Last year, around this time, I did a four part series about how I was going to lose weight, run more, read more books and finish off my basement in 2011. Well, newsflash, I didn’t do so well. I did end 2011 with a net loss of about 20lbs which, overall, is nothing to sneeze at. The fact that a majority of that weight was lost between Thanksgiving and New Years is neither here nor there… But, I didn’t run any races, I got absolutely nothing done on my basement (unless you count acquiring more junk work) and didn’t come close to reading 20 books (I’d ballpark it around 12-15, which isn’t terrible).
What I did do in 2011 was learn about myself and figured out what makes me tick. Self-awareness? Maybe. What it all basically boiled down to is this: if I don’t have a payoff at the end, I’m not going to do anything. I need a goal. For instance, remember how I said I lost about 20lbs between Thanksgiving and New Years? Well, I had a goal in mind. Sometime in the fall of 2011, a few friends and I decided we were going to head out to Colorado to snowboard with my brother who lives at Snowmass. I’m losing weight only because I want to be in good cardio shape for backcountry hiking. The weight loss is actually a secondary byproduct of building up my cardio base. It has nothing to do with looking good with my shirt off or getting in better health.
But, see, there’s a payoff there. If I get into good shape – or at least good cardio shape – I’ll be able to hike into the backcountry and ride some terrain that just doesn’t exist on the East Coast. I’m not losing weight just to lose weight. That’s boring and mundane and has no end purpose to me (health reasons not withstanding).
So, what are my payoff events this year? I have two:
Event #1: Hike the Long Island Greenbelt Trail
The Long Island Greenbelt Trail is a 32-mile trail that runs from Sunken Meadow State Park on the north shore of Long Island to Heckscher State Park on the south shore. There is nothing particularly challenging about this trail other than its length. Even the length is not too daunting espeically when you consider I’ll most likely hike this trail over two (not necessarily consecutive) days. The goal here is to actually do the hike. On Long Island, this is the hike to do, although the Pine Barrens Trail (a 47-mile beast opened in 1994) is quickly gaining ground in that regard. The LIGB proves more of a milestone for me in terms of physical ability and goal setting. If I can conquer this trail, I can conquer anything I put my mind to. It’s a stepping stone of sorts into bigger and better challenges.
Event #2: Summit Mount Washington
Summiting Mount Washington, on the other hand, is no small feat. Starting at an elevation of roughly 2,200′, the climb forces you to gain roughly 4,000′ of altitude in only a 4-5 miles hike. While this kind of hike is nothing for our friends in the Rockies and western US, it’s a pretty steep challenge for the relatively sea-level dwelling folks in the Northeast. Mount Washington is also located at the confluence of three major storm tracks. And, being the highest point in New England, it takes the brunt of most storms. It did not earn the title of “Home of the World’s Worst Weather” for nothing. A hike of this kind throws all kinds of variables at you and is one of those things that has always been on my “To Do” list. By hiking Mount Washington, you have proven that you are in good shape and out of the ‘ordinary’ range for your accomplishments.
So, these are my payoff events for the year. There’s nothing outrageous or incredible about them. They both involve crossing items off my “To Do” list and they will both involve training, patience and diligence in order for me to become successful. Will I feel a sense of failure if I do not achieve either or both goals? No, not at all. As long as I put in the work ahead of time, I will feel my efforts and time were spent productively in pursuit of these goals. And if I don’t reach them this year, I’ll reach them next year.
If you have any tips or bits of wisdom on how to accomplish these payoff events, please feel free to leave them in the comments.
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[…] the lake it encompasses. Oh, and part of this trail is on the Greenbelt Trail to boot (it’s one of my 2012 Goals if you […]