Picking out Positives – Thou shalt not freakout about a non-spectacular run!

This morning’s long run was interesting. It had some qualities that could easily have lead me to decide that it wasn’t very good, or even BAD, and then proceed to freak out. Gut problems started around 6km. Accumulated fatigue resulted in a pace that was a little discouraging. Then side stitches on both sides. Lastly, the option my coach gave me for an up-tempo finish wasn’t looking good, and then didn’t happen.

Despite the latter, I didn’t have to force myself to look for positives today, they were apparent. I did, however, need to make a conscious choice to focus on them and to form a list of all the great things that came of this training run. Being with my best run buddies was a game-changer as always, but in the end, making that choice is what allowed me to NOT let a tired, crazy-stomach run with many walk breaks get into my head and trick me into thinking negative (and total bullshit) things about training like:

“I’m not ready”

“I suck at this”

“I’ll never reach my goals”

“Worst run ever.”

etc.

Here is the list. Maybe it will give you some ideas the next time things aren’t going as planned on a long run, which I have come to find happens as often as not.

1. I have a sore, ripped-open blister on the inside of my big toe and it’s been bothering me even when not running, BUT I tried a blister cushion bandaid and it stayed put and was legit! I didn’t have pain or notice it during the run, or at least not enough to let it piss me off.
2. No chafe! I confirmed that my favourite Oiselle shorts, which I’d like to wear at the Calgary Marathon, can withstand 26k. I’ll put them to the test again next weekend for +30km.
3. I had no specific muscle or joint discomfort. Often I’ll get painfully tight calves and/or achilles during the first kilometres as my body continues to warm up and find the groove. My left ankle also tends to get really achey from old soccer and volleyball injuries. Today, everything felt good, aside from general tiredness.
4. . Love the new Salt Stick chewable tablets I picked up at REI in Seattle last weekend. Once my stomach wasn’t going buck wild anymore I tried a couple. Small, not chalky, good flavour and great reviews so I really wanted to test them out on a long run, and I really wanted to like them! Success.
5. Renewed appreciation for outhouses! Not just for avoidance of pant-pooing, but because a time will come when a stop during a race is required, and in that case, efficiency is needed! A pit stop can be made in a minute and I have realized it doesn’t necessarily have to effect overall time by much!
6. I spent hours on my feet, working on endurance and simply getting it done. Yes, I was instructed to run the last 6km up-tempo IF feeling good, but I just worked on completing the prescribed distance. General goals of a long run (increase aerobic base, improve running economy, build confidence in distance and duration) were achieved.
7. My Pro Compression socks were good to go, and I may want to wear these on race day so this is good news. I love my CEP and Tiux socks too, but I find the PC ones less hot. My feet are gross, chewed up and sensitive and seem to hurt from so many different sock materials and thicknesses…strange since my feet are comparable to the skin of a rhino. LOL. Anyways, no issues with blisters, callouses or painful friction. And, tall socks can’t slip down the heel. Another win.
8. We beat the rain. Aside from a little at the very end which was refreshing, the weather was super cooperative precipitation and temperature-wise. So satisfying to have a long run completed by 9am and to have taken advantage of the nicest part of the day.

 

It’s almost May. The Calgary Marathon is less than a month away. My brain is already trying to freak out. No! The next four weeks of the training schedule have been and will continue to be examined suspiciously. I have added Calgary to my Weather Network app and have been checking it approximately every eight hours ahahahaha, it doesn’t even show May 28th yet!!! It is so easy to let doubt creep in, instead of having confidence and trusting in the training that has been put in and ignoring the uncontrollable factors. This goes for anyone approaching their goal spring race. Shout-out to all the people running BMO Vancouver next weekend, you know who you are! Lets pick positive things to focus on. I will if you will haha.

Today’s training run is very meaningful to me because I actively decided it was good and not bad. It’s like that basic saying, “man I really regret that [run]…SAID NO ONE EVER!”

For all people appraching a big race, lets think about the good stuff!