Keeping the Lights On: The Power of Setting Goals
When I was a little girl growing up on in Minnesota, I would often walk the country road along our farm toward the setting sun. I believed that if I walked long enough, I would be able to reach the end and catch it. This place reminds me of that. The Cinder Pit. It is the farthest place one can ski to in Virginia Meissner Snow-Park and when I get here, I feel that I have reached the end of the road.
I invite you along with me today as this end of the trail marks the completion of my 200th mile skate ski challenge https://youtu.be/SFy8TE3X_Tg. Originally, I had to set to do this by the end of 2023, but as I made consistent progress, I realized I could actually finish it by the end of the season. While 200 miles of is not a lot for many, need I say there are tremendous athletes here in Bend, Oregon. It is a lot for me, especially considering I work very long days and am only able to ski on the weekends.
I am a firm believer in setting goals. It is something I used to do with my student and that I do a lot of with my patients. I also firmly believe that if I am going to talk the talk, I need to walk the walk.
The original reason I set this goal is because I wanted to get better at skate skiing. If any of you have tried this sport, you know it is very difficult. The technique itself is challenging and it is probably the most physically demanding of any sport I have done. I started in 2007 and back then I was a young triathlete and immediately signed up for the famous 51 KM Birkebeiner in Hayward, Wisconsin. I did not even really know how to ski then but was able to finish it with my strong level of fitness.
But I am not that age anymore nor do I have the fitness ability, but I have the belief I can still become better and faster. I remember watching 70+ year old athletes on the hills with me in Wisconsin passing me up hills. They made it look effortless as they glided up the hills like graceful deer. I was perplexed, but I remember thinking I wanted to be like that when I got older, too. And now I understand their secret. It is consistent training and impeccable skill. I realized the only way I could be good like these ageless warriors was to put in the time and I felt distance was a measurable goal.
And once I have a concrete goal with a deadline, it is difficult to ignore. I went out diligently, every opportunity I had. Some days it was snowing, sleeting, raining, windy, cold, cloudy or all of the above, and I did not want to go, but I did it anyway, plugging away. As I watched my mileage, I felt encouraged to do more. I calculated what I would need to achieve every week in order to finish my goal by the end of the season and realized was possible. I kept increasing my distance each time. I also did a couple skate ski races to help me get stronger and faster. And here today on April 3, 2023, I celebrate as I clocked my 200th mile.
And any of you that have achieved a goal, it is necessary to bask in the glory and reflect on the journey and I do so today. Though I am still not at the level of many skiers I see out here every weekend, I have grown by leaps and bounds. And I realize all of the other achievements which resulted as a byproduct of putting in the work
1. I got faster.
This happened slowly. Often when I went out I felt slow and sometimes was much slower. I had Covid in December which hit me hard and for a long time to recover. It forced me to slow down. I am also getting older and I was unsure if I could get much faster. But, I did.
As I progressed, especially last month, I watched my times get faster and faster. In fact, last week I recorded my fastest time. It has long been my goal to break eight-minute miles at a longer distance and I did so last week on this ten-mile distance and the conditions were tough.
2. I can climb better.
In the 7 years I have lived here, I have never been able to ski this distance without stopping along the big hills to catch my breath. Sometimes I feel I am going to have a heart attack and keel over. These trails sit an elevation of over 6,500 feet and I usually climb over 1,000 feet. This trail to the Cinder Pit has the longest climb and on my return there is an approximate 2-mile hill. In the seven years I have lived here, I have never been able to climb it stopping, nor complete an entire long distance without stopping. But, every time I went out, I pushed myself a little further. And last week, I finally did it, I climbed all of 2 miles without stopping. In fact, I completed the entire 10 miles without stopping.
3. My technique improved.
This was a main goal I have had since 2007. I took a few lessons over the years and each time I went out, I focused on the tips I had learned. It did not happen immediately but the more I practiced what I was taught, the more I felt my glide lengthen and become more fluid.
I noticed that I am much more proficient in all of the skate techniques, V1, V2 and V2 alternate, and can utilize them appropriately and transition from one to the other without pause.
4. I am more fit.
I ate better and dropped about 5 pounds. I realized I was fitter when I saw how it transferred to my other fitness hobbies. I could balance more easily at yoga. My feet used to tire and my ankles felt weak as I shook to become steady in balance poses, especially on my left side. Now I feel I can stand infinitely without wobble on both legs.
And last week, when I rode my gravel bike for the first time I found I could climb the hills with much less effort than last year.
5. It helped me deal with emotional pain.
If you are paying attention, there is tremendous suffering in the world right now. Our planet is dying. Gun violence is out of control. Our economy is in peril. We are politically divided on anything and everything. All while we are trying to emerge and re-establish a new normal after a 3-year global pandemic. Is it any wonder mental health issues is at an all-time high and suicide rates are skyrocketing?
And in the midst of this darkness and the physical darkness of January, I experienced a grave personal tragedy. It knocked me down, and I hit an all-time low. I was spiraling, I realized I needed to do something to climb out of it. As a medical practitioner, a healer, as a previous teacher, I must be a light for others.
First, I did what my dad taught me in his Buddhist teachings. I embraced the pain and allowed myself to feel it fully. Second, I realized I need to cut as much negativity out of my life – people, situations, habits and surround myself with positive. And finally, I needed to focus heavily on my physical health. This ski challenge helped immensely.
When suffering from emotional pain or grief, I find the best thing one can do is physical activity. When you push yourself and feel that physical pain that comes with heavy exertion, you can dig deeper and take that pain from your heart and your head and transform it into power. And that’s what I did every time I came out to ski. When lactic acid built up in my legs, I imagined the oxygen in my blood, the glucose in my blood and forced it into my tissues and I pushed through the pain. And when I did that, I was able to release some of the emotional turmoil I was feeling. It was empowering and it made me stronger and helped me get through.
There is so much negative chatter in the world, and it can make it hard to stay up and focus. We are all a light. The importance is realizing it and making sure we keep our lights on and do so in a healthy way.
Thank you for reading. If you have tips for how you set and achieve goals, please share. I have more stories to come from my own patients who will be sharing their personal health goals and journeys. And until next time, keep your light on!