Bold Moves
Six weeks until race day, until I run the Prairie Fire Marathon! At this point, the long runs are getting VERY LONG. As the saying goes, “It’s getting real!” I love this part of the training because it is both physically and mentally taxing. I love this part because the goal is in sight! I love this part because I will have to dig deep, really focus on the 360.
It’s easy to start giving in to nerves at this point in training so this is when I focus on the 360. Let’s break that down. It means to really silence all the negative noise in life and focus on mind, body & soul, the whole 360.
Mind — I can be my own worst critic. This can be both good and bad. It can be helpful for improvement but when tackling a big challenge, it’s time to silence the critic and really gear up the positive self talk. I visualize running the race and I see myself crossing the finish line. I also talk myself up to overcome obstacles that are bound to happen during the race. I don’t imagine a perfect race; I imagine a successful race!
Body — I generally eat healthy but I have my trigger foods, the yummy but not good for you foods. For me that includes any type of Italian food and anything home baked, as in the amazing assortment of breads that Hubby makes. I am especially weak when he makes his banana-blueberry muffins! So…at this point in training it’s time to take the healthy meal plan up several notches…no refined carbs, little to no sugar. LOTS of protein, LOTS of veggies, good fats and definitely fruit (but watch the sugar). The only exception is 24-48 hours before my weekly long run; during that window of time I am eating very bland foods and allow pasta and bread. My intent is to avoid fiber because bad things happen on a long run if you eat fiber! Sticking to this nutrition plan helps me hit my race weight and also ensures that my body is at peak health come race day. I hate to admit it because I love refined carbs, but ditching them is the best for me. I have much more energy when I’m eating a healthy diet.
Soul — this is the part of the 360 that I strive to pay attention to ALL THE TIME. That said, I know that I can forget that “I am second” when I’m faced with big goals/challenges. Being achievement oriented, I can become very task centered and block out everything and everyone, even God. Since I know this about myself, I now make sure that I remind myself that I do all of these things for His glory. I owe all of who I am to the Lord because of the way He has shaped my life. Keeping my spiritual health solid is foundational to the rest of the 360 working. My mind and body cannot be optimal if my spiritual health is starved.
So yesterday I did a 20 mile training run with Team-in-Training. The weather was nice and we had cloud cover which is very valuable in August in Missouri! I felt strong until mile 14. My legs started to ache a bit and my left upper glute became really sore. It got worse with each step. Miles 15-17 were a real struggle…I started to wonder if I’d be ready for the race, if I had some sort of injury to deal with, was my new fueling plan not working? So I had to kick-in the self-talk and rely on my training, remind myself that I know how to deal with these obstacles and it will be ok. During the painful miles I focused on how I’d treat my angry muscle post run and I slowed my pace to ensure my form was good. Things settled down by mile 18 and I thanked the Lord for giving me a calm heart and strong body. I finished the 20 miles and felt relatively good those last 2 miles, glute was sore but not painful.
Focusing on the 360 applies to all of the big challenges/goals that I face, not only running marathons. What is your “go to” solution/method to tackle those big events/challenges/goals?
