Well after 16 weeks of training the National Capital Race Weekend is finally here. It seemed to come faster than past years. Last night I picked up my race kit. It is always fun to get the kit and walk around with thousands of other runners from the family doing the 2k run together to the elite marathoners trying to qualify for Boston. The atmosphere is exciting and is a good way to get pumped for the race.
Overall I feel I have had an excellent training regime. Of course as luck would have it my runs never go without some adversity in terms of injuries. One week ago an old injury spontaneously resurrected causing me immense abdominal discomfort and pain. I am hoping that I will be able to overcome that throughout the race.
All I can do at this point is stretch the adhesions as much as possible and have a few ART treatments to see if that will reduce the pain and loosen up the tightness. Other than that I guess I will just have to wait and see what comes of it come race day.
However, I think I am mentally prepared to have to deal with what ever it is I have to deal with during the race. Be it the pain, the crazy humidity we’ve had the past week and any other barrier that comes my way. It might be more of a mental game than a physical one for me.
This month’s issue of iRun had a list of mantra’s used by athlete’s to get through their runs. I have used my own mantras over the past years and they certainly helped keep me going. Sometimes they are as simple as just saying to yourself “just keep running” and sometimes you have to dig a bit deeper and tell yourself just that “dig deeper, give it more” or “you have more in you, suck it up and run.” The one I liked from the iRun magazine was “suck it up princess” and “don’t think, just run”
I have many more mental games to keep me going and motivated such as thinking about those athletes that inspire me or those that have overcome immense adversity only to strive to come back the sport they love, with intensity and vigour. I find such inspiration from these types of people.
For my pre-race meal I typically have oatmeal. This year I have not been doing many morning runs and have not had oatmeal pre-run. Therefore it would be a bad idea to have oatmeal on race day. I think I am going to stick with a whole wheat bagel with either light cream cheese or light peanut butter and ½ a banana, a cup of coffee and water. Although the bagel will not last as long in my system as oatmeal will, I will likely have a power gel half way through the race if I feel my energy stores depleting.
Overall I feel I have had an excellent training regime. Of course as luck would have it my runs never go without some adversity in terms of injuries. One week ago an old injury spontaneously resurrected causing me immense abdominal discomfort and pain. I am hoping that I will be able to overcome that throughout the race.
All I can do at this point is stretch the adhesions as much as possible and have a few ART treatments to see if that will reduce the pain and loosen up the tightness. Other than that I guess I will just have to wait and see what comes of it come race day.
However, I think I am mentally prepared to have to deal with what ever it is I have to deal with during the race. Be it the pain, the crazy humidity we’ve had the past week and any other barrier that comes my way. It might be more of a mental game than a physical one for me.
This month’s issue of iRun had a list of mantra’s used by athlete’s to get through their runs. I have used my own mantras over the past years and they certainly helped keep me going. Sometimes they are as simple as just saying to yourself “just keep running” and sometimes you have to dig a bit deeper and tell yourself just that “dig deeper, give it more” or “you have more in you, suck it up and run.” The one I liked from the iRun magazine was “suck it up princess” and “don’t think, just run”
I have many more mental games to keep me going and motivated such as thinking about those athletes that inspire me or those that have overcome immense adversity only to strive to come back the sport they love, with intensity and vigour. I find such inspiration from these types of people.
For my pre-race meal I typically have oatmeal. This year I have not been doing many morning runs and have not had oatmeal pre-run. Therefore it would be a bad idea to have oatmeal on race day. I think I am going to stick with a whole wheat bagel with either light cream cheese or light peanut butter and ½ a banana, a cup of coffee and water. Although the bagel will not last as long in my system as oatmeal will, I will likely have a power gel half way through the race if I feel my energy stores depleting.
This thing is very good for health.
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Thanks