Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.
- Lao Tzu
One final week of training before my marathon debut and all that is left now is to not screw up what I have gained over the past 7 weeks. All the work has been done to prepare myself for this race and it's time to trust in my training and fitness. I am excited to place my foot on the line in Minneapolis and see just what all this work will translate into.
I know that this race will be a big learning experience, and it has been one already. So far the most important thing I have learned is that the marathon is a race of patience. A few seconds here or there could mean the difference between running with the Kenyans or running with some guy named Ken.
So this final week will be about biding my time, waiting until the time is right, and making the most intelligent moves. Mental training is all that remains. Preparing for the unknowns and the unanticipateds. I trick I have used each time I moved up in distance is to make a mental list of reasons why I will not slow down and/or will finish the race. Every runner has experienced the feelings of wanting nothing more than to step on that inside rail and end the mid-race suffering. What differentiates the good from the great is the ability to let go of yourself and quiet your mind. My list is set-up to help calm my mind and allow me to press on when things get rough because they will, and hopefully I will be ready.
- Lao Tzu
One final week of training before my marathon debut and all that is left now is to not screw up what I have gained over the past 7 weeks. All the work has been done to prepare myself for this race and it's time to trust in my training and fitness. I am excited to place my foot on the line in Minneapolis and see just what all this work will translate into.
I know that this race will be a big learning experience, and it has been one already. So far the most important thing I have learned is that the marathon is a race of patience. A few seconds here or there could mean the difference between running with the Kenyans or running with some guy named Ken.
So this final week will be about biding my time, waiting until the time is right, and making the most intelligent moves. Mental training is all that remains. Preparing for the unknowns and the unanticipateds. I trick I have used each time I moved up in distance is to make a mental list of reasons why I will not slow down and/or will finish the race. Every runner has experienced the feelings of wanting nothing more than to step on that inside rail and end the mid-race suffering. What differentiates the good from the great is the ability to let go of yourself and quiet your mind. My list is set-up to help calm my mind and allow me to press on when things get rough because they will, and hopefully I will be ready.