Time to Stop Just Showing Up

Feet don't fail me now

Even though I'm only 3 days into marathon training, I've been thinking for a while about the race and how to better prepare myself for it. I've been doing a lot of reading about motivation and training your mind as well as your body. I feel like that's where my weakness lies-my body may be ready to go but my mind wants to hold back and not give 100%. One of my goals for this marathon is to empty the tank but I've realized that won't happen automatically and I need to work on doing that more in training.

Another realization that I've had is that I need to stop just checking the box. In the past I've convinced myself that as long as I do what the schedule says, that's good enough. But going out and running 6 miles at a half baked effort isn't helping me run faster, it's just checking the box. It's the same with my racing, I like to race and I like the feeling of accomplishment I get after finishing but after each race recently I've known deep down that I didn't really push myself as hard as I could have. That I just showed up and checked the box.

But if I just show up to the Rio Marathon, I won't run it in 3:35. I won't qualify for Boston. I won't empty the tank. And I really really want to do all of those things. Soooo...I'm going to stop congratulating myself for just showing up and start pushing myself to get the maximum out of every workout. I only have a finite number of chances to get myself ready-both physically and mentally-before the marathon and I want to take advantage of each one.

It really hit me during today's hill workout with Coach BB. She had me doing high knees at the top of the hill and I wasn't getting them up high enough so she was yelling at me and I was thinking: But I'm here, I'm doing it, isn't that good enough?  In the past I would have answered myself: Yes, it's enough. Way to go you! Just get it done. Check that box!"

But today my answer to myself was different. Instead I thought: HELL NO! It's not good enough! Stop just showing up and get those knees up!! And for a brief moment, I got those knees up.

I'll have a chance to test myself on this new resolve on Friday. Coach BB wants me to run 5 miles at race pace but she told me this time to finish going up my beloved hill. At race pace. And if I get to the top and I feel like I didn't keep up the pace all the way up, I should turn my butt around and run it again. And that time I better get it right.

Sometimes I think that woman can read my mind...