What do Oprah, George W., Will Ferrell and Sarah Palin have in common?

So what's your guess? What can these people possibly have in common? No, its not a political thing. And that's not all. You can also add these people to the list: Katie Holmes, Meredith Baxter, William Baldwin, Lance Armstrong, Mario Lopez, Freddie Prinze Jr., P.Diddy (Sean Combs), Edward Norton and Al Gore. Yes, they are all celebrities of some kind but that's not it. Answer: They are ALL marathon runners!! Still think you can't run a marathon?

Here's the thing though. This got me thinking. Not only about the fact that if Oprah and George W. Bush can run a marathon then so can I and frankly, anyone for that matter, but why? Not why would anyone else want to but why did all these famous, successful, wealthy celebrities do so? And not only that but they all did so very successfully on their very first attempt at 26.2! Oprah finished in 4:29:20 (no, that's not a typo) participating in the Marine Corps Marathon in 1994! 

Oprah at 1994 Marine Corps Marathon

So how did George W. do? A much more impressive time of 3:44:52 at the Houston Marathon!! That's just crazy! I consider myself a pretty good runner ever since high school and it took me 4 marathons to finally beat that time! Even Sarah Palin with a time of 3:59:36 had me beat for quite some time. Honestly, these two were my motivation to break the 4 hour barrier for a long time. I just couldn't keep running knowing these two had run a faster marathon time than me. LOL. Like I said, it took me four tries but this year at the 2012 Houston Chevron Marathon I ran my PR (personal record) in a time of 3:25:39 and can finally run with my head just a little higher knowing I can beat a 65 year old man and a 48 year old mother of 5! Okay maybe not exactly something to brag about but still.

So back to my bigger point though. How and why did all these people not only run a marathon but do so very successfully? I think the reason for their success in the marathon can be directly linked to their success in life in general. Did you ever hear about or read the book called "The Secret?" I did. It was meant to explain why many people have all they ever wanted and desired and others simply do not. The premise is that one can obtain all of your goals and desires by changing your mindset and attracting wealth and anything you want in life by knowing how to focus your thoughts on those things, it was referred to as the Law of Attraction. I agree with the main premise of this idea that one has to focus on the positive and your goals on a daily basis but this is just one part of the equation to success. The second is the more concrete and real process by which you accomplish those goals, dreams and anything you want in life. No matter how much you may want something and think about it if you don't have an idea of how to pursue and reach those goals then you will never get there.

We need a road map, something to follow and do that will help us reach our goals and achieve the success we desire. It is this that I believe all of these people have in common that has allowed them to reach the highest levels of success in life. It is this that allowed them to cross that marathon finish line with such impressive times. Simply put, they know HOW to succeed! They know the principles, strategies and methods required to succeed in business, life and any new venture they set for themselves, including something like running a marathon even though they have never done it before.

We can learn from each and everyone of these persons and take those lessons as a whole and apply them to our own lives and particularly to our own marathon training. Why do I keep coming back to the marathon? Well, if we are not already as successful as we want to be or wish to know what it takes to achieve that level of greatness that we desire then I strongly believe that training for and completing a marathon can and will help us understand those same success principles that have held us back.

Success Principles: Goal Setting, Commitment, Perseverance, Consistency, Team work, Self-accountability, Endurance, Dedication, Time Management, Overcoming Challenges, Coachable, Purpose-driven.

I can assure you that every one of these core principles to success are embodied by each of these celebrities. They apply these with a level of excellence that far exceeds the normal population and thus resulting in amazing results. I have observed many first time marathon runners achieving what they previously thought was impossible then almost instantly realizing that there is nothing they can't do. This is not just a feeling of euphoria for having accomplished a great physical feat but truly realizing that if they just apply the same focus and determination to any area of their life then they truly can accomplish anything!!

This is my goal, my dream. To spread my joy of running to help others succeed in ways they never thought imaginable. Running is just the beginning. The key to your success.

RUN TO WEALTH...RUN TO SUCCESS!!!