The Lincoln Marathon came and went, testing the human limits of mind and body. I have been reading "Endure" by Alex Hutchinson. He breaks endurance into three parts, Mind and Muscle, Limits, and Limit Breakers. I focused on the "mind and muscle", as I only had a few days to put my new knowledge into action. I also had a plan to race "smart". Here is my personal unbiased rating of me!
#1 Eat- I ate healthy all week with lots of real food. Better yet I drank plenty of water leading up to the race. I ate a banana before the race and a yummy gel at the start line and a gel half way through. This was my first experience with braces and ripping gel packets open. Warning... Do not try this at home. I give myself a solid 8 on nutrition. #2 Obsess- Honestly I did not sleep well most of the week as I was trying not to think about the race. The more I tried, the harder it became. I finally decided to stay as busy as possible and that was helpful. I give myself a 5, plenty to improve on in the stress/obsess category. #3 Plan- Boom, as I started running I felt like I was slowing myself with every step. People passed me the first few miles and I had to talk to myself "don't do it, take it easy", I decided to be in the moment and take it all in. People offered "margaritas" and "screw drivers" early in the race. I won't lie, it was tempting not to stop and partake! I enjoyed passing churches with musicians outside singing, and when I saw the nun clapping on the sidewalk I almost asked her to pray for me. On second thought, she probably has more important things to pray for than my race goal. A strong 9 on execution of my negative split! #4 Pain- At mile nine as I was climbing the hill, as expected my good friend "Pain" joined me. Instead of ignoring him or complaining I said, "welcome, I have been waiting for you", We enjoyed the last three miles together. I give myself an 8. (Honestly, I could have been a little nicer to my friend) #5 Fun -Giving high fives to kids on the race course always makes me smile. I tried to smile as I was running because supposedly you will run faster with a smile. Although I thinks it just makes one look like they need to find a bathroom and quick. Then I tried another piece of advice, running with a loose face so as not to add tension. But I was a little afraid of bugs flying in my mouth and I was hoping no one would take a picture with my mouth open, face jiggling and slobber on my face. Who writes this stuff anyway. Fun? I am a 10. A final note about my 267 page book "Endure". I cheated and wanted to know the ending, Yes it is non-fiction, but I know all good authors save the best for last. On page 259 it states, despite all the previous information the best way to improve your marathon is................ "Run a lot of miles, some faster than your race pace, rest once in a while" Now you tell me! "Enjoy the Rush"
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorToday is the first day of the rest of your life. What do you want your life to look like? The amazing thing is the choice is yours. I have spent many years of my life being passive, allowing things to happen to me. How many of us are spectators in our own lives? I know I was for years. I watched my energy decrease. I was tired, bloated, and had brain fog. Most days I woke up only to look forward to my next nap.Then I began an active quest for energy, peace and joy! I can honestly say it was a long journey, which I am still on. I am no longer looking for the magic pill! Magic hacks....yes! At 51 I feel more energetic than I have in years. If I were to give everyone the top 3 things to allow you to live your life with energy, peace and joy... Archives
July 2022
Categories |