Before I get to the topic of this post, let me give you a
brief update on my training. It’s
going! Since my last post, I completed my longest run to date – 20.6 miles – and lived to tell the
tale! I didn't break any land-speed
records, and there were walks along the way and a stop or two in parks to
replenish water. But I finished it, and
finished feeling like I had a bit left in the tank. This past Saturday’s run was 14.5 miles, a
shorty by some measures, but it was challenging none-the-less because the temps were warm again. But I finished that too, and it wasn't bad. I have a few weeks of training left, with speed work, a couple more long runs and a few more blog
posts in me, then the big day!
Shortly after I wrote my “Strength in Humility” post that
included my experience with that crappy run, one of my students asked me how my
marathon training was going. This
student is an amazing young woman (as they all are at St. Kate’s!) who is a
student athlete and member of our Wildcats hockey team. We’ve talked many times about the hockey team
and women’s athletics; I love her enthusiasm for sports. As we talked, she mentioned reading my blog
and the tough run, and declared in a very matter-of-fact manner “you know it’s
all in your head.” I chuckled and nodded,
although I don’t know that I was totally convinced. Thinking back about that run, I don’t recall
anything in my head that was going to help the pain in my legs at the time! Since that conversation, however, I’ve had
some time to consider the truth in her statement and have noted several examples
of how “it’s all in your head” manifests in running and in life.
It seems, as I’ve come to find out, that most (all?) runners
who train for a marathon have at least one of “those” runs. As a matter of fact, when I mentioned my
experience to a colleague who has run several marathons, her immediate response
was “so you got THAT out of the way,” implying that the crappy run is just a
part of the training process. Hills –
check. Speed work – check. Crappy run that challenges your psyche, plays
with your head and shakes your confidence enough to make you wonder if you can
really do this – check. Each of these
elements of training have at one time or another caused me to wonder – am I
going to throw in the towel and give up or will I dig deep and keep going? As I understand it, this question will often creep
into a marathoner’s head around mile 20, also known as “the wall” and affords
the opportunity to reconsider the goal, recalibrate the resolve, and keep going
(or catch a ride on the sweeper bus.)
“Tell me about your
most challenging training run” I said to my friend Sarah shortly after “that”
run, knowing she ran her first marathon just a couple years ago and would offer
me some great insights and encouragement.
She didn’t miss a beat and launched into a story that described my
experience exactly – the heat, the exhaustion, the lead-like legs, the feeling
of doubt. She then let me in on a little secret – a
strategy she uses quite often: running
mantras. She said that there are times
when runs get hard, and during those times she uses mantras to help her get
through. My favorite of the ones she
shared, the one that I’ve since used many times, is simple:
Quiet mind…
Quiet step…
Quiet breath…
Quiet met.
It’s cool how this works… if I find myself breathing or
stepping too loudly, which is often an indication that I’m exerting way too
much energy, I simply repeat this mantra a few times and my breathing slows
down… my feet seem lighter, and I’m good to go.
The funny thing is that I’ve not only used this while running, but find
it quite helpful when stress levels heighten at work and I need to recalibrate
my energies and focus. Quiet mind… Quiet
step… Quiet breath… Quiet met. A runner’s
prayer…
While mantras are a relatively new strategy for me, prayer
is not. Truth be told, I start every run with a prayer of gratitude. It’s hard not to be grateful when sunrises
are so spectacular, cool breezes are
refreshing, lilacs smell so
amazing, and I have good health, challenging work and wonderful family and
friends that bless my life each and every day.
Time at the beginning of a run spent in gratitude is time well spent. While my muscles are warming up and body
still creaking a bit, prayer helps me refocus on something positive – a recalibration
of sorts so that I can begin my run from a stronger place.
This recalibration reminds me of another time in my life
when shifting thoughts and prayers served me well. That time was 10 years ago when my mom was
diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I
remember very clearly my progression of prayer. My first prayers, as hard as this is to admit, included a simple request: “Please let the doctor be
wrong.” Selfish, maybe, but I so wanted
her to be wrong – I prayed that what she found was something that was an easy
fix or something not as serious as the cancer she diagnosed. When we went to Mayo for a second opinion and
a battery of tests confirmed the doctor was right, my prayer shifted to “Please
let the experimental treatment work and give mom more time with us.” It didn’t – she didn’t experience the results
we hoped for and the side effects compromised her quality of life far more than the
treatment helped. When she decided to
stop treatment and begin hospice, my prayers shifted again, this time to
something much simpler: a prayer for patience
and strength. That’s all: patience and strength. I asked
for this daily, sometimes more often than that.
Patience and strength, not only for me, as I helped care for mom and tried
to balance family and work demands, but also patience and strength for Paul and
the kids, for family and friends, and most of all, for my mom. This prayer offered a sense of comfort, calm and
confidence during a time of great uncertainty.
It helped me through the most challenging time of my life. As a result, this prayer for patience and
strength has become a staple for me. A life
mantra, if you will.
“It’s all in your head.”
I see more truth in this statement now than I did earlier. The “head work” - mantras, prayers and
positive self-talk - make a huge difference in how I respond to a run,
especially a long, difficult one. This
“head work” certainly makes a difference in how I respond to life, too. That said, I can’t ignore or understate the
important role ibuprofen also plays in this equation! Just sayin...
P.S. With this
marathon goal is my goal to raise money for the National Hospice Foundation,
which will split 50% of the money raised between the Regional Hospice Program
in Hayward and the Deaf Hospice Program in Minnesota. If you haven’t already donated and are in a
position to do so, please do. My
donation page is found at: http://www.active.com/donate/runtoremember2012/runpaularun
Thank you!
