I’m well into my training schedule to get to my December goal of completing a full marathon. I’m doing my plan and have a great supportive running group. My Saturday long runs certainly give me extended periods of time to think about why I’m doing better than ever before. I came up with several lessons I’ve learned which I can apply to life.
I’m running farther and faster than I have in years, using an interval walk/run pattern. This is a program promoted by Jeff Galloway, a 71 yr. old running coach, author, and 1972 Olympian. I run faster in the running intervals, and surprisingly the brisk walks ensure I will finish strong. I vary the intervals just to see what works best on a particular day. It’s not as exhausting because I’m using a variety of muscles keep me strong to the finish. Lesson: Change things up. Not only does it make things more interesting, your endurance is better.
It’s not just about running. During the week, with my local running group, Lew’s Walk ‘ Run, I also do warm-ups, core work, sit-ups, push-ups, planks, and lots of stretching. This strengthens my entire body, ensure muscle flexibility and joint mobility, reducing the likelihood of injury. Lesson: To be successful in anything, we must broaden our perspective, strengthen other skills, and stay flexible to ensure we live well and long.
Enjoy your successes! I run with a great group of running friends and we share our accomplishments and high-5 each other just for showing up. On the 4th of July, several of us ran the Santa Cruz Rotary Firecracker 10K race. When I got home and checked the results, I saw I placed 2nd in my age group. If we had stayed for the awards, I would’ve received a medal! A few days later, I drove over 30 miles to pick up my medal at the sponsoring running store. At first I felt silly, but as you can see, that hardware makes me smile! Lesson: Be proud of your success and enjoy the happy moments when it all works for you. Success is often just about showing up!
So far, I’ve learned so much from this experience. It’s not about the running, it’s about my life in forward motion. What are you learning when you’re doing something new?
2 Comments
Linda Feldbrugge
Love hearing about your running. Cheryl, I ran the LA marathon with a friend of mine who is a cancer survivor. The training was my favorite part. Little did I know I was anemic. My body after the race stsrted to break down. Now I share with all runners in training my story and encourage them to have their blood checked before training. It’s always a good idea to get a check up before starting to train.
Cherryll Sevy
You’re absolutely right….definitely I’d recommend a check up and blood workup done. Hopefully all is well with you and your friend.