I Think I Can . . . I Think I Can

Thomas the Train nailed it when he continuously told himself he could: "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!" There are days I just don't want to get out of bed and prep for a ride. As a runner, I've heard the saying, "The hardest step for a runner is the first step out the door." I like to think the hardest step for a Spinner (as in Spinning, not my last name!) is the first one out of bed. If I can just stop hitting snooze and force my butt to get ready for Spinning class, all is good.

I am a firm believer in "No Excuses." I think we give ourselves too many excuses for different things in life. We learn at a young age that "The dog ate my homework." Then, we hit adolescence and learn that "I don't have time." This excuse we never let go of! Being a certified teacher, with four years of classroom experience, my favorite excuse is "Well, he did it first!" When do we say enough is enough? How far do we let our excuses carry us?

Spinning is constant training. Some of us are training for bike races, foot races, or even triathlons. Really, we're training for life. We want to wake up every day and think, "Damn, I am a champ!" Muhammad Ali said it best, "I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit, suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'"

How do we find the motivation to keep going? How do we release ourselves from the countless excuses we make? Remember the greats, Thomas the Train (I know some of you will argue that Thomas is not a great. However, my five year old nephew would disagree and I'm not arguing with him!) and Muhammad Ali: Live like a champ and know you can!