasn't selected. That really riled him. He quit his job, decided to become self-employed and committed himself to achieving massive success. He wanted to show his former employer the stuff he was truly made of.

He is now a very successful Internet Marketer working from home. He still teaches but now he teaches others how they can make money online and achieve financial independence as he has. Now suppose Lee McIntyre had got that promotion. He would be in a 9-5 job where his salary would basically be capped. As an Internet Marketer Lee McIntyre has refined his way of working so that he can scale what he does and so earn more as and when he chooses to do so. The rejection he received was a blessing rather than a curse.

But here's the thing. If you do not have a clear vision of what your future looks like then the Universe will respond in an equally vague manner. Say you've set a goal regarding the lifestyle you want to live then these are some of the questions you should be able to clearly answer regarding the accomplishment of your goal:

~ How much money will you be earning?
~ How will you earn your money?
~ Where will you be living?
~ What type of home will you be living in?
~ Who will you be living with?
~ How will you spend your leisure time?
~ What Charities will you be supporting?

Knowing the answers to these and other questions that you will come up with pertinent to the goals you're aiming to achieve will really help you to refine your vision as well as help you to identify the people, tools and resources that you will need in order to achieve your goals.

When your vision is really clear then despite the jumble of jigsaw pieces that are presented to you, the pieces that are relevant to you will somehow stand out. If you do not get clear about your vision you'll simply perish and all the while the opportunities you seek to achieve success could be hidden in plain view.

A great way for you to really focus on what you want, clarify your vision and accelerate your path to success is with a challenge. And the 100-Day Challenge is just perfect for this. Once you register you'll receive tools and cool resources to help you set the goal(s) you want to achieve and help you to crystallize your vision. Then everyday, for 100 days, you'll receive follow-up support, coaching plus other tools and resources so that you not only accomplish your goals but you'll accomplish them in style!

Visit the URL below for a FREE Report and full details about the 100-Day Challenge and how you how you can join thousands of others (19,000 individuals took part last year) for this life-changing event:

http://www.100-day-challenge.com/