Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Chapter 2 page 138 - best advice

I'm feeling amazingly confident going into my first half marathon. I think it's a combination of knowing that I've had 5 months of consistent training (shout out to the 2 reasons I have been able to train "L"& "C") and having had a very positive 10 mile race at the Parlor City Trot. I also think that having a primary goal of finishing injury free takes a lot of pressure off - though "L" and I still think it would be within our reach to finish in about 3 hours (given our 10 mile time of 2:18).

I say that because I'm also scared. I have learned 13 is A LOT further than 10 - don't ask me why . . . in theory it's only 3 more miles, but something happens and it feels like another 10 miles. I'm scared because people die in half marathons. I'm scared because I have put so much time into training that I don't want to be disappointed in my effort. I'm scared I'll be too pooped to walk back to the car after the race . . . let alone drive home.

I've been reading my fav blogs all day and it appears that some of you have gotten a bit down on yourselves (not mentioning any names but there are at least 3 of you who seem to be a bit leary of your abilities to complete your upcoming half marathons). So, I'm asking all of my thousands of readers:
1. What has been the best piece of advice you have ever received related to race day, running, or just life in general?
2. What is something you would really want new runners to know about their first half?
3. What are some strategies you use to push through the hard parts of a half (ex: I read a book where she described how she had had all of her friends write down a funny comment - she put the papers in her SPI belt and pulled one out at each mile)?
4. What is your favorite quote?

For those of you in training for your first (me included) - we're going to rock this race like we are superstars!!!! Those of you who are sidelined with injuries or health conditions - hang in there, things will turn around and tomorrow will be so much better than today (trust me, I was sidelined for 10 years with a heel problem).

4 comments:

  1. 1. Listen to your body.
    2. Don't go for a PR! It's automatic. Aim to finish.
    3. I might bring my ipod.....
    4. Unknown at this point and time!!!

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  2. 13 might seem like a lot farther than 10 miles but at that point, I remind myself that I just have a 5K to go! We can all do a 5K!

    1. Best advice ... from my grandma: Breathe in the good, breathe out the bad. It helps in myriad situations.
    2. Have fun! It's so easy to get distracted by things like goals or the pain that you forget to have fun. Enjoy the spectators. Give high-fives! Take a look around! (You might see a house on Old Mill you'd like to buy :))
    3. With my first half, there were people who inspired me and I tried to think of them as I ran. One of them was a gentleman who lost his sight as an adult but still ran regularly near Lakeside Park. He wasn't the marathoner he used to be but he was still the runner. If he could do it, I could do it. I also find that when I don't want to go anymore that I start counting. Just keep going till I get to "10."
    4. "Spirit has fifty times the strength and staying power of brawn and muscle."

    "Even when you have gone as far as you can, and everything hurts, and you are staring at the specter of self-doubt, you can find a bit more strength deep inside you, if you look closely enough." - Hal Higdon

    "You have a choice. You can throw in the towel, or you can use it to wipe the sweat off of your face."

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  3. First of all...You ARE truely an inspiration! I don't know what I would have done these last few months without you and "L" by my side. You have been there when I needed a shoulder to lean on and now here we are just over a week until your first HALF! I have been picturing the finish in my mind. It will be a moment of many tears from joy, pain, and satisfaction. Can't wait to be there with you and share this milestone with you and "L".

    1. The best advice I received was from my youngest daughter..You can do anything that you think you can. You just have to want it bad enough... When I ran my first half, she was there at the finish to cheer me on and greet me as I crossed over the finish line. It gave me the courage to finish strong hearing her words in my head. I also didn't want to disappoint her. I have always told my daughters that you must finish what you start. I felt I had to live up to that philosophy and be a role model for my girls.

    2.Just go out and have fun. Know that when you finish...and you will...you will have completed something that not everyone can. It will also be your PR. When I finished my first half I actually cried, because I never dreamed that I would be running races and having my family cheer for me. It was always the other way around, me cheering for my girls as they participated in high school and college athletics.

    3. When I run alone, I always use my IPOD. I have songs on it that probably not many 53 year old women listen to. These songs are from my daughter's IPOD. They are hip hop, rap, and hard rock. But, I will say that they push me through periods of difficulty. I also love to engage in conversation with people along the way. Even if it is just a casual HI or a short conversation. It makes me feel more connected to the other racers. Since I run slow, I have the luxury of doing this.

    4. These are a few of my favorite quotes that have been on my three daughter's t-shirts over the course of their athletic careers in cross-country, track, swimming, golf, and basketball.

    "Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed" ...Booker T. Washington

    "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and diversity" ...Martin Luther King, Jr.

    "Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we might often win, by fearing to attempt"...Jane Addams

    So here I am on the other side of the "sideline" as I head into my third half-marathon. I was always the parent who tried to pump up my daughters spirit's before a big game or meet, made healthy meals before a competition, and cheered until I couldn't talk. Now, they are there for me. They have told me numerous times that they are proud of me for setting a goal and accomplishing it. It all goes back to what my husband and I taught them about finishing what you start. Although I would love to get a PR, I won't be upset if I don't. I'm just thankful that my body is healthy enough to do this. If I can hike 16 miles and climb Half Dome in Yosemite at 53, then I can do this!

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  4. @ Kimberly -
    I read your comment posted on another blog (post about running 15 miles on a treadmill and she was counting aloud in the cardio theater 1-10) - you said there that you count as well and it's a really bad day if you can only count to 4. Cracked me up. Glad you posted about counting here as well.

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