RUNNING JOURNAL

COMPETITIVE MINDSET 

To God be the glory.  Yesterday, my competitive nature kicked in and I hit another personal running record of 8 miles.  I’m so happy!  Monday I had set a pr by running 6.4 miles.  I was happy about that also.  I told myself I would run 7 miles on Monday after breaking that record.  I was going for 7 because a few people at the gym told me they were running 7.  I knew I had to step my game up.  I just had to wrap my mind around going the extra mile, literally.  I can be a bit of an extremist, at times.  I like to take things to the next level.  I believe it’s the competitive nature in me.  Maybe male pride.  Maybe it’s all of those wrapped into one that makes me, me.  Who knows.  Regardless of what it is, that pushed me to go an extra 2 miles past the standard 6 I had set myself for the week.

It was day 25 of my fast where I removed solids from my diet.  It was my last day but I know I had to get this last run in for the week.  I was up at 6am.  I got on the floor and stretched my legs as best as I can.  Stretching can be exhausting for me.  They hurt so good though.  I then laid on my back, grabbed underneath my bed frame, lifted my legs, and did 250 Toes To Sky .  Here’s a youtube vid for visuals.

They really hurt when keeping your hands flat to the ground so I grab my bed bed frame.  I split them up to 2 sets of 100 and on my last set I did 50.  I then grab my ab ball and knock out 250 crunches on each side, then 250 on the front.  Now that my crunches are done I did 100 push ups.  2 sets of 50.  I’ve been slacking so much on my push ups it’s not even funny.  Starting next week I’ll be back to doing them every morning.

Now that my pre workout is complete I guzzle 32oz of water, plus 16 oz of green tea.  Right before I head to the gym I grab a bottle of juice out the fridge that I made from the pervious night.  Beets, Pineapple, Strawberries, and Celery.  I love beets!  Especially before working out.  I read that beets deliver more oxygen to your blood, which helps with endurance during a workout.  There is a method to my madness.

I’m at the gym now and I ride the stationary bike for 10 minutes to warm my legs up even more.  I wasn’t going super fast and I wasn’t going slow either.  Just a nice steady pace.  I knew I was going to be on the treadmill for a while so I made sure I emptied myself before running.  All that liquid I drank was pressing down on me.

I get on the treadmill with House of Cards playing on my phone.  I had to watch this episode because Frank is back in the White House after being shot.  This is my favorite show on Netflix.  I’m ready to run so I set the pace to 6.5.  I wanted to start off strong.  As the belt sped up, during each step, I could feel the belt sticking.  Now my treadmill runners reading this may know what I’m talking about.  This is a nerve wrecking feeling.  Very discouraging.  It’s when each step you take it feels like the belt is stuck under your foot so you jerk back loosing your footing.  I just kept it moving.  I held on to the rails until it passed.  I may have been slamming my foot down too hard initially.  That can be a factor also.  My first three-quarters of a mile, I was feeling discomfort in my knees.  Maybe running those 6 from the previous day had something to do with it.  I couldn’t stop, I had to keep it moving.

I ran at the same 6.5 pace until I hit mile number 3.  I was running at a 9:15 per mile pace which was better than my 9:25 that I finished from my previous run.  I do stress completion vs speed….at times.  At times it feels better for me to pick up the pace and go for it.  If I’m not feeling it I have no problem with slowing down.  As long as I don’t stop running, but complete the task, is the most important thing.

3.25 miles in and I slow it down to 5.5 to grab my bottled water for a swig.  I’m sweating, but not winded which is cool.  My legs are feeling fine.  In my head I’m like HALFWAY FINISHED!  Optimism at its best right?  I jump back to 6.5 until 4.5 miles.  I want to give up at this point.  I’m not tired or anything.  It’s just one of those phases I go through during each run.  I go back & forth from 5.5 for one minute to 6.5 for 4 or 5.  I hit the 5.5 mark and my show is off.  Very good writing this season.  I proceed to turn on some music to help me out this last half mile.  As I’m running I’m like let me go out with a bang and finish with 6.5 miles to break Mondays record.  It may have been the beet juice I drank earlier kicking in.  Ok, 6.5 came and I say to myself, just go for 7.  Get it over with.  I reach 7 and Mr. Competitive says, “Go for 7.25.  Don’t let anyone show you up.  They did 7.  You do 7.25.”  I get to 7.25 and here’s that voice again.  Saying the same thing.  This time he’s pushing for 8.  I agree and keep my legs moving.  I’m out of water.  No big deal, I know I have to finish.  At this time I’m at a good pace of 6.0.  I really can’t believe I’m going for 8 miles.  That’s crazy.  I finish and I’m happy beyond belief.  I’m an introvert emotionally.  I smile internally lol.

My knees are a little warm, my hamstrings are not too tight but I stretch them out so I won’t cramp up.  I can’t believe I really did 8 miles.  I’m drenched in sweat which I love to be after a workout.  I don’t believe in dry workouts.  That means you’re slacking.  No slackers allowed.  I’m in the locker room gathering my thoughts as I’m chugging down 48 oz of water back to back.  My thoughts are, “I really did it.  I set a goal and I hit it.  I did whatever it took to get there.”

It’s all about your mindset.  Wrap your mind around whatever goal that you have and what you need to do to accomplish it.  The only person that can stop you, is you.  We all need to get out of our own way at times.  Outsiders can say whatever they want but only you can control how you respond to it.  Pressure bursts pipes, and it can make diamonds.  Be a diamond!

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