To paraphrase Yogi Berra (again) running is 90% mental, and the other half is physical.
Family legend is that when they were teaching my older brother to ride a bike (I’m the youngest of 9), my brother kept falling off the bike on the lawn and crying. When no one was looking, I picked the bike up and pedaled off with my older siblings chasing me to stop.
I’m just over 4 weeks from my half marathon. I had the Covid booster, then dental work, then training at work take me off my plan for over a month. I revised my plan to run 9 miles on Monday, 5 or so miles a couple other days, then 10 miles on Friday or Saturday. Each week I’ll add a mile to each long run, ending my training the week before the half with a 13 and 14 mile run. It’s actually been easy, since it takes the pressure off of suiting up 5-6 days a week, to planning only 3-4 runs a week.
I often just pick an achievable physical object in front of me, run to that, then pick the next one. Eventually my mind wanders off to day dreaming. Which I’m real good at.
"What the mind can conceive, the body can achieve" - and it can almost always endure more than our minds can. Great article about persevering and telling the mind to be quiet as you achieve just one more milestone. Congrats to all who do this!
Hello: Live north of Boston supposed to get a foot of snow this weekend. Temps have been in single digits many a morning. There is ice on the ground and I "occasionally" run on the treadmill but oh that can be tough: got to remember: be careful what you say, your mind is listening. I will run tomro and will think about your story with your son. I think I can ! I do enjoy running outside and normally run 3.5 miles, would like to increase that, but Winter can put the kabosh on that. Rowed this am and am reading Chi Running ! I guess patience for this time of year.
Great story and inspired me to get outside and run even though it was 4 degrees yesterday. Awesome run and now I know I can keep running outside even if is cold. Keep the post coming, love hearing other peoples stories. Enjoy!
I love your son’s success story and I can certainly relate, especially after this pandemic. I’m slowly getting back into it as well…training for a 40 miler, 75k, 50 miler, and 100 miler, all chronologically and strategically in order. Honestly though I have made every excuse in the world to not run from the beginning of the year, that is until I went to my annual checkup and got on the scale lol! I have NEVER, not even 9 months pregnant, weighed this much (and I have 10 kids). Needless to say, it’s given me the drive I was looking for. Pre-planned meals, intermittent fasting, and running again. Going ALL in! Thank you for the weekly plans. That helps guide me too. I may have missed it but was there a decision on the race we’re training for?
I’m training for the Seton Austin Half pn Feb 20th. Will do an 11 miler probably on Sunday this week. Being retired affords me the luxury of scheduling on the warmer days. By warmer, I mean warmer than freezing! Hope you have a great week!
I loved the story about your son. It was heartwarming. You sound like a great dad.
Through running i am constantly reminded that i am stronger than i realize. I also remember learning that "The Wall" was not one obstacle but rather many many hurdles to be conquered on the way to the finish line. Thanks as always.
GM. Though it has been said before here, I'll again say how much I appreciate this blog and this page, especially so lately! Terrell, you know I'm struggling with an injury - more about having the patience and discipline to wait it out and let it heal than anything. This works for me as well for, just these past few days, it's been hard accepting that I'll really likely not run possibly until May or June again. When you run, as we here all do, missing a day, or two, is a killer mentally, even much more so than physically, so this "forced" break has been difficult. These pieces, as well this community, have helped immensely as it both gives me support as well as hope - knowing that there really is a light at the end of the tunnel and that this will pass and I'll be back doing what I have come to love sooner rather than later! Today's read was a great motivator [made me want to write to let you know] and I'll have it in mind for a while to help...
As usual I loved the article and plan on purchasing her book. Even with a sore knee I'm keeping up with my training.
The word Step Daughter didn't set well with me. I married my wife 20 years ago and she had two daughters. I said the word step daughter years later and got a tongue lashing...
"My daughters love you and I know that you love them," I was told. When you married me, you also indirectly became their father. Would you do anything for them? Would you lay your life down for them if necessary?" I said yes to both. "Then, forget the "Step" their your daughter as much as the ones living with your ex-wife... From that day on, when anyone asks me, I tell them I have 4 daughters... the way they look at me now has changed... they call me their dad now...
The photo was lovely! I like to look at pictures of the civilized South, but I'll take our wild PacNW any day. Such a caring parent you are! I see them frequently on the Trail I run. Wondering, though how we children ever survived?! Country dirt roads and old bikes from the dump. . . we just got on them and rode all over. I think my little sister was the only one who cried, but then seems she cried all the time! Ah, I do miss life on the farm and am looking for a replacement somewhere.
As to doing things we never thought we could do. . .well . . .I don't think "can't" was allowed in our vocabulary. The only stumper for me was long division and I don't even know if kids do that on paper anymore.
Out on a training run today. It's still cold fog, has been all week, but due to change to rain tomorrow. Oh Joy! But it is getting closer to Spring. Ground Hog day is soon!
Monterey looks good, for November in spite of all the tempting races that you have been posting on Friday! ;) Guess the Big Sur Marathon will be run in April even though they just had a fire by one of the bridges. . . I haven't heard as of yet. :) Have you?
To paraphrase Yogi Berra (again) running is 90% mental, and the other half is physical.
Family legend is that when they were teaching my older brother to ride a bike (I’m the youngest of 9), my brother kept falling off the bike on the lawn and crying. When no one was looking, I picked the bike up and pedaled off with my older siblings chasing me to stop.
I’m just over 4 weeks from my half marathon. I had the Covid booster, then dental work, then training at work take me off my plan for over a month. I revised my plan to run 9 miles on Monday, 5 or so miles a couple other days, then 10 miles on Friday or Saturday. Each week I’ll add a mile to each long run, ending my training the week before the half with a 13 and 14 mile run. It’s actually been easy, since it takes the pressure off of suiting up 5-6 days a week, to planning only 3-4 runs a week.
I often just pick an achievable physical object in front of me, run to that, then pick the next one. Eventually my mind wanders off to day dreaming. Which I’m real good at.
Love this! I just chose a new “Word of the Week” for myself & my students next week: resilience. Thank you!
"What the mind can conceive, the body can achieve" - and it can almost always endure more than our minds can. Great article about persevering and telling the mind to be quiet as you achieve just one more milestone. Congrats to all who do this!
Hello: Live north of Boston supposed to get a foot of snow this weekend. Temps have been in single digits many a morning. There is ice on the ground and I "occasionally" run on the treadmill but oh that can be tough: got to remember: be careful what you say, your mind is listening. I will run tomro and will think about your story with your son. I think I can ! I do enjoy running outside and normally run 3.5 miles, would like to increase that, but Winter can put the kabosh on that. Rowed this am and am reading Chi Running ! I guess patience for this time of year.
Great story and inspired me to get outside and run even though it was 4 degrees yesterday. Awesome run and now I know I can keep running outside even if is cold. Keep the post coming, love hearing other peoples stories. Enjoy!
I love your son’s success story and I can certainly relate, especially after this pandemic. I’m slowly getting back into it as well…training for a 40 miler, 75k, 50 miler, and 100 miler, all chronologically and strategically in order. Honestly though I have made every excuse in the world to not run from the beginning of the year, that is until I went to my annual checkup and got on the scale lol! I have NEVER, not even 9 months pregnant, weighed this much (and I have 10 kids). Needless to say, it’s given me the drive I was looking for. Pre-planned meals, intermittent fasting, and running again. Going ALL in! Thank you for the weekly plans. That helps guide me too. I may have missed it but was there a decision on the race we’re training for?
Terrell—-great story! Thank you for providing important lessons for your son, and for us!
I’m training for the Seton Austin Half pn Feb 20th. Will do an 11 miler probably on Sunday this week. Being retired affords me the luxury of scheduling on the warmer days. By warmer, I mean warmer than freezing! Hope you have a great week!
I loved the story about your son. It was heartwarming. You sound like a great dad.
Through running i am constantly reminded that i am stronger than i realize. I also remember learning that "The Wall" was not one obstacle but rather many many hurdles to be conquered on the way to the finish line. Thanks as always.
Wonderful story!
GM. Though it has been said before here, I'll again say how much I appreciate this blog and this page, especially so lately! Terrell, you know I'm struggling with an injury - more about having the patience and discipline to wait it out and let it heal than anything. This works for me as well for, just these past few days, it's been hard accepting that I'll really likely not run possibly until May or June again. When you run, as we here all do, missing a day, or two, is a killer mentally, even much more so than physically, so this "forced" break has been difficult. These pieces, as well this community, have helped immensely as it both gives me support as well as hope - knowing that there really is a light at the end of the tunnel and that this will pass and I'll be back doing what I have come to love sooner rather than later! Today's read was a great motivator [made me want to write to let you know] and I'll have it in mind for a while to help...
I wrote this a week later foe a reason...
As usual I loved the article and plan on purchasing her book. Even with a sore knee I'm keeping up with my training.
The word Step Daughter didn't set well with me. I married my wife 20 years ago and she had two daughters. I said the word step daughter years later and got a tongue lashing...
"My daughters love you and I know that you love them," I was told. When you married me, you also indirectly became their father. Would you do anything for them? Would you lay your life down for them if necessary?" I said yes to both. "Then, forget the "Step" their your daughter as much as the ones living with your ex-wife... From that day on, when anyone asks me, I tell them I have 4 daughters... the way they look at me now has changed... they call me their dad now...
The photo was lovely! I like to look at pictures of the civilized South, but I'll take our wild PacNW any day. Such a caring parent you are! I see them frequently on the Trail I run. Wondering, though how we children ever survived?! Country dirt roads and old bikes from the dump. . . we just got on them and rode all over. I think my little sister was the only one who cried, but then seems she cried all the time! Ah, I do miss life on the farm and am looking for a replacement somewhere.
As to doing things we never thought we could do. . .well . . .I don't think "can't" was allowed in our vocabulary. The only stumper for me was long division and I don't even know if kids do that on paper anymore.
Out on a training run today. It's still cold fog, has been all week, but due to change to rain tomorrow. Oh Joy! But it is getting closer to Spring. Ground Hog day is soon!
Monterey looks good, for November in spite of all the tempting races that you have been posting on Friday! ;) Guess the Big Sur Marathon will be run in April even though they just had a fire by one of the bridges. . . I haven't heard as of yet. :) Have you?