The starter gun sounds and the marathon runners jolt in mass. Like a surge of water from a dam, they’re off!
But that crowd of runners does not beat to one drum. They don’t run in uniform step. They don’t breathe at the same pace, feel the same pains, slow down or speed up in unison. Over the course of those 26.2 miles each pair of sneakers tells a different, deeply personal story.
When marathon runners begin training, the wisest know that planning and preparing for the big day takes time. It takes a specific plan laid out weeks, even months in advance. The best plans share two key factors: 1. They are goal driven. 2. They are personal.
The best training schedules look at the individual’s current physical capabilities and planned outcomes. They consider weather conditions during training. They plan for the heat and the rain. They work within the runner’s work schedule and personal commitments. They plan for and expect “bad days.” They build in sources of motivation and encouragement. They set markers for small goals leading up to the main event.
And here’s the thing: That plan is different for EVERY. SINGLE. RUNNER. The training plan shifts and changes for each and every individual. Here’s why. Everyone starts at a different level. Everyone has a different schedule, different struggles, different needs, different sources of motivation and anxiety. Injuries happen. Plans change. Adjustments are made. But the drive remains the same. To run on race day. To show up and run.
The best trainers in the business give their runners one directive: Run YOUR race. Don’t run your friend’s, your hero’s, or your rival’s race. Run YOUR race! Set YOUR goal. Plan around YOUR schedule, YOUR obstacles, YOUR dreams. This is the stuff of success and this is the stuff that powers us all through the hard spots.
I’m Jen and I’m your Student Success Coach here at Essential Education. It’s my job to equip you with the training plan you need for your “big day,” taking your High School Equivalency exam…and beginning your next steps in life.
Your goals are much like that of the marathon runner. In fact, the HSE exam has been called a Thinking Marathon. As your coaches, your Student Success Team is here to help not only with a personalized learning plan through our various preparation academies, but with tips, resources, and stories that seek to meet and encourage you in each step of your personal training.
That’s what this new eBoard format is all about. A place to build community with your fellow “runners” and gain support from your “trainers.” So join us! We are here for YOU…YOUR goals…YOUR journey. Now get after it! Run YOUR race!
Comment below and share what motivates you to run YOUR race to life change. We want to hear from you.
