goals

Going Dark

November 27, 2019 by Marcus Leave a Comment

Crossing the finish line of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2019.

This year has been about living my best life — doing what I love and staying focused on what matters. It challenged me to push myself beyond what I thought I was capable of and step outside of my comfort zone, when going dark and off the grid was what I often craved.

The Struggle and the Prize

It wasn’t always easy. There were times when writing Broken Man Broke almost ‘broke’ me. Training for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, I didn’t always feel like running — especially when it rained or when the temperatures soared to 40°C. Some days, trying to be the best version of myself meant fending off the doubt and negativity that battled for dominion. But I didn’t give up, wouldn’t be beaten. I kept my eye on the prize and pushed on to live the life I imagined for myself. [Read more…] about Going Dark

The Power of “I Will”

October 23, 2019 by Marcus 1 Comment

Growing up isn’t easy. And Scott Davenport must choose: live his life or run away from it?

Raw and rich in emotion, Broken Man Broke is a thought-provoking coming-of-age story about identity, belonging, and purpose. Lopés reminds us that not everyone sees us for who we are and that sometimes — amid the chaos threatening to destroy us — we’re not sure who we are or what we stand for.

A powerful coming-of-age story coming November 21, 2019. Pre-order today!

What would you do if you were given a 5% chance of ever walking again?

Some people might give up. Rob MacDonald proved the odds wrong.

I met Rob last Saturday (19 October 2019) after participating in the International Friendship Run at the Running, Health & Fitness Expo that was part of the weekend events for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. When I’d signed up for the race in July, it was to check off another item from my bucket list. I never liked fundraising or asking people for money. In the past, if I had to fundraise, I’d set a goal that — outside of a few donations — I could cover personally. So, my plan for the Toronto marathon was to donate to a couple of charities, but not run for a team.

That all changed the day before the race when I met Rob. Here was a guy, who been given a 5% chance of ever walking again, about to run his second full marathon. Inspiring. Motivating. Empowering. I decided to join ‘Team I Will.’ The Toronto Rehab Foundation gave Rob a second chance. I’d love for you to learn more about Rob’s a story and how you can help. Read more here.

Making it Personal

i will I was in university when my grandmother was rushed to the hospital. She was in her mid-seventies (75 or 76) and had to have her leg amputated due to diabetes. The doctors weren’t convinced she’d make it off the operating table. But she did. I believe partly because of her unwavering faith, partly because she had a strong will to live. I spent time with her every day for the four months of rehab that got her out of the hospital. The dedication, training and encouragement from her rehab team gave her a second chance. While she chose not to walk with a prosthetic leg, she was still an active and outgoing person with a positive attitude. She knew the power of ‘I Will,’ and showed me I could do whatever I set my mind to with will and determination.

Getting it Together

I spent fifteen weeks training for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. The power of ‘I Will’ was never more present on those mornings when, at 5:15 am, I’d set out for a 30 km run. Or when it was raining. Or when, with the humidity, it was close to 38°C. Some runs were a struggle, but I told myself I could do it, to keep on keeping on.

On race day, I was excited, confident and nervous. Would my training pay off? I worried about tapering in the last few weeks because I wasn’t sure how not running as much would help. Could I really run 42.2 km? The most distance I’d covered during training was 37 km, and that run hurt. What if I got injured during the race? Would it sideline me? I didn’t want to be the person you sometimes see being treated by medics along the race route.

This was my first full marathon; I’d last run a half-marathon in 2010. When I registered for the race, I had to pick a finishing time so I’d start in the right corral. I arbitrarily picked 3:50. I had a three-tiered goal: 1) Finish, 2) Run the 42.2 km in under four hours, and 3) Aim to finish in 3:50. The more I trained, and after I’d joined a running group, the more I came to doubt myself. Seasoned marathoners hinted my goal was ambitious for a first-timer. Others readily shared horror stories of how their friends trained and trained, and then injured themselves two days before a race. I started to doubt myself. But during my runs, I told myself, ‘I will do this. I can do this. I won’t allow anyone else to limit what I can and cannot do.’

The Power of ‘I Will’

The gun went off and I started to run. For the first ten kilometres, I stayed with the pacer who’d get us across the finish line in three hours and fifty minutes before pulling ahead slightly. Maybe it was that race-day high, but I wondered if I could even come in a little under of my 3:50 goal. Even with my training, there were times during the race when I struggled. I reminded myself that just getting across the finish line was a win. And I had a moment, around the 32 km mark, when I wasn’t sure I could do it. That was when I started repeating to myself, “I will do this.” And at that point, the pain in my right foot hurt so much I wanted to stop. Every time my foot hit the asphalt, the pain shot through me. But I pushed on and said, “I will do this. There is no pain, only joy. Marcus, you’ve got this.”

And I did do it. I crossed the finish line, completing the race in 3:49:18.

As Rob told Team I Will at the post-race celebration, ‘I will…’ can carry you through any goal — physical, creative, professional — that you set out to achieve. Let ‘I Will’ be your mantra. Let it help you become the best version of yourself.

Are you struggling to achieve a certain goal? Can you take one action right now that would move you and your goal forward? What is it? Click Reply to let me know. I love hearing from you!

Are You Doing What Matters?

October 9, 2019 by Marcus 2 Comments

Twenty years ago, “I don’t know” was my standard answer to two questions: What do I want to do in life? And who do I want to be? And it would have been a lie. Back then, I was scared — ashamed, even — to admit I wanted to be a writer. Expectations had been set. I was supposed to secure a steady, nine-to-five job, settle down, and live happily ever after. Not chase a ‘silly’ dream. Not do something with no guarantee of success. No, I wasn’t supposed to do what matters to me.

The Dilemma

do what matters Fast forward to now, and that silly dream is alive and kicking. Because I believed in it, believed in who I could become. Around my day job, I’ve built a regular writing routine. I realized it didn’t have to be one or the other. When I made writing a priority — cut out the noise around me — my dream began to take shape. Focused, I was able to do what matters most to me.

Life is busy, and there are huge demands on our time. Sometimes we convince ourselves that there’s not enough time to pursue a dream or our heart’s true desire. Yet we’re constantly picking up our phones and checking in on social media, bingeing on Netflix or Prime Video (despite my best intentions, that’ll be me when season 2 of Jack Ryan debuts on 1 November), or hooked on series like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.

Do What Matters Most

What if we wake up twenty minutes earlier or stay up twenty minutes later to put a little time in on our dreams? (Some may think I’m crazy, but I’m at my desk by 4:30 am at the latest, and in bed before 9 pm.) What if we take the time slot for one of our favourite TV shows and dedicate it to writing that book or starting the series of paintings? (When my partner flips to Entertainment Tonight at 7 pm, I put in my earplugs and read.) What happens when we carve out that little bit of time in our day to do what matters most? (Sometimes I slip away to a coffee shop to write.) If we don’t make time to do what matters most, we end up watching someone else live their dreams instead of building our own.

Did you progress your dream today? What one small action could you take that would help you make that dream come true? Click Reply to let me know. I love hearing from you!

Comitted to the Cause

September 25, 2019 by Marcus Leave a Comment

Last Friday, I woke up earlier than normal because I still needed to get in my long run for the week. My distance goal that morning was 26 km. Even before I left the house at 4:36 am, I knew something was off. I wasn’t sure what was ‘off’ until I was about five kilometres into the run as the muscles in my legs burned, my hips locked, and I struggled to put one foot in front of the other. At that moment, I knew exactly what was ‘off.’ It was me. I wasn’t committed.

Visualize

committed — A brief stop during my long run to capture this view of Toronto from the Humber Bay Arch Bridge (21 September 2019)

Following my training schedule for the upcoming Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Wednesdays or Thursdays are dedicated to long runs (26-37 km). Last week, though, with my day job and dealing with jet lag, everything shifted. When it came time to run Friday morning, I wasn’t prepared mentally.

Five years ago, I wasn’t good at visualization. But two years ago, when I started ramping up my running, I found myself visualizing my long runs (at that point 13 km) the night before and in the morning before heading out the door. I could see the point on the Martin Goodman Trail I had to reach before turning around if I wanted to make the distance. In my head, I figured out where during the run I’d lose energy and the affirmations I’d use to dig deep and keep going. Before I even slipped on my runners, I was committed.

Noncommittal

When I hit the trail last Friday, I wasn’t committed. I hadn’t done any of my pre-run rituals. Hadn’t visualized the route or the challenges (mental and physical) that I’d encounter along the way. Hadn’t developed the mental toughness to push through the pain and doubt to meet my goal. I wasn’t in the game.

I tried to keep going, each step more painful than the last. And even though I kept telling myself I could do it, at the 10 km mark I turned around and headed home, running a total distance of 13.3 km. That was, to me, a failure. Because I hadn’t committed to the run. I hadn’t committed to doing my best.

Committed

Whether it’s with my running or writing, the way I succeed is by showing up committed to the task at hand. It is my singular focus. If I’m not one hundred percent present, then I become vulnerable to distractions and self-doubt. I end up ‘off my game,’ and my goals either take longer to achieve or fail spectacularly.

Aristotle told us, “Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives — choice, not chance, determines your destiny.”

And I agree.

Do you show up committed to your goals and dreams? Do you have any rituals that help you succeed? Click Reply to let me know. I love hearing from you!