Sunday marked my second time to complete the half-marathon sponsored by Chevron/Aramco in Houston. The first in 2008, the year I officially moved to Houston, was a difficult race both mentally and physically and I can remember barely moving across that finish line and crashing shortly thereafter. I, like many runners who sign up for these races, did not train adequately and paid the price when the event arrived (I remember my "long" run being 4 loops around Memorial Park).
As most endurance athletes can attest, the Monday after a race is filled with people popping their heads in and asking you how things went, how you're feeling, what your time was and the obligatory congratulations (all of which I truly enjoy answering). Today was special for me because a colleague asked how I kept focused and what went through my head during all of the miles. Great question and even better inspiration to type up a post for my blog.
Racing over long periods of time requires proper training of the cardiovascular system, the joints, bones and tissues and even more importantly, the brain. The feeling of pain is a mechanism by which your brain tells you stop, quit, sit down and take a break. It's synonymous with the check engine light in your car--doesn't mean you can't keep going, just means something isn't exactly right. The more you train, the longer it takes the check engine light to come on when you're moving. When the pain starts, it becomes your brain's mission to make you stop. There is a fine line between pushing the limits of your body and doing it harm, and I am by no means recommending anyone ignore what their body is telling them. If your legs feel good, your heart rate is steady and you are not physically ill, but you still want to quit, there are ways to override the system. Here are a few of mine.
#1 Make every mile a single event, compartmentalizing it. Avoid focusing on what mile you are in, what mile is next and calculating how far you have left to go. These actions fuel mental breakdowns. Focus instead on your pace, your form (extremely important), how you are feeling (hungry, thirsty, hot, cold, sore) and the distance left in this one mile run. Finish this mile as efficiently as you can, then move onto the next one.
#2 Use positive affirmations. Yes, talk to yourself. Endurance events are lonely so be your best friend out there. "KMF" "BYB" "SY" "FS" "NGU"...keep moving forward, be your best, surprise yourself, finish strong, never give up.
#3 Use other participants to pace yourself. I label other athletes by their kits/bibs or shoes: Newton, Asic, Zoot, Pearl, ORR, OUL, HRTC. If my pace is correct and another athlete is in sight, I make it my goal to catch them. Then I mark someone else and do the same.
#4 Every mile is an opportunity to think about someone in your life for XX minutes. Every single mile of the run courses I complete are devoted to a person in my life. I don't even have to think about it, it just pops up. Yesterday I can remember my grandfather, Gramps, popping up at mile 6 (I saw a spectator who looked just like him), I thought of Emily at mile 7 and how this would be our 7th wedding anniversary. Mom and Dad took mile 5. I thought of my good friend Jamie during the first mile and how I wish he was here running with me. My in-laws popped up at mile 8. Chris and Megan took mile 11. Jack took mile 13.
My official time in 2008 was 1:56:16 and measured an 8:52/mi pace. My official time in 2015 was 1:31:29 with a measured pace of 6:54/mi. While hard work and discipline play a small role in the improvement, the greatest gains come from being able to connect the hobby you are so passionate about to making yourself a better person at the same time. The body is useless without the mind and spirit. Congratulations to all of my friends who finished the full and half distances. Many thanks to Chris and Megan for being there in the darkest, mile 11. To Lee and Judi, Alex, Jack and Dina for being there at the finish. And especially to my wife for allowing me to pursue this crazy dream of mine while trying to be the best man I can be.
Now onto Galveston 70.3.
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