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January is my favorite month. Especially in Ohio. I love January here because its bitter cold and hard. Ohio Januarys are tough months, they require thick skin. It's dark most of the day, its never above freezing and the moisture and wind glazes over the earth almost grinding life to a stand still. January is dead and helpless. The holidays are over and the cheer of the season is gone, there isn't much to look forward to because spring is still a winter away. It's January, now what?

As an athlete January is pivotal. It is a month to answer questions about yourself, about your grit. It's a month wanted to be used, how you use it will be reflected in the months to come.How will you answer the tough questions to bring it to life?

Is it a time to rest, relax and wait for the air to warm and snow to melt? Because after all, it's still winter. Do you convince yourself the season is so far off and there is plenty of time in the spring? Or do you embrace the month. Do you squeeze motivation from the desolate landscape and push yourself through the freeze. Sure, January is far off from race season, so do you use the time to build an even bigger base? Do you steel this time from the calendar and make it yours?

I love January because its a hard month. It's the first month and nothing comes easy, it sets the tone. You have to work hard for what you earn. January is blue collar. There is no glory this month, the workouts are not sexy.

So ask yourself how you will use January. How have you used it before? What are you willing to do to change? How bad do you want it later? It may seem a bit far out, but if you invest in your future in January and patiently stamp the time card day in and day out, your time will come...just not this month. So here's to January, the unsung month, when champions are made and no one notices.