I want to get a few things straight about the "Quest for Your Best": it is NOT Maine's "Biggest Loser", as many of my friends have tried to sum it up as.
We are not competing for money. Our trainer's intent is not to kick the crap out of us (although I feel the day is coming sooner rather than later). We are not starving ourselves in an effort to hit a big number, in terms of weight loss, in any given week.
We are not voting each other off, or competing in goofy challenges. The full name of what we are doing is "Quest for your Best: Body, Mind & Spirit". Each week we are tasked with becoming healthier through fitness, focus, and commitment to taking care of ourselves both physically and spiritually.
The changes we are choosing to make over the remaining 8 weeks are meant to be sustainable; the cast and crew assembled to guide us through this experiment recognize that we are all adults who have chosen this path. No one is forcing us to do anything. Remember, we're the ones who asked for this opportunity.
Last night we had a conference call with Paige and Brian, our "Life Coaches". Over the past couple of weeks, they have asked us to envision ourselves not just at the end of the ten weeks, but months, even years, after this experience and how it will effect who we are. They have asked us to set goals for ourselves in the future that incorporate the person we want to be on track to be after our ten week experience at The Landing.
They recognized that I have a love of running, and helped me envision how this "Quest" can positively impact my goals in this part of my life. In a way, they are preparing us for life after the "Quest".
This afternoon, I sent in my registration form for the Maine Marathon. I don't know how long I would have left the registration form on my desk without filling it out or recycling it, but with the support I've received so far from Catherine, Paige, Brian, all of the personnel at The Landing, and my co-questers, I'm ready to commit to this. It's been only a couple of weeks since I found out I had been chosen for the "Quest for Your Best", and thought to myself "what have I gotten myself into?" Already I have another "what have I gotten myself into" in my life, and am looking for more of them.