The Strength to Keep Going

Have you ever heard that “when things are toughest, your goal is just around the corner?”

Imagine the last 100 yards of a marathon.

You've trained for months.

You've gotten up early, put in the miles, pushed through the days when you didn't feel like running - the sore muscles, the bad weather, the busy schedule.

And now you're exhausted.

Your body is telling you to stop.

You want to stop.

You can see the finish line, but that last 100 yards feels like it might be the longest stretch of the entire race.

And then something happens.

You realize how far you've already come.

You realize the end is in sight.

So you keep going - one foot in front of the other.

Because if you stop now, after everything you've put into getting here - What was it all for?

That's strength.

Not just physical strength.

Mental strength.

Determination.

Resilience.

The ability to keep moving forward when you're tired, frustrated, discouraged or tempted to give up.

And sometimes life feels exactly like that marathon, except there isn't a finish line.

There is always another email.

Another appointment.

Another responsibility.

Another person who needs something from you.

Another item added to the never-ending to-do list.

You keep running and running, but there is no end in sight.

And that's exhausting.

Maybe we need more mile markers?

One of the reasons I love the idea of mile markers is that they give us a way to recognize progress before we reach the ultimate destination.

Because if you're only measuring success by whether you've reached the big goal, you can spend a lot of time feeling like you're failing.

Instead, look for the markers along the way.

Four weeks of consistency.

Lifting a heavier weight.

Walking farther.

Having more energy.

Feeling stronger getting up from the floor.

Holding a boundary.

Saying no.

Getting back up after a setback.

Making a choice that supports your goals when the easier choice would have been to quit.

Those are mile markers, and they matter.

Because every time you push through something difficult, you are building capacity for the next challenge.

That's true mentally.

And it's true physically.

Your body needs strength, too.

We often think about strength in terms of how much weight we can lift. But physical strength is about so much more than that.

It's about having the capacity to live your life, independently and continue doing the things that bring you joy as you get older.

Carrying your groceries.

Getting up and down from the floor.

Climbing stairs.

Gardening.

Traveling. 

Lifting and playing with grandkids.

They all take strength.

Strength is one of the greatest investments you can make in your future self.

And this is the reason one of the three key pillars of The Revitalize Method™, my online program for women who want to create sustainable changes in their health is the “Strength & Exercise System”.

Because I don't believe fitness is only about burning calories, losing weight or making your waistline smaller.

It's about creating a body that is strong, capable, coordinated and resilient now and for years to come.

And that means developing strength throughout your entire body - your cardiovascular system, your core, pelvic floor, and all of your muscles - the heavy lifting ones and the stabilizers that help you move with confidence.

But there's another benefit you get from strength training as well.

Yes, your body becomes stronger through progressive challenge.

But… your mind becomes stronger through that progressive challenge, too.

Think about that last difficult rep in a strength workout.

Your muscles are tired.

You don't think you can do another one.

But you find the capacity to finish.

That challenge tells your body, “We need to be able to do this.”

And over time, your adapt.

You become stronger - both mind and body.

Which is important because life works in much the same way.

Every time you face something difficult and then discover you can keep going, you build a little more resilience.

A little more confidence.

A little more capacity.

Every once in a while, my husband and my sons horse around and wrestle.  Boys will be boys right?

My sons are now taller than my husband and also have a pretty significant advantage when it comes to youthful energy.

But if they don't “win” in the first 30 seconds… they're probably not going to.

Because my husband's strength isn't just about muscle.

It's years of repetition.

Years of physical work.

Experience.

Knowledge.

And sheer resilience.

Eventually, youthful energy runs out.

But strength with staying power keeps going.

That's what my husband calls “Old Man Strength”

And though it needs a more flattering name, that’s the kind of strength I want for all of us.

Not just the strength to finish today's workout.

Not just the strength to reach today's goal.

But the strength to keep living, moving, adapting and enjoying life for decades to come.

So this week, I want you to think about your own mile markers.

Where are you stronger than you were a year ago?

What can you do today that used to be difficult?

What have you continued doing even when you wanted to quit?

And where are you still building strength?

Don't overlook the small victories.

Don't dismiss the hard-earned progress.

And don't assume that because something is difficult, you're failing.

Sometimes difficulty is simply the place where strength is being built.

Keep going - Your next mile marker may be closer than you think.