Racing Hurts

“Life is a marathon, not a sprint” (Phillip C. McGraw). Knowing what we’re up against, in terms of the race, determines how we train and where we look for the mark of our success. When training for a sprint (short distance race), begin with an easy jog or run. After the warmup, run faster for a short period of time, then slow down to that easier pace. One easy way to begin is first, assess your own level of comfort on a scale of 1 to 10; 1 being walking and 10 being run-for-your-life. Run at your personal 4 or 5 for five minutes, then pick up the pace and run at 6 or 7 for forty-five seconds. Repeat this process 6 to 8 times. Make sure you allow your body sufficient time to recover from high intensity workouts, especially at the beginning of your journey. You’ll find, as time passes and training continues, you’re able to run faster for longer, and your scale from 1 to 10 will begin to shift, as well. A marathon is quite a different matter. Whereas a sprint is generally 100 to 400 meters (or approximately 109 to 437 yards), a marathon is more than 26 miles. It’s not over quickly and who comes in first place isn’t necessarily the person who is ahead of the pack at mile five. There are a couple of things to realize going into a long-haul race. It’ll hurt and it won’t be over soon. That means both physical and mental toughness and endurance are required. The best way to train for a lengthy race is, that’s right; practice running for long periods of time. Speed intervals will help with overall increase in speed, but stay focused on improving your ability to run continually for increasing periods of time and distance. A marathon is 26.2188 miles, so work up to running it, in a week’s time. Increase your distance one mile per week, breaking your long run into smaller blocks, running those smaller blocks on different days until you build up stamina. When it comes to a marathon, don’t give up if you feel yourself hitting that wall half way in. It’s common. The sudden fatigue and energy loss (due to the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles), can happen, and if it does, negative thinking is part of it. It’s a mental challenge to focus on scenery or anything beside the race and to dig deeper, and push through. If you’re prepared going in, you can do it, even though it’s tough. Remember, ‘Racing hurts. You need to accept that from the beginning or you aren't going anywhere.’ (Robert Owen Kennedy Jr.) Be well.

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