Commitment

Yup. I'm going to run a marathon.
That's 26 miles and 385 yards.
But I wont even make it a foot without the help of many people, especially my amazing girlfriend.
As for why, sure "Hey, I'm turning 30!" is one reason, but there are a few that might begin to appear as this process continues. I am looking forward to sharing them with you all. But first, like always, I have to take my first step.

I spent most of today thinking of many different topics for my first post, from recording and evaluating foot fall mechanics using video to favorite running gear... but those will have to wait. I wanted to get one thing onto the page, and that is not inspiration, not goals, not hopes/dreams, but the subject of commitment.

It came to me while teaching today. One of my students, an awkward 10 year old boy, helped me remind myself, and help me teach him something that I had taken for granted.
This young man in my class was having a hard time finding a place to sit, he seemed to want to sit next to a specific girl and didn't know how to casually approach it. We were cleaning up from snack and the best friend of the girl of interest was helping me. She asked him if he would move when we were done cleaning so that they could all play Uno together. He agreed.
Once we were done, he refused to move and I was called to the cluster of tables to mitigate the pre-pubescent squabble. He's a good kid so, I simply explained to him that he said he would do something and needs to follow through with it. It's as simple as that and that is what gentlemen do.
I guess when the words passed my lips my brain slowed down a bit to take in what I had said. And that's what I wanted to write about today.

Commitment doesn't have to be something complicated. It really isn't, and never has been. Its just getting up and doing what you said you would. Whether it was said out loud, signed in a document, or thought in your own mind, just do it.
And so sure, I am going to run a marathon. I am going to train for a marathon. I am running 4 miles tomorrow and 6 on Monday.
Why? That isn't as important. What is important is that I put my shoes on and get out that door. Because I made a commitment to myself to cross that finish line...
Because that is what gentlemen do.

Cheers,
Mihkel