2. “Declare yourself a project.”

Running tip #2

My go-to mantra as a coach used to be “See it. Say it. Do it.” but I stopped using that one after Nike’s ubiquitous yellow bracelets and their “Just do it” ad campaign ruined it for me.   Now I use my artist friend, Lori Vrba‘s, mission statement:  “Declare yourself a project” to help move people from notion to action.  I love the double entendre of this statement.  You are both declaring a project for yourself (as in, I plan to run a marathon when I turn 50) and declaring that you, yourself, are a project/a work in progress (as in, if I’m actually going to run said marathon I’d better get this old body in working order).  “Declare yourself a project” has a third meaning for me [is there such a thing as a triple entendre?].  I believe in order to succeed as a runner you must be accountable to at least one other person.  You must declare (from the Latin “clarare” – to make clear) your intention OUT LOUD to someone.  Anyone.  Your training partner, your coach, your friend, your bank teller, the UPS delivery guy … or, in my case, a summer boyfriend who forced me to consider “Why not All-American?” after 3 years of being an also-ran at UNC.  “What are you afraid of?” he challenged.  I was afraid of saying it out loud, that’s what.