Family, Inspiration & Motivation, Running & Fitness

My New Mantra

Matt Orlando
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Being that this is my first post on this site, I suppose it only right and fair that I share a little bit about myself and why I decided to start this blog.  So, here it goes.

I’m 32 years old (wow it hurts to say that), and since high school I’ve considered myself a runner.  I ran track (800M and 1600M) and cross-country, a “three-letter” athlete if you will.  I was a decent competitor…2:07 in the 800, 4:57 in the 1600, 17:59 5K (on state course).  Nothing scholarship worthy, but not too shabby either.  After high school I continued to run, though not with much direction.  It wasn’t until 2007 when a friend of mine suggested we run a 1/2 marathon did my training take on any kind of real form.  Since then I’ve run several halves (1:50:27 PR), one full, and been involved with Team in Training.  My last “real” run took place last September at the Philadelphia Rock ‘N Roll Half Marathon.  Then I got lazy…then I put on some weight…and stayed lazy…and the weight hung around.

Here I am, one year later, 10 lbs heavier (ok maybe 12-13 lbs) and way out of shape, wondering what happened to my drive and passion for running.  So  this past Saturday, out of nowhere I decided I was going for a run.  I strapped on my shoes and my Garmin, and headed out the door.  20 minutes, I told myself.  That’s doable.  So I ran.

As with any run my mind started to wander…I started to think about how I had lost that drive to run, and what I needed to do to get it back.  I needed a slogan…no, not a slogan…a mantra.  Something I could really stand behind and call upon when I didn’t feel like running…when I’d rather stay in bed, rather watch TV, rather just do anything but lace up and go.  It took some tweaking, but I finally came up with it:

Find the Reason. Find the Courage. Find the Strength.

In that mantra, I find everything I need to get out there and make myself stay committed to running and everything I set my mind to.  Each day I need to find the reason, find the courage, and find the strength.  Not to mention it’s got a nice cadence to it (try it out in your head, you’ll like it).

In future posts I’ll go into more details about the mantra, and provide hopefully funny stories about parenthood and running and life in general.  It’s good to share so that you know, that yes, other people’s kids projectile poop too (more on that later)!

Let’s Hear It:

What’s your mantra, whether it be for running or just getting through the day? Leave some love (or hate) in the comments below and be sure to share!