Breaking Mental Blocks with Inspiration from A Pro

Hey, week two and I actually came back. Maybe I can actually keep this up :P

First. Thanks everybody for reading! I didn’t think I’d get this much attention after just one post. It makes me really happy. I hope my stories can help other runners out there. It can be tough sometimes and take a lot of mental power to turn around a sinking ship; but if I did it, anybody can. I especially want to help other women runners reach their potential. We’re really hard on ourselves sometimes. It doesn’t have to be that way. :) And, for the sake of being able to talk about my experiences, I guess I’ll be pretty private online until I turn in the direction of my daily running. (Everybody came from my link on Facebook, so thanks for sharing!) Right now, it’s still just a lot of miles prepping for my favorite race in a few months – pretty boring. But, there’s plenty more to talk about. So, I’ll randomly be picking from the topics I already listed – plus several more I wrote down in my notepad. They just keep coming :P

Second, I know I said I’d build up writing about past events to the present and I’ll try to get back in order next week. I figured I’d cheat this week and skip ahead to the present because I’m going to go hobby jog through a half marathon for kicks this weekend. (I’ll probably cheat on post order Monday too because it’s Boston time and 3 USA ladies are going for the win. I’ll be cheering on Flanagan :)) I haven’t been on a start line in a bit and I think being at a race will be a fun mental boost. I’m hoping to just turn it into a 20 miler with some speed work in it. It’s a race I’ve had fun at several times now, so it should be a cool trip with my boyfriend. To keep things super light, we planned a few other activities around the “race” too. Heck, I’m finally riding in the Model-T at the car museum nearby!

The reason I decided to take it easy rather than all out race is because of some things that changed at altitude. For years, I’ve had a monthly cycle of back spasms and a tight chest but it got worse at ~5,400′. My mom’s side of the family has a history of ulcers and acid reflux that can lead to asthmatic issues. I guess I got that “gift”. It’s related to hormonal fluctuations and last month, it flared up worse than ever. I had an asthma attack and had to back off running for 2 weeks while I straightened that out. Nothing complicated really, it just took some time to pinpoint what was going on. So, I just need a daily antacid and I started back up on chiro once a week to open my lungs a bit. I’ve also worked more on relaxing and deep breathing. Anxiety, another family trait, has also been a factor in the whole problem. So, with just some extra focus on taking care of myself, it didn’t come back this month. My legs are still going strong but my cardio took a big ol’ hit. So, I’m rebuilding and not freaking out over it. I’ve learned that stuff takes time to heal – a big hump for me to get over!

Old me would go and try to plow through this weekend’s race even though I’m not ready. In the past, I’ve really worn out and injured myself doing that. But lately, I’ve looked to a pro who has done things right and learned some life lessons rather than just assuming I’m always right and that I’m invincible.

I haven’t had many famous running idols and I’m horrible at keeping up with most pro’s names, stats and such. But there have been two woman distance runners who have really influenced me. My first inspiration was Deena Kastor. She gave me the idea to attempt reaching 140 miles in a week. I was just curious if I could do it, so I built up to it a few years ago for a marathon and got a decent time/place out of it. I held that level for about a year. Fun stuff. :) Kastor also had the same stress fracture as me though. It was my only bone injury ever and it was a cuboid stress fracture. So, going nuts forever on the 140s was probably not a good idea and I burnt out a bit. But it was still pretty fun to get there. :)

Anyway, the second and current woman runner who really has had an even better influence on me for the past few years is Kara Goucher. She got herself away from a bad coach, a team with alleged doping, over training, weight vests, insane workouts, etc. She picked up and moved to where she wants to be. She’s married, has an adorable kid and is just an overall healthy, balanced person who runs happy. Who wouldn’t want her life now?!

The biggest thing I’ve taken from her running style is patience. She didn’t just show up in Boulder and hit the ground running and racing immediately. She held back for a while and focused on getting healthy and balanced again. It wasn’t about getting back at her old sponsor and coach. It was about moving on from them and building a healthy running career from the ground up. She works with a sports psychologist to battle self doubts and focuses on training that seems to keep her balanced both mentally and physically. She also chose sponsors that appear to be like friends with her and don’t just force her into races.

I really loved following Goucher’s Instagram the other day showing what her life is like. It’s not just running hard and living in isolation. She has friends and a family to support her and she keeps herself busy with healthy activities. Her revamped diet is also something I’ve been following via Running on Veggies. She’s almost got me convinced to shop at Whole Foods (but I’m pretty tight with my man, Trader Joe) ;)

I’ll never be as fast or as talented as Kara Goucher but I can learn so much from her and apply it to my life. If I feel that if I am pressuring myself into miles that will hurt more than help, I sometimes think of her patience and how it’s better to train smart rather than plowing through to just hit a number every week. If I think I’m getting too old to be a good runner, I remember that she has a few years on me and is doing great still.

As a result of listening to my body and mind, I got back up to 130 miles/week for the first time in years and felt awesome. I may not be competing in anything yet but I’m just taking my time to see where it goes. My goal right now is to keep running happy; to get running back as my daily wake up instead of that extra cup of green tea I’ve been sneaking and as that final activity of the day to tire myself out for bed. I consider those to be healthy running goals that will lead to long term satisfying results. I no longer think short term, and numbers over health. I’ve learned what makes me happy and I’m sticking with it.

So, with age comes maturity. I had the physical training down for years, but mentally I still had a long way to go. I think I’ve come a long way and I know I still have a lot more work down the road. But, I’m balanced and do more than just run now. I got back into snowboarding and I’m shopping around for another catamaran so I can sail again. I even started climbing a bit and getting back to more strength training because my upper body is built like a chicken. :P I also make sure to keep working full-time because I feel better knowing I am financially strong and it’s a great way to keep good routine. Plus, I freekin love computer and programming. It is totally possible to run high mileage and work 40 hours per week. Time management is your friend! On top of that, I’ll be working on my second degree at a local college (Computer Science with a SW engineering concentration) via one of my company’s tuition reimbursement! Having a lot of other activities to balance out life has done nothing but help me run happier. Through all this, it’s nice to have a woman runner a few years ahead of me to look up too. I should get a WWGD (What Would Goucher Do) tattoo or something. ;)

Anyway, my boyfriend and I are taking off for a weekend run-cation in a few hours. I can’t wait because no matter how fast or slow I am, there’s still just something cool about a big group run at a good race. See ya next week!