Dearest Yellow jacket, we had some GOOD TIMES! You will forever be a part of my half marathon glory! :lol:
You can bet your behind that they believe they are strong!
I wonder what their mantra is?
I was so inspired by this man who looked to be in his 70’s finishing 13.1 miles!
I wanted to quit so many times during this race because I had sharp stomach pains (i think it was from not eating early enough!). I stopped and walked a lot, and I just felt defeated. I had to keep repeating the note that was on my back just to get through the race.
I was never more happy than to cross that finish line (race recap can be found here).
When you think you can’t do something, remind yourself of a time when you reached a goal.
Today I struggled on a 10-mile run and I had to keep reminding myself of times when I did succeed with this distance.
I had to tell myself, ‘You are so much stronger than you think’ over and over until I believed it again.
The run:
- Distance: 10 miles
- Total ascent (hill climb): 1121 feet
- Avg heart rate: 162 bpm
- Max heart rate: 179 bpm
- Avg pace: 9:21 min/mile
- Time: 1 hour 33 mins.
Mile Splits:
- Mile 1: 9:06; ascent- 121 ft
- Mile 2: 8:52; ascent- 100 ft
- Mile 3: 9:04; ascent- 108 ft
- Mile 4: 8:55; ascent 141 ft
- Mile 5: 9:14; ascent- 110 ft
- Mile 6: 9:53; ascent- 105 ft (my water ran out and I had none the rest of the run)
- Mile 7: 9:33; ascent- 117 ft
- Mile 8: 9:41; ascent- 113 ft
- Mile 9: 10:11; ascent- 117 ft (I struggled SO much with this mile!)
- Mile 10: 9:04; ascent- 89 ft (My goal was to finish strong!!!)
I’m not going to pretend like saying those words will instantly make it easy because that just isn’t true, but thinking about times when you have succeeded at something provides HOPE and inspiration. Maybe it was a piano recital that you rocked or your first 5k race or the time you headed to the gym in the dark even though your 8 month old had you up all night.
Each of us have victories each day that we often pass by without recognizing.
When you are struggling, think of the good times. Think of the times when you made a positive step in the right direction and think about the feelings you felt. Connecting the memory to the positive feeling will motivate you to want to feel those same emotions again.
Today’s run was not easy and I wanted to QUIT many times- I was feeling tired from lack of sleep and doing a lot of physical work this morning. Aside from that I was bored after mile 6- I was looping the neighbourhood and did not play any music on this run. However, by believing in myself I was able to push past my mental block and remind myself that sometimes the obstacle is more in our mind than on the pavement.
I’d love for you to tell me about a time when you succeeded that sticks out in your mind- it could be rocking a presentation, a race, a speech, beating an illness, an exam, a job interview, getting through a training workout, helping someone out, etc. Share your glory!
One thing that sticks out in my mind, and will forever, is when I passed my Oral Defense for my Master’s degree. It was quite possibly the most grueling 3 hours of my life and also the most anxiety-provoking thing I have ever been through. Whenever I am anxious about a meeting, speech, or other anxiety-provoking situation, I remind myself of the oral defense and how I overcame my fear. I tell myself, if I could get through that, I could get through anything.
YAY ANGE! You are such a strong and determined woman, and it really shines through in your blog. I just love your positivity :)
this is kind of depressing, but there was a time in my life where i was at rock bottom…and i never thought i’d make it out alive! but looking back, i made it and i’m a better, stronger person now than i ever dreamed i would be, and i’m living a much happier, healthier life than i was at that point. Thank God i made it!
I am a huge believe in the power of positive thinking. I truly think we can do ANYTHING we want to, if we put our minds, passion, and work into it.
I second Heather’s response. I can do all thing throuhg Christ who strengthens me! I can never do anything on my own free will and strength. I fail everytime!
There have been many times in my life that I’ve struggled & prevailed! Moving up from San Francisco back to Seattle was hard for me to do, but I knew in the end that it was the right thing for me at that point in time.
Another lesson I’ve learned is to not give up, even if I’ve been rejected once before. Last year I didn’t get into my top pick for graduate school, but that doesn’t mean I’m not trying again!
Great post Angela!
Good for you!
When I am running and I feel like quitting, I just say, “Okay, make it to the next street corner and then you can stop!” and when I get there I always think, “Okay, just one more street” and before you know if you have made your goal distance or more :)
Haha I do that all the time with cracks in the concrete!
I’m so unbelievably inspired by you.
Dido :)
I’ve definitely had those rock bottom, not gonna make it runs– it feels SO good when you persevere and succeed against all odds!!!
I hope you and the yellow jacket are reunited some day…even if it’s not the same one :-)
Runs like that are so tough, but you feel like a million bucks once you’re done!
I got sober 3 1/2 years ago. And when I don’t think I can do something, I remind myself of those 30 days, locked up in a treatment center, sobbing on my bed, screaming at the staff that I couldn’t do it anymore, sitting like a stone with no emotion for hours on end, and in the end, getting the gift that not every alcoholic gets. Sobriety. And the first year was tough. Now that I started exercising, I see my recovery from being a slug much in the same light. That first year is going to be tough. I’m resigned to that. But if the last 2 (wonderful) years of my recovery from alcoholism mean anything in the world of fitness, I’m pretty sure my fitness and health will rebound as much as my spirit did in those dark ,dark days.
That is the mantra I have been using on my runs lately. It helps! I also tell myself ‘Im going to Rock This run’ before I go out :)
I think being able to run and now training for my first half marathon is a step to a huge accomplishment for me. I always hated running back when I was dancing in High School (back when I actually had good stamina), but my asthma made it miserable. I have now been able to push through that and actually improve my asthma! You can do anything as long as you set your mind to it :)
My biggest battle was changing my thinking and getting better from depression. I have a hard time thinking positively. I have really over come the negative thoughts. No only about exercise but about every aspect of me. My brain is a totally mysterious thing.
Wow, everyone’s moment of glory is really inspiring!
I think mine would be this weekend. I successfully completed my 55mile bike ride in Reach the Beach on Saturday. Months of training paid off. The ride was amazing. Then with only 10 miles left, my bike broke and I had to complete the rest of the ride without any gears! But I did it and I crossed the finish line on my bike!
Congrats on finishing your run! I LOVE this line (and totally agree): “sometimes the obstacle is more in our mind than on the pavement.” Our minds are amazingly powerful things…they can set up huge road blocks, or give us the strength we need to overcome them.
A time that sticks out in my mind is actually my very first marathon. I cramped up (leg cramps) at mile 14 and was pretty miserable the rest of the way. At mile 20, I had no idea how I could possibly finish, I was in so much pain. I actually stopped for a second to try to stretch out my legs, but then quickly realized that if I let myself rest for a minute, I would NEVER start running again. Thankfully, I was able to push through and finish, just by taking it one step at a time. Now, when I’m faced with something extremely challenging, I just think back to that — if I can make it through that marathon, I can make it through anything. :)
One of my biggest accomplishments happened on Sunday actually!
It was my third race and for the first time I ran the entire distance with no walking breaks!
I am so proud of myself!!
My mom always says that “something is always better than nothing”. I think that is especially true when doing an activity. you should be so proud of yourself for working through the pain and allowing yourself to be the best during that time.
My big successful moment was this weekend…I completed a 39.3 mile, 2 day walk. My Dad was by my side the whole way. It was a great moment!
I’ve had a few moments in my life where I was just so proud of myself for having gotten through it and I will always remember the huge relief I felt just knowing it was behind me. The time I got up on a stage in college and sang a sang Orange Colored Sky for my soloist class at a choral concert – sounds silly but it was probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done. The first time I finished a half marathon. Giving a speech on behalf of my company. Saying my vows at my wedding – again, sounds silly, but HELLO! there’s like this huge audience and it’s no secret I get crazy stage fright! lol… Nice work on your race, I think sometimes the worst races are the ones we should feel most accomplished for finishing!
The biggest thing I have had to push through was an injury on my foot that left me coach ridden and having to quit my job for the past 6 months. It was miserable going from a very active life to nothing. I kept telling myself that I was doing everything I could to get better fast and there was nothing else I could do to make it happen any faster. Luckily my husband and family helped me through this tough time and I am finally up and walking again without any pain! It is hard when things like this happen, but you have to keep living the best life you can.
I had a successful moment this past weekend. I had a great 10k race and felt really good the whole time. Thanks for making me stop and take a moment to realize that.
I went to the gym last night for the first time in a LONG time. I was going to a fitness class and before leaving, I almost talked myself out of it. I was afraid that it would be too hard for me to finish and that the other people would think that I was a fool for not knowing what I was doing. I remembered your post about your mantra that you repeat to yourself while swimming. So I made up my own to remind myself how strong I am and all the times that I’ve already proved that to myself. Of course, the gym turned out to be a fun experience and wasn’t scary at all! :-)