Mental Training

I just finished reading 50 in 50 by Dean Karnazes. I loved it! Really did. In one chapter he talks about baby steps and mental training. You know, convincing yourself that you don't have to run 5 or 10 or 20 more niles. Just one more mile. Or just until the next lampost, etc. etc. etc. until you accomplish your goal. I know that this trick works for me. I use it all the time.

Well, this last Saturday I totally put it into practice for my longest run yet. See, I had been sick and missed running all week. Although on Thursday and Friday I probably could have run, I decided against it so I would have what I needed to complete 19 miles on Saturday. I was more than a little nervous about the run, but it had to happen. I left at 6:30 am with three friends. It wasn't a really pretty run - kind of cloudy, lots of slush, etc. I actually did really well as we ran into Boston, around the Common and then headed across the Charles River to Cambridge. And that's when it got yucky.

We ran on the Charles River path which was just slush and ice and yuckiness, completely banked in by snow. I think we were on the path for about 1.5 miles. Then we headed over to Harvard Square. I knew that running on all that uneven ground was wreaking havoc on my right knee. At mile 11, somewhere on Harvard's campus I felt a shot of pain straight through my knee and down my shin. I stopped immediately because I didn't feel like I could take another step. I stretched and then kept going. More pain. This time it brought tears to my eyes. It really hurt. I stretched really, really well and decided to keep plugging on.

One friend's husband was coming to pick her up at mile 12, so I thought about stopping, but really, really didn't want to. I asked for tips from my awesome running partner and she recommended a couple of changes in my stride - tall knees as well as the "old person shuffle". I did the latter and it worked! The pain started to go away. I decided to go to 15 miles before deciding to quit. I shuffled for most of the next three and got to 15. I did have to walk across a bridge because the slush and ice were so bad and I was really nervous about my knee. But I ran to 15.

And then I thought, "I can do four more!" The knee pain was basically gone - I mean there was a dull "feeling", but not super painful - I was just aware of my knee. We got back to Commonwealth Ave with three miles to go. The end was definitely in sight. At mile 18 I did a little happy dance, because anyone can run a mile! That last 1/2 mile was tough and I'm pretty sure I could have walked faster than I was "running" but I kept plugging on. And low and behold, I finished 19 miles.

Physically it was tough. Certainly not ideal conditions. But, I feel like it was totally mind over matter. My body was weak, but my mind was tough. My mind got me through the run - it just had to work really, really hard to convince my legs to keep going. And I feel like this will be the key with my marathon. And when I hit a tough spot in the marathon, you better believe I will think back to February 5th's 19-mile run. I think it will be key. So glad I got a little bit of mental training in...along with all the physical training!

{PS: I have been really good about stretching, strengthening and using the roller on my ITB. I know that's the problem and I can tell the difference when I'm doing everything I know I should be doing. Considering going to a PT, but waiting until my long (14 miles) run on Saturday before I decide.}