I'm nine weeks away from Dopey. Two weeks ago I had my first runner's injury. Since then I've slowed down to take care of it. Doing all the right things; icing, massaging, easy runs, walking, practicing yoga, stretching, and resting. But there's one thing that just doesn't seem to be right.
Now, if you've ever trained really hard, or have engaged in a lifestyle of strenuous physical activity then you have experienced it many, many times. It can happen during steep bridge repeats. It can happen when you are running relentlessly. It can happen even in the simplest of walks. It's always there! Lurking it's ugly head, ready to feed off your pain and suffering, every thought of failure, every shouldn't, wouldn't, and couldn't. It comes at your lowest ebb, seeking the perfect moment to capture your soul. And when it happens, you know it's going to be a nightmare.
You know what I'm talking about.
It's the moment, during training, when you are suddenly feeling overwhelmed and
think...OH S%&@ - what the F#@& did I get myself into moment.
But how?
Maybe
it's the injury. Maybe it's fatigue. Maybe it's boredom in my routine.
To tell you the truth, it really doesn't matter. The bottom line is I cannot approach my mental training just like I do my physical training.
I know there are several books out there on mental preparedness. I've read a few and they've helped me learn a great deal about running with mindfulness; integrating my running with the mind of meditation. It has helped me improve my athletic intuition about when and how much to strive or surrender. Ultimately, it has helped me learn how to follow my breathe and listen to the voice within.
However, as my Dopey training progresses, I've also come to understand I have a mental landscape filled with fears, doubts, fatigue and pain. And if I'm not careful, chaos will reign supreme and derail my progress.
The Reality of Training
There is a fantasy and there is a reality. The fantasy is that I am invisible and nothing can stop me. The reality is that's not true. The reality is that training comes with a cost. And the cost is effort. The cost is commitment. The cost is discomfort.
Looking back upon Goofy I realize it also had it's OH S%&@ Moments. The amazing thing is that upon the completion of the Challenge, my mind never really did hit "The Wall." Mile 18 was no more or less painful than Mile 28 or Mile 36. Yes, the physical effort of the Challenge was tremendous, but it was the mental effort that carried me across the finish line.
Certainly my training had something to do with it.
Goofy Lesson's Learned
Now it's time for me to apply the lesson's learned during my Goofy training.
- Accept that a portion of my training will run into the OH S%&@ Mental Landscape moment. It's a landscape littered with my own failures and successes, pains and gains. It can be scarey but it's a journey that is uniquely mine. Embrace it with an open heart.
- Understand, there is always a calm after a storm. Powerful emotions like Anger, Fear, Fury will pass. Learn to cycle through these difficult emotions and I will achieve balance and growth in my personal life.
- Never question my goal. The completion of Dopey is more than a goal. It's a summit. It's has the power to capture and hold my imagination - To Live Another Dream!
- Stop judging myself. It's inevitable. I'm going to have good and bad training days. Instead of expanding my mental energy on why I'm in pain, I'm going to repeat this mantra: "Never Let Go of Your Dream"
- Plan flexibly. Dopey is a long athletic event. It requires chaos. I can't foresee the future. Let it go! Be in the Now to get past "The Wall."
Nothing! Just Keep Running!
Because ultimately, dreams don't work unless you do!
 |
| Living My Dream! |
