By Lynn Kincaid, Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon Social Media Director

How was motivation to aspire and achieve goals shaped during your childhood? Did you see a new box of crayons, a packet of unsharpened pencils, or a new favorite pen as a fresh start with lots of new possibilities? Who saw your potential and encouraged you to embrace the challenges you faced?

During this back-to-school season, how can you respond to past life lessons in motivation to set or continue your fitness goals? Do you need a fresh goal to aspire to new possibilities in the months ahead?

Signing up for events such as our Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon race weekend are used by many to sharpen their fitness goals. It gives a target date to inspire training and signing up with friends can give added motivation towards fitness goals as a sense of “we’re in this together” is cultivated.

Perhaps a fresh start in this back-to-school season means considering signing up for your very first ever 5K, 10K, half marathon, or marathon. How exciting! Anticipate the possibilities like a brand new box of crayons waiting to be used! Or maybe you’re a runner who is motivated towards the fresh start of going for a Personal Record in your favorite distance. Go for it! Sharpen that goal like a new pencil! And for many, it’s the continual satisfaction of finding motivation in the enjoyment of running no matter what season it is. Keep it up! Embrace your ongoing goals like the comfort of using your favorite pen!

In this back-to-school season, we wish you the best in the fitness goals you write with whatever choice of writing utensil: crayons, pencils, or your favorite pen!

Lynn Kincaid, Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon Social Media Director

Even though Lynn enjoys working with social media, she’s a big fan of taking time away from screens. She plays all kinds of sports, takes lots of photos, and stays active climbing trees with her niece and nephew.