Roger Bannister was the first athlete to ever run a mile under 4 minutes. This was a feat that nobody in modern history had been able to achieve and many believed was impossible. However, the doctor in training was able to accomplish this with very minimal training and ran a mile in 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds on May 6, 1954. To me, one of the most amazing facts is that just 46 days after Roger Bannister broke the 4 minute mile marker his record was broken, and since then more than 1,500 people have achieved that mark. All that it took for many to achieve this "impossible" feat was for one person to believe they could and to break through that glass ceiling.
As I approach my 40th (I KNOW!!!) Birthday, I have hit a bit of a stalemate within my exercise routine and realized I needed something to motivate me and break through to a new level of fitness. Now you may be asking if I truly think I can achieve a new level of fitness at 40, and my answer is, YES! The challenge: to do more pull-ups than I ever have done even in my athletic days as a wrestler. I have never been able to perform more than 30 pull-ups...I have done about 27 or so, but 40 pull-ups (in a row) by the time I turn 40. (Sounds crazy...I know!) I have never tried to achieve a goal like this and never have trained to do anything like it.
My business partner and friend, Karla Mazza, heard about my birthday goal and was inspired to do one for her upcoming birthday in May. Her goal was to go out of her comfort zone and complete a 5K race. (She avidly avoids races. As a retired college athlete, running was viewed as competition for training - not for health. So I'm excited to see her break through her comfort zone and run the race! Now, your goal may not be to do a bunch of pull-ups or to run a 4-minute mile, but the idea is simply to push yourself physically this year beyond where you currently start. It might be getting back to a regular walking routine with a friend or have enough strength to pick up or play with your kids or grandchildren. My challenge to you is to come up with something physically and set a goal to accomplish it. We will keep you up to date on my progress and I hope to hear from a few of you on the goal you set for yourself this summer!
