Running has been described as a mental sport. While your body must be fit enough to run, when it comes to completing long distance runs or holding a hard pace in a race, it's really your brain that plays the deciding role. It always amazes me how easy it is for my brain to derail a race or a run. That constant voice in my head saying that I can't do this or that I need to slow down. Even in races that I run as planned (or faster), that voice is present. The difference is that I've actively fought with that voice and won. I channel that feeling I have on a bad run and remind myself that I've felt worse. I tell myself that I can keep running. I chant various mantras in my head: Suck it up, Buttercup. Run the mile you are … [Read more...]
Tips for surviving stressful times
This has been a challenging week. Jones has been in the middle of quarter finals. Shoo has had a rough week with his soccer team and then one of his past teachers passed away suddenly. And, well, I can't even talk about the other things 'cause you'd find me hiding a corner somewhere... But it's Friday and we have some nice plans this weekend and I did a lot of "self care" this week. Yep, I did everything I could to keep myself in a happy place. It even sort of worked. Get active. Run. Then run some more. Ok, maybe do some yoga and a little meditation too. All of these will calm your mind and help you cope. Give back. Volunteer. Donate. Do random acts of kindness. Combine a couple and donate to a friend's favorite cause. Then … [Read more...]
Sometimes I hate running
Yes, sometimes the last thing I want to do is put on my shoes and go out the door. It doesn't matter if my last run was awesome or awful. And it doesn't always matter if the weather is perfect or gross. Sometimes I just don't want to run. For me, that's the hardest part of running. How can something that I enjoy so much be something that in certain moments is the last thing I want to do? I've never had a run that I wasn't glad I took. OK, sometimes it takes me until after I'm done to appreciate that I did it, but I never regret running (well, except for those times I ran when I was injured *ahem*). So why do I hate running sometimes? Maybe it's because I'm inherently lazy - I'd much rather sit on my butt some days. Maybe it's … [Read more...]
Maintaining focus
Last year, I set a goal to run 13 half marathons in 79 days. Why? To "moon up" in Half Fanatics. I figured that I'd run 13 half marathons in 2013, how hard would it be to run 13 in 79 days? (And yes, I realize it's kind of an arbitrary goal, but aren't many of our running related goals arbitrary?) As it turns out, harder than I realized. Not the physical aspect. I'm trained. I can run 13.1 and know I'll finish. Sometimes it may suck. Yeah, Kentucky, I'm looking at you. And there may be more walking than I like. But I can do it. And mostly I can do it well and have fun while doing it. In fact, barring something stupid like tripping over my own two feet (BTDT), I'm not really worried about my body not being able to complete … [Read more...]
