“What’s Your Why?” One of the most important questions you can ask yourself when you embark on any journey. It could be for a fitness goal, to join an amazing community, to learn about yourself and your body, or to be a part of something bigger than yourself. Regardless of what that “why” is, the key is to never lose sight of it, no matter what your journey may bring. And boy has 2020 been a rocky journey!
Despite the rash of race cancellations and growing sense of uncertainty in our daily lives, this group has remained resilient, and as committed as ever. Why? What drives us to set that 5 am alarm for that early morning workout, to do all the miles, to nerd out about the latest gadgets and minute training details? We all have different stories that brought us to and keep us engaged in endurance sport, and we want to hear them! This month we challenge you to eliminate distractions and focus on YOU. Take some time to dig deep, reflect, and dial back into why you jumped on this crazy-train in the first place.
Here are some prompts to get you started: Why do you train? Why do you race? What or who is your source of inspiration, motivation? What is your testimony — from introduction to endurance sports until now? Why do you stick with it? What anchors your training and motivation when times get tough?
The Rules
- Take some time to reflect, think it over. Journal over a cup of coffee. Discuss with your quarantine-mates. Maybe you have a couple of surface level “why’s”… is there a bigger picture? A good rule of thumb is to start with those simpler answers and then dig deeper. Note the first answer that comes to mind, then ask yourself “why?” once again. Repeat this a handful of times, it gets hard!
- Tell us your why. Give us a write up of your “why.” We’re looking for at least 100-200 words describing why you do whatever your discipline is: running, cycling, swimming, hiking, yoga, etc. Ultimately, this is completely what you make it, write as little or as much as you like! Submit your write up via the form below and attach any pictures of you in action or that help capture your “why”. Optional: Share your story in our Facebook group, too!
- Be your teammate’s buddy. Some of us have “wow” stories and some of us just workout because we like to eat recovery scones or the post-race feast. This challenge may hit some personal and vulnerable places. Share as you are comfortable and be a teammate to your teammates!
Winner by random draw. From the athletes that submit their “Why” using the form below, we’ll randomly draw one winner for a NEMS prize pack.
What’s Your Why Entry
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