Milestones vs. Roadblocks
Recently, I've read some inspiring blogs (like this one by my teammate Anna Weber) on cultivating mental toughness and turning negativity into positivity. After a long weekend of #snowmageddon aka winter storm Jonas, I have really been pushed to transform any negative perspectives I had to positive thoughts. My number one goal in the final three weeks before LA is to cultivate mental toughness. Beginning these final weeks, I want to focus on leaving behind any negative thoughts and solely carrying positve ideas to fuel excitement as well as enjoy training. I want to practice turning what seems like a roadblock into a milestone, using it to look forward rather than hinder progress.
So, taking a cue from my teammates and (if you can't tell already) using this blog as a form of self-reflection, here's a few things I want to reframe as I enter the last phase of training before LA:
1. Snow, Ice, and Treadmills
Here's the thing about the South. Winter weather usually arrives in the form of freezing rain, and occasionally some snow flurries. This weekend with a huge winter storm rolling in meant I was hitting the treadmill for the first time in ages. I will be the first one to tell you that I detest treadmills. I avoid them as much as possible, and will be the first to go outside and run in thunder, lightning, you name it. Nonetheless, I didn't want to take four steps outside this past Sunday and wipe out with a possibly season-halting injury. Hence, treadmill.
I hate the treadmill because I pretty consistently feel bad on them. It always seems to take longer to warm up and harder to feel springy when you're on one. But, despite feeling sluggish on Saturday, my Sunday run went much better than expected and I didn't even care that it was indoors.
Reframing the dreaded treadmill: get to run inside, where it's warm, control pace of the run, and listen to some great tunes. Boom! Weekend of indoor running, complete.
Roadblock: Forced to run all weekend indoors and at unusual times.
Milestone: Finished out a great week of training on treadmill; had a great conversation with a friend while on the treadmill; worked on being strong during extreme boredom.
For a six minute diversion, check out this video and this song I listened to basically on repeat while running this weekend.
2. Sacrifices
I have been reading a bunch of posts lately about the sacrifices elite athletes make in their training, and the things we, as runners trying to push our bodies to a state of peak physical performance, give up. Here's the big three of what I "sacrifice":
a. alcohol
b. coffee
b. staying up late/having an active social life
To elaborate on a few- I don't give up alcohol or coffee all the time. I can definitely appreciate a nice glass of wine or a beer, especially here in Charlotte where the brewery scene is alive and well. As for coffee, I'm an addict, and have been known to drink 4+ cups a day. However, I always cut alcohol and coffee before a big race. I have a pretty weak stomach, which requires me to start treating it with extra care a decent length of time before the peak point. This time, I stopped drinking both 4 weeks out. Coffee is what I miss most, and with it being cold outside, that's been the biggest struggle for me. Needless to say, post-marathon means lattes for days.
Staying up late and having an active social life are also linked, and largely due to training demands. I prioritize sleep, and aim to get 8+ hours in at night. This doesn't always happen, but does always mean that by ten o'clock, I am down for the count. This doesn't make me the best company in the evening as I am usually a big fan of lounging around at home and anytime after Jeopardy is a good bedtime, hence the social life = pretty low-key. Panthers playing in the Superbowl? I'll be toast at halftime.
But! To reframe: even though I'm not drinking coffee, I can still drink tea. And I love sleeping. Both things make me feel good, and that's helping my running.
Roadblock: Couldn't have a beer with friends while out to dinner Saturday.
Milestone: Still was able to have a great time socializing, and was able to come and get to sleep at a normal hour. Two for one!
3. Down days
Every so often, I have a day when I wake up and feel totally crummy. It can be just a morning shake-out to get me out of funk that cures this feeling, but, it sometimes can be an entire day of dealing with feeling entirely blah. Yesterday, and at points this weekend, I had some moments when I felt awful. My stomach was upset, legs heavy, head stuffy, etc. Pushing through some tougher spots over the past few days has helped me remind myself that this is okay. One bad day doesn't define a season- if anything, feeling off tells you your body needs some rest and recovery and time to catch up to all the work you've been making it do. This is a big hurdle for me - something I face frequently but every time have a hard time jumping over to move past it. I've been practicing dealing with negative thoughts that spring out of a simple off-putting feeling one day, and treating them as part of the process of training rather than panic signals for something larger being wrong.
Reframe: I'm feeling tired and just bad. And likely cranky because of it. Wait- this is fine! Listening to your body means being flexible in training, and each step you take towards your goal counts, even if it doesn't feel good. Being smart is a huge part of running, and by accepting that you have an off day, that's being smart. Tomorrow, you'll feel better. I don't need to dwell on the feelings now, I can think about thebigger picture.
Roadblock: Monday morning, woke up feeling crappy. Feeling persisted all day- stomach unhappy, legs not moving along well, tired.
Milestone: Listened to my body and took it easy for a day. Didn't push extra mileage, and used the day to recover and regroup. Took note of what my body wanted this week and the weeks ahead- more sleep!
Winding down this post, what I wanted to share was the continuing process that is positive thinking. Reframing, putting negativity away and focusing on progress and steps forward, and overcoming obstacles in both mental and physical aspects of training are each difficult for me. Thinking positively is something I've been continuing to work on, and feel that I've moved to doing more successfully each and every day. It's a key part of how I approach each day of training and also just life.
Three weeks and counting!! #LA2016