What a difference a week makes!!!!! After my last long run, I was really questioning my sanity. Then along comes Sunday and I did my 14 in a little over 2:20. In case your keeping score at home that is the same time I finished 13 miles (my last long run). So what happened, a few important things. First off I had a better hydration plan and more importantly I stuck too it. BTW Larry I did try the honey on a trial run (wed), just a little too messy for me and running. Thanks for the tip and please keep em coming! I think I am having a growing preference for the beans, just the fact of chewing I think is what does it for me.
SecondlyI was motivated by doubt. Now you maybe thinking, how is that possible. It actually is quite simple when you think about it. Have you ever had someone doubt you, tell you, “You can’t do that, your too small, little, big, slow….etc?” Has that doubt motivated you? I bet it has, and it is extremely powerful driving force for you to prove that person wrong.
So how does that work in a solo activity liking running. When I finished that run last week, I was really doubting my ability to complete the challenge I have set before myself. Keep in mind I was not going to stop last week, and that doubt helped me to prepare better for the 14 mile run I had on Sunday and it also made me more in tune with what is going on in my body as I was running.
Doubt to me is one of the interesting phenomena I have discovered when I really started long distance running. It is that little internal voice that tells you all the negatives, your too thirsty, it is too hot, your muscles hurt…etc. Sometimes you have to listen to the voice to avoid injury, but sometimes it is just a voice that is messing with you. When I know the voice is messing with me I conjure the mental image of R. Lee Ermey, (Full Metal Jacket drill Sergeant) to put doubt back in it’s proper place. With that in mind I keep going, so conjure sometime that will help squash the doubt as your working out.
The next time doubt creeps into anything you do remember this one moment of Zen:
There will be many days you will doubt that you can do it but you will spend the rest of your lifetime knowing that you did!
