I read this quote in my Runner's World magazine last night and thought it was worth reading over and over again, especially as I am just getting started with my training....
"When it comes time to go after a goal, starting the belief system early will create the mental road map the body can follow leading up to the event."
-- Terrance Mahon, coach of Olympians Deena Kastor & Anna Pierce
one gal's adventure in transforming herself from merely a girl who runs into..... a runner
Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
One Run at a Time
When I look at the training schedule, I am overwhelmed. It is daunting to see how many weeks of training there are, how many miles will be logged, how many hours will be consumed, how many muscles will ache, etc I seriously get a pit in my stomach when I try to process what the next 16 weeks of my life will look like. I start to doubt my decision to even attempt this thing. I play mind games and beat myself up about it. I go into negative self-talk mode...... and it's all because I'm staring at a little piece of paper that has a few weeks worth of runs written on it. Crazy, I know.
I can't allow that to happen, and I won't allow that to happen. I want this thing! I want 16 weeks of training like I've never trained before. I want those hours and hours of transforming my mind, body, and spirit. I even want the muscle aches and pains. And furthermore, I want the badges of honor - the race medal hanging around my neck and that cute little oval shaped bumper sticker with a 26.2 on it!
So, my plan of attack ~ I'm taking one run at a time. Literally. I folded up my training schedule so I can only see one week at a time, and after each run, I highlight the run once it's complete. So on Monday, I had one square highlighted, on Wednesday, I had two squares highlighted, on Thursday, I had three squares highlighted, and as of today, I actually have FOUR squares highlighted and guess what?
I don't feel quite as overwhelmed.
I can't allow that to happen, and I won't allow that to happen. I want this thing! I want 16 weeks of training like I've never trained before. I want those hours and hours of transforming my mind, body, and spirit. I even want the muscle aches and pains. And furthermore, I want the badges of honor - the race medal hanging around my neck and that cute little oval shaped bumper sticker with a 26.2 on it!
So, my plan of attack ~ I'm taking one run at a time. Literally. I folded up my training schedule so I can only see one week at a time, and after each run, I highlight the run once it's complete. So on Monday, I had one square highlighted, on Wednesday, I had two squares highlighted, on Thursday, I had three squares highlighted, and as of today, I actually have FOUR squares highlighted and guess what?
I don't feel quite as overwhelmed.
Bring on week two.....
Monday, January 24, 2011
My First Run
Today I persevered! My first official training run was just a little 3 miler, but the bad news was I had to do it on the dreadmill! I absolutely detest running on those things, but that was really my only option since I didn't have childcare, and I wasn't motivated enough to go to the gym. So, anyway, I hook my daughter up to a movie on the desktop computer in the other room while I hook myself up the laptop with a past TV episode of "House" (that I am trying to get caught up on), and I jump on board.
As soon as I started the machine, my daughter ran in to see what the commotion was. She was scared of the noise, and couldn't here her movie. So.... I jumped off the machine and went to turn her movie up a little.
I get back on.
I run for a couple of minutes and my dog starts barking very loudly. I thought it was probably just a package being delivered, but I jumped off the machine to make sure my daughter wasn't in danger or something unexpected like that. Yep, a fed ex man was walking away from the porch.
I go back.
I start the machine up again and I run for about 5 consecutive minutes, and then I realize that the heater is cranked up and I am sweating to death. I could have kept going but I jump off to get some water and turn the heat down. I don't want my first official marathon training run to be too miserable, you know!
I bring back a water bottle and start pounding away.
A few minutes pass and a big honkin' spider comes crawling out of one of the slider control slots on the top of the machine. I get slightly creeped out because the treadmill has been in the garage for a year, and I was envisioning one spider after another after another crawling out of it's cool, dark home to relocate to a new cooler and darker home now that I had taken over theirs. Thankfully, nothing of the sorts happened so I smashed the one spider with the bottom of my water bottle. At this point, I'm so glad I had in fact interrupted my run to retrieve a water bottle because not only did I get cooled off, I was able to use it as a weapon.
I am getting into a groove at this point and the mileage and minutes are accumulating.
I think I am surely home free. However, that's not the case. My daughter comes running back in to tell me her show is over and she wants another one. I try to redirect her, but she insisted that it happen "RIGHT NOW" in her sweet, little, demanding-three-year-old way. I really didn't want to finish my run with a tantruming three year old at my side so, I hopped off one last time to appease her - I figure I can't possibly get anymore interruptions or make these three miles stretch out any longer than they already are.
And I didn't. I completed my three miler in just under 40 minutes!! That's perseverance! (not really my idea of perseverance, but it is what it is, nonetheless!)
As soon as I started the machine, my daughter ran in to see what the commotion was. She was scared of the noise, and couldn't here her movie. So.... I jumped off the machine and went to turn her movie up a little.
I get back on.
I run for a couple of minutes and my dog starts barking very loudly. I thought it was probably just a package being delivered, but I jumped off the machine to make sure my daughter wasn't in danger or something unexpected like that. Yep, a fed ex man was walking away from the porch.
I go back.
I start the machine up again and I run for about 5 consecutive minutes, and then I realize that the heater is cranked up and I am sweating to death. I could have kept going but I jump off to get some water and turn the heat down. I don't want my first official marathon training run to be too miserable, you know!
I bring back a water bottle and start pounding away.
A few minutes pass and a big honkin' spider comes crawling out of one of the slider control slots on the top of the machine. I get slightly creeped out because the treadmill has been in the garage for a year, and I was envisioning one spider after another after another crawling out of it's cool, dark home to relocate to a new cooler and darker home now that I had taken over theirs. Thankfully, nothing of the sorts happened so I smashed the one spider with the bottom of my water bottle. At this point, I'm so glad I had in fact interrupted my run to retrieve a water bottle because not only did I get cooled off, I was able to use it as a weapon.
I am getting into a groove at this point and the mileage and minutes are accumulating.
I think I am surely home free. However, that's not the case. My daughter comes running back in to tell me her show is over and she wants another one. I try to redirect her, but she insisted that it happen "RIGHT NOW" in her sweet, little, demanding-three-year-old way. I really didn't want to finish my run with a tantruming three year old at my side so, I hopped off one last time to appease her - I figure I can't possibly get anymore interruptions or make these three miles stretch out any longer than they already are.
And I didn't. I completed my three miler in just under 40 minutes!! That's perseverance! (not really my idea of perseverance, but it is what it is, nonetheless!)
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Happy Birthday to Me!
The idea of *really* registering for the marathon has been rolling around in my head for a few weeks now. I keep telling myself that if I didn't register and mentally commit to the race that I'd be so mad at myself, and I knew that to be true. I ended up missing the early registration because I just couldn't bring myself to push the 'register now' button. I'm a gal that likes there to be meaning in things. I like to make memories and establish traditions. I like things to be significant and symbolic. So when the thought crossed my mine to save registration until by birthday, I jumped on the idea and waited for my birthday to cross the calendar.
This is a pretty significant birthday ~ the big 4-0 so what better way to ring it in than to sign up for marathon and give myself a gift of self transformation. (At least that's what I'm hoping will be part of the outcome of my training). Anyway, more on that topic later.
Happy 40th to me!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Wannabe Runner
Yep, you read that title right ~ I'm a wannabe runner. I've been running the last 3 1/2 years and I've completed quite a few races (half marathons and relay races included), but I just don't consider myself a runner.
I run....... but I'm not a runner.
There's a difference.
I have been thinking about this a lot lately, and it comes down to what my perception of a "runner" is compared to what my perception of myself is. When I think of a runner, I think: dedication. commitment. power. perseverance. pain. gain. physique. lifestyle. devotion. etc. And when I think of myself, I don't think of those things -- not as a whole package anyway. Sure, I have perseverance when I'm at mile 9 of a half marathon with 4.1 miles to go and I'm hitting a wall, and sure I am dedicated once I register for a race; but as far as putting all these traits together and living by them day to day, that's not where I'm at, but that's where I want to be.
The truth of the matter is, I have been skating along these last few races. My goal has simply been to finish. I don't really train to get better, faster, or stronger. I think the races have become social outings for me, and when I'm training with my moms in motion team, I get to get out of the house once or twice a week to run with friends. That in in of itself is the motivation behind registering for races. I haven't really been concerned with becoming a better runner with each race. It all hit me this last year after I ran the Leavenworth 1/2 marathon. I actually PR'd on that race by about 12 or 13 minutes and even though I walked in a couple of places. I wasn't adequately prepared for the race because I hadn't adequately trained, and yet I still managed to shave almost a minute per mile off my time. What kind of PR would I have had had I taken my training more seriously? I think a real runner would have PR'd quite a bit more. A real runner would have put in the work. A real runner would have been more dedicated and would have gained more power to persevere through the pain. A real runner would have gained. A real runner is devoted to the lifestyle of it all, and that's the difference between someone like myself who merely runs and someone who is a runner.
I run....... but I'm not a runner.
There's a difference.
I have been thinking about this a lot lately, and it comes down to what my perception of a "runner" is compared to what my perception of myself is. When I think of a runner, I think: dedication. commitment. power. perseverance. pain. gain. physique. lifestyle. devotion. etc. And when I think of myself, I don't think of those things -- not as a whole package anyway. Sure, I have perseverance when I'm at mile 9 of a half marathon with 4.1 miles to go and I'm hitting a wall, and sure I am dedicated once I register for a race; but as far as putting all these traits together and living by them day to day, that's not where I'm at, but that's where I want to be.
The truth of the matter is, I have been skating along these last few races. My goal has simply been to finish. I don't really train to get better, faster, or stronger. I think the races have become social outings for me, and when I'm training with my moms in motion team, I get to get out of the house once or twice a week to run with friends. That in in of itself is the motivation behind registering for races. I haven't really been concerned with becoming a better runner with each race. It all hit me this last year after I ran the Leavenworth 1/2 marathon. I actually PR'd on that race by about 12 or 13 minutes and even though I walked in a couple of places. I wasn't adequately prepared for the race because I hadn't adequately trained, and yet I still managed to shave almost a minute per mile off my time. What kind of PR would I have had had I taken my training more seriously? I think a real runner would have PR'd quite a bit more. A real runner would have put in the work. A real runner would have been more dedicated and would have gained more power to persevere through the pain. A real runner would have gained. A real runner is devoted to the lifestyle of it all, and that's the difference between someone like myself who merely runs and someone who is a runner.
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