However, I have found it very difficult at times to get myself out in the mornings to do a daily run. So a couple of years ago I began hiking and trail running and have since fallen in love with it. I am blessed to have a mountain with several different hiking trails within a mile or two from my home. So now my daily exercise consists mainly of hiking.

I find hiking to be so much more interesting than running on the streets. Running consists mainly of watching asphalt go by, mile after mile. Boring! Hiking and trail running, on the other hand, have so much more to offer as far as keeping it interesting. Yes, you do have to keep your eye on the trail, but you are also surrounded by nature. And nature never stays the same. It’s always changing. The transitions from each season to the next are wonderful to witness. The change from hiking in the morning daylight of summer to hiking in the dark, like I do now in the fall, is stimulating and challenging.

So, most every day I go out in the early mornings for about a half-hour hike in the foothills and canyons near my home. On Saturday mornings I go on longer hikes for about two hours in length. Here are some photos from last Saturday’s hike. The fall colors were dazzling!

This morning’s hike was marvelous. It was dark yet there was enough light from the quarter-moon to light my trail to where I didn’t need my flashlight. There were thin clouds moving quickly past the moon in the dark that were simply beautiful.

I have to admit, I didn’t feel so great this morning when I got up at 5:30 a.m. In fact I felt lousy. I was so tired and had a headache. So it took a lot of self-discipline to get myself going. I was amazed that as I went on my hike I began feeling better and better and by the time I was done I actually felt great and still do. That just goes to show you that you have to stick it out and don’t let aches and pains or fatigue stop you from your daily workout.

Have a great day!

Copyright © 2009 Gary N. Larson

I’ve decided that from time to time I would put the spotlight on individuals who are great examples of self-mastery in some area of their lives. I feel we learn more and gain more confidence in ourselves when we see what other people are able to accomplish. I’ll call these people I spotlight “Self Mastery Heroes.”

The first person I would like to shine the spotlight on is someone I know extremely well – my wife Lisa!

My hero!

There are those people who call themselves runners and then there are the true runners. Lisa is a true runner. There is absolutely nothing that stops her from getting out in the morning and doing her daily run. Every morning, as faithful as the sun rising, but long before, Lisa is up and out there running. You could set your watch by her. She has been doing this for ten years and there is no sign she is stopping.

Every morning, Monday through Saturday, Lisa is out running. She and her running partner Ramona run whether it’s pouring rain, snowing, windy, icy, or pitch dark. Even a cold or the flu will not stop them. Some days it is all of the above at once and yet they are out running! There is no daily decision as to whether they are going running or not. They just go! THAT is self-mastery!

How it all started

Let me back up a little. Being the mother of six children is no easy task for a woman. I have no personal experience at being pregnant but I could tell that it was not a fun thing for Lisa to go through. Her body was stretched in ways you would never dream it could stretch. It was easy to gain weight. She was tired much of the time. The birth itself, being the miracle that it is, was still an enormous ordeal to go through. Then after going through this whole difficult process, we went and did it five more times!

So after the sixth child Lisa’s body was not in the greatest shape. She made the determination that she was going to get into shape, bought her an exercise machine and began working at it every day.

She saw progress but it wasn’t enough. So she began walking every morning with her friend Dennise. She began to lose the pregnancy weight and started to feel much better physically.

The running begins

One day her walking partner talked her into running part of the way. Lisa had never been a runner and wasn’t too excited about running. But her friend’s pressure was too much and so they ran part of the way. It was HARD! But the next day they did it again, going a little further. Gradually she began to like running and could actually run for several miles.

This is when another friend, Amy, who had run several marathons, convinced her she could run one too. So her marathon training began.

Marathon training

I watched Lisa go through this training and was amazed at the progress she made. Day after day, week after week and month after month she trained. In 1998 Lisa ran the St. George, Utah marathon. It was an amazing experience to watch her go through. It took a huge amount of self-mastery to accomplish this goal.

Now, 15 marathons later, Lisa is still going. In fact, as I write this at 6:30 a.m. Lisa is out there on this dark, cold, snowy morning, doing a 14 mile training run. Nothing stops her. She is amazing. She is my hero.

Do you know someone who has an amazing self-mastery story? Is there some area of your life that you have mastered and would like to share with us? Please share your thoughts and experiences.

Thank you.

Master Yourself, Master Your Life

Copyright © 2008 Gary N. Larson