I made the decision to run the Tough Mudder obstacle course in August this year.  After quickly realizing I had some preparation to do for the 20 obstacles and 18 km run, I began a training regimen.  I’ve found myself falling into the trap of looking for results only after a couple of weeks of training.  After a workout, I often head home to shower and inevitably find myself staring at the mirror looking for bulging biceps and tree-trunk quads.  What am I expecting so early in the process?

It’s so tempting to look for the payoff right away.  Is this our instant gratification culture?  Intellectually, I understand it’s hundreds of hours of training, days of recoup, eating well, sleeping well, doing the things we all know need to be done to bring the outward signs of progress.  But I can’t help stopping to check along the way.

Malcolm Gladwell is quoted as saying, “Success is a function of persistence and doggedness and the willingness to work hard for twenty-two minutes to make sense of something that most people would give up on after thirty seconds.”  What is it that drives us to keep trudging though the swamp until firmer ground is reached on the other side?  Does it help to enjoy the process?  Is it pure grit?  Do you need a why?

Perhaps I’ll have an answer in August.