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Twin Mountain Trudge Trail Race turns Epic (3 of 5)

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

The first two posts Hawaiian Shirt Ray shared were how he was prepared for the Twin Mountain Trudge. Now you’ll find out why it was a good thing he was prepared…

My Trudge and How it Became Epic

As you can see I was well prepared and mentally and physically ready to start The Trudge. From last year’s Trudge I found that many of the 22 mile runners would start to really slow down on the second lap. My strategy was that the adventure really doesn’t start until the second lap and I would use the first lap to keep fueled and stay hydrated. I set my watch to go off every 30 minutes to remind me to eat a few mouthfuls of food. Then on the hour I would take two salt tablets (they are not just for running in the heat). Plus, as I mentioned earlier I wanted to drink the entire 80 ounces of fluid that I carried.

My first lap went just as planned and I was feeling great. Upon my return to the start/finish area I had a cup of warm broth, refilled my hydration pack with another 80 ounces of fluid, and was ready to go out for my second lap.

At this point Josh Fuller and Jen Malmberg tried to talk me out of going out for my second lap. I came to find out that nobody was willing to tough it out for a second lap. It took me about 3 hours and 25 minutes to go 6 miles! That’s how tough it was. With this, Josh couldn’t let me be the only runner going for a second lap and got his gear together and took off with me.

The second lap was actually “easier” to run since all the other runners had trampled the trail down. I still was prepared that my second lap would take me at least 4 hours to complete. Having a target on my back and Josh chasing me down made me run a lot more of the course than the first lap.

The Spiral into an Epic Adventure

I was still following my set plan of eating every 30 minutes, taking salt tablets every hour, and staying hydrated. My goal at this point was to stay out of the sights of Josh. Mentally I wanted him to turn every corner, come to every meadow, and start the long climbs without him being able to see me. I was able to do this and I started thinking about how it was going to feel to come in first place under such challenging conditions. I started thinking about the dinner all of us were going to go to after the race and all the stories that we would tell about our adventures out on the course.

Well, during all my day dreaming I missed the cutoff to head back to the start/finish line and ended up starting to run a third lap. I did not realize I missed the cutoff until things started to look familiar, like I have already run this section. I decided to backtrack to the last intersection. When I got there I was thinking this is where the cutoff was supposed to be and it wasn’t. I decided to start running forward again and went a little further than the first time. This time I knew for sure that I missed the cutoff. What really solidified this reasoning is that if I was on the correct part of the course I would have ran into Josh, and I didn’t.

I was already tired, and now I just wasted more energy running the wrong direction twice. I really started to feel tired around 6 hours into the race and by this time I have already been out for about 7 hours. I started back tracking again and by now it was getting dark. Being prepared, I put my headlamp on and started backtracking. It seemed that I was backtracking further than I needed to. I have to admit, I had a little panic at this point but quickly regained my composure. Check out what happens next.

Tags:Twin Mountain Trudge
Posted in Events, Motivation, trail running, training | Comments

Twin Mountain Trudge Trail Race Turns Epic (2 of 5)

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

Here’s how Hawaiian Shirt Ray prepared for the Twin Mountain Trudge Trail Race.

How I Prepared for the Trudge

Food

I knew what I was signing up for when I entered the Trudge again this year. Beacuse I knew I was in for a long tough day I started out eating a hearty breakfast of: 2 breakfast burritos, a large smoothie, banana bread (see my banana bread recipe), and a few cups of coffee. For the race I had packed two chicken sandwiches, two chicken and rice burritos, pretzels, and granola bars. Plus, I planned on eating hot soup at the start/finish aid station before running my second lap.

Hydration

For hydration I carried 80 ounces of energy drink on each lap. Yes, that is a total of 160 ounces for a 22 mile race. My plan for the event was to drink the entire 80 ounces each lap. This event is a Trudge and it takes double if not more effort to run the same distance on dry trails.

What some people do not realize is that when it is is cold outside you still need to drink and eat as much as you would during a warmer day. For distance runners, dehydration can complicate and accelerate the onset of hypothermia. Remember, that when the temperature outdoors is lower than your body temperature, you will give up heat to the environment. Your natural metabolism is usually enough to maintain your core body temperature. However, when conditions become extreme your body’s metabolism may not be able to protect you from heat lose. The result is hypothermia. Staying hydrated helps your natural metabolism to regulate your body’s temperature (see my story Cold Weather Running).

Gear

I came ready for any conditions. I signed up for two laps and I came prepared to run nothing less than two laps. Once I was at the start/finish line I assessed what gear I was going to take with me on each loop.

Here is what I took: a running backpack with a hydration system, arm warmers, neck gaiter, ear warmers, extra wool hat, chapstick, salt tablets, ginger, Tums, Imodium tablets, Acetaminophen (not Ibuprofen), toilet paper, plastic rain poncho, sunglasses, Photo ID, long sleeve wicking shirt, wicking vest, wind jacket, ski poles, Gore-Tex jacket, headlamp with fresh batteries, and a plastic bag to put my clothes in to keep them dry.

Yes, I carried all that gear plus my food and water.

What I Wore

A Hawaiian Shirt; heck it’s an extra layer (fashionable, not too functional), a long sleeve wicking shirt, a long sleeve resistant full frontal zipper jersey, wicking underwear, mittens, running tights, over the tights a waterproof and windproof shell, running shoes, neoprene socks, neoprene shoe covers, hiking gaiters, and micro spikes.

Read more tomorrow to find out why Hawaiian Shirt Ray was glad he had all this gear.

Tags:Twin Mountain Trudge
Posted in Events, gear, trail running, training | Comments

Twin Mountain Trudge Trail Race Turns Epic (1 of 5)

Monday, January 24th, 2011

Our friend Hawaiian Shirt Ray wanted to share another race story with us. Thanks Ray!

I would like the thank Alec Muthig, Josh Fuller, Nate, Josh Artery, Ted, the entire Twin Mountain Trudge Crew who stayed late into the night until I was safe and Search & Rescue. Without all of your help my Epic adventure could have had a very sad ending.

The 2011 Twin Mountain Trudge Turns Epic

Epic is the term that mountain climbers use when they talk about a climb that went wrong. The party got lost, gear was dropped, days being snowbound in a tent, destroyed camps, or even death. This year’s Twin Mountain Trudge turned into an epic day for me and all involved in the race. Just like on a good climbing day, everything starts out fine and then slowly the situation begins to deteriorate. Some epic tales have a good ending while others do not. When things start to go bad and the situation begins to become dire, will you be ready to survive?

I am writing about my epic Twin Mountain Trudge because I want to share my experience with you so you can also be prepared for when things turn epic. I am very experienced in mountaineering, back country adventures, and ultra racing. Through the years I have never had any of my adventures turn epic, but I am always prepared just in case they do. And I sure did not think that the Twin Mountain Trudge would have turned into my first Epic adventure. Take for instance that I always carry a full first-aid kit with me when I hike. I have been lucky and in over 15 years of hiking in the Colorado Rockies and elsewhere I have never used it. Does that mean that I should stop taking it? Of course not.

The Twin Mountain Trudge (aka The Trudge)

This was my second year running the Twin Mountain Trudge. The Trudge has an 11 mile race and a 22 mile race which is two of the 11 mile laps. Here is a quote from Alec Muthig’s email about this year’s race: “The conditions this year could very well prove to be the worst we’ve seen for this race…I NEED to stress that this is an “adventure” event and not a typical trail run. You need to try to be self sufficient. We will have a minimal aid station on the course, but you should carry enough for a long, tough outing. My guess is that the fastest single loop will be around 2.5 hours, with the others being out for over 5 hours…yes, for the single loop. Please be prepared to be out that long and please plan on emergency situations. If you get injured it will be quite a bit of time before we can get in a pull you out on a sled. Will you be able to not go hypothermic in the time it takes us to get to you? While only 11-12 miles, this truly a backcountry adventure. Please be prepared.”

This is a serious adventure event and should not be taken lightly. It is in Wyoming in the middle of winter through tough and challenging terrain. This year I once again signed up for the 22 mile race and I know firsthand from last year’s race that Alec is 100 percent serious about the conditions and the need to be properly prepared. This year my preparedness was put to the test…Read More to find out how.

Tags:trail race, Twin Mountain Trudge
Posted in Events, trail running, training | Comments

Weight Lifting for Trail Running

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

Weight lifting is very important for trail runners to help avoid injury. The stronger your body is, the better equipped it will be to take on the uneven terrain it impacts on finite parts. So for trail running specific weight training, it is best to focus on the lower body. Upper body weight training is more for long distance running. So if you are running long distances and on trails then you’ve got double the weight training to do. It’s cool, you’ll get the overtime results.

When weight training for trail running you want to focus on strength, power, and balance. Don’t be like Saddam Hussein and only have 2 out of the 3 attributes, trust me, it won’t end well. Start with squats to strengthen your thighs, hips, buttocks, and hamstring. Don’t lift a lot of weight even though you may be able to. Grunting and throwing down your weights isn’t cool, likewise, kicking them like your in the movie, ‘The Program’ is pretty lame. Squat your body weight. If you want to avoid squats try the leg press but again, although it may be tempting to your ego, don’t put excess weight on. Another way to exercise similar to squats is to hold two dumbells to your side and practice lunges. This gives you the benefit of isolating one leg at a time, much like your body will encounter on the trail as you pivot and stretch to the next safe step. You can also do single leg squats on the Smith machine if available. These exercises improve your ability to vary your steps on the trail without straining your glutes, quads, or hamstring.

The next exercise you should do to get specific exercise is the hamstring curl. To the left you can see it being done on a machine. If you are not at a gym you can lay flat on your stomach and lift your muddy trail running shoes for extra weight in the same manner as the picture. This exercise will improve your breaking ability when trail running downhill. However I don’t recommend breaking when trail running downhill.

Another important area to improve for trail running with weight training is your ankles. Grab some ankle weights or wrap a flexible weight around one ankle. Then rotate your foot from side to side, in a circle, or do the alphabet. You know the alphabet motion. Do this exercise one ankle at a time to prepare your pivot points for single impacts on the trail.

Another great work out for the trail is calf raises. Use the machine at your gym or stand up repeatedly like your in the back of a group trying to get into the picture. This will help in your uphill trail running as you dig each step closer to the top. Although it may be tempting, avoid adding too much weight. You want to focus on more reps to run up the long hill not carry furniture up stairs. It is important to stretch before and after calf raises because calves tend to get tighter than other muscles.

Even though your lower body is taken care of don’t forget to work your core and back, both are important as you pivot your upper body down the singletracks of the trail. Remember, you don’t have to look like a trail runner to be a trail runner. Don’t feel sorry for yourself, bulk up!

Tags:ankles, calf raises, hamstring curl, squats, weight lifting, weight training
Posted in trail running, training | Comments

Day 3 of the Leadville Trail 100 Training Camp

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

This is the last installment from Hawaiian Shirt Ray on SeriousRunning.com. If you like what you read, check out his blog, Hawaiian Shirt Ray – Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things:

Leadville Trail 100 Training Camp Day 3 “The Night Run”

night-run-at-leadville-trail-100-training-camp

"The Night Run" climbing out of Twin Lakes

Leadville Trail 100 Training camp Day 3 is “The Night Run.” Camp participants have the entire day to explore all the outdoor activities that Leadville has to offer. For me, I spent the day fly fishing and it was a good day for the fish. The first time I attended the Leadville Trail 100 Training Camp I did not participate in the night run because I thought I knew all of the trails. I regretted my choice the night of the race because I felt lost at night, did not know what was ahead, or how far it was to the next aid station. For me it was mentally tough running from Twin Lakes to Treeline. Then for last year’s Leadville Trail 100 race the course was changed and it was difficult running the new section for the same reasons.

Twin Lakes to Tree Line

The sun setting the evening of "The Night Run"

The camp participants meet late in the evening at the Leadville Trail 100 Headquarters and were bused to Twin Lakes. By the time we started the sun was down and it was dark enough that we needed our headlamps. Runners left Twin Lakes and climbed uphill for about an hour of hiking before the trail is even worth putting the effort into running. The runners ran on the Colorado Trail and then turn off into Boxcar Gulch. Technically this section is not tough, but it is nice to be able to familiarize yourself with how the trail feels running it during the night. Runners were having a lot fun during this section and I could hear all sorts of “interesting” sounds from one group (I’ll call them the “fun Group”). They were making me laugh with their monkey, pig, and other strange sounds they were making. The Tree Line aid station was stocked with burritos, hot cocoa, and beer. I can still hear the pig noises of the “fun group” coming into the aid station. Bottom line is that the night run is just plain fun!

Next: The Leadville Trail 100

After camp I feel that I am ready to achieve my goal of running a sub 25 hour Leadville Trail 100 race. I also know that even if my game plan goes bad, I know that I will still cross the finish line in under 30 hours. For me, this is what the Leadville Trail 100 Camp is all about; re-familiarize myself with the course and to mentally prepare myself to know that I will finish the race no matter what challenges lay ahead.

Photos by: Francisco Moreno

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Leadville Trail 100 Training Camp Day 2 continues

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Hawaiian Shirt Ray continues on Day 2 of the Leadville Trail 100 training camp:

Winfield to Twin Lakes (Inbound)

Leaving Winfield during the race is a great feeling knowing that distance-wise (not time-wise) you are halfway done and now returning to Leadville. It feels like progress is being made. For the most part, this section is downhill to the base of the Hope Pass Trailhead. Now the real fun starts because the climb inbound over Hope Pass is a grind all the way up to the tree line. During training camp there are a few “runable” sections, but during the actual race I have never been able to “run” them. So, during training camp I tried my best to simulate my race day pace and I walked the entire section of the inbound climb to the top of Hope Pass.

Once cresting over the top and running past where the Hopeless Aid Station will be, runners should be cautious through this section because it always seems to be wet and sloppy all year long. I suggest that runners take their time through this short section before running down Hope Pass. After that section it is runable all the way down to the bottom. However, during training camp the runners do not run all the way to the bottom, rather they return on the trail groing back to the Parry Peak Campground. Again, the point at where the actual race course continues down is at the rusty sign. I say this again to let the runners at the training camp know that during race day it will be different and they will need to realize that they must keep running downhill and not turn as they did in training camp.

Talking with Fellow Ledville Training Camp Runners

I spoke with many fist time ultra 100 runners and veterans of other 100 mile ultra trail runs and the general consensus of the Double Crossing was “that was a lot harder than I imagined it was going to be.” The training camp is a great opportunity to test where you are at in your training and what you areas that you will need to work on. One runner I spoke to is putting in about 90 miles per week and realized that she needs to change his training to include power hiking. Another runner mentioned that she realized that she needed to incorporate a lot more downhill running into her training program otherwise her quads will be “blown-out” early into the race. Although I will not be running this weekend I will be taking Simon (my pup) into the high country around Leadville and climbing some 14,000 foot peaks (aka 14ers) just to get my power hiking muscles in shape and to get used to the altitude of Leadville.

Dinner and the Q&A with the Panel of Experts

For me the Q&A session during my first Leadville Trail 100 Trianing Camp theree years ago was the most important part. Although getting familiar with the course was very important, I left the the Q&A session with the feeling that “I CAN DO THIS!” It lifted the veil to so many unknowns on what to expect on race day.

Founder and President Ken Chlouber and Race Director Merilee Mauqin

One of the best parts for me was when the panel discussed how to get from aid staiton to aid station outbound and inbound. They shared their experiences of their highs and lows, and what to expect during each section. They also mentally prepare you to dig deep. They give you the encouragement that when you are physically spent and mentally finished that you should go to the well one more time to see if there is anything left. Beacuse, if you look deep inside yourself you will find that there is still something there. Do NOT QUIT! As Ken Chlouber says, “You are better than you think you are, and can do more than you think you can.”

Tags:Leadville 100
Posted in Events, trail running, training | Comments

Walking while Trail Running: What I learned at XTERRA Georgia Trail Race Bull Mountain

Monday, September 28th, 2009

I ran the Georgia XTERRA Georgia Trail Run Series at Bull Mountain yesterday and I’m hurtbox today. What is a hurtbox? I’m not sure, but I do know I feel worse today than I ever have post run. I finished 13th out of about 200 runners. I’m fine with that given all things considered. I held on to 7th place until about mile 10 when I just didn’t have any more juice. I learned a lot from running this half marathon through the mountains of North Georgia. I learned that I was right, I can run a half marathon any day, at any time, without training. I wasn’t running this race to test my hypothesis, but injury had sidelined me from training for about 6 months and no running at all for the past two weeks, but I really wanted to do this race. I learned that I can get cramps while racing. I learned that I should probably look at the elevation of a Trail Race before running it. I learned that if you haven’t been training, you probably shouldn’t start a race at your normal race pace. I learned it’s OK to be beaten by a girl, even if you have to ride 2 hours back home with her. I learned that moving up to the 30-34 year old age group may not be easier competition, especially when your biggest competitors move up in age groups too. I learned that I probably shouldn’t push an injury (again), and learned ice baths feel great. I also learned you can’t push it up hills when they are longer than two miles. I’ll save all of these lessons for later blogs, what I want to focus on today is that I learned it is OK to walk during a race.

There is something mental about walking that I haven’t been able to get over. I’ve always had too much foolish pride to walk during a run. I haven’t walked during a run since 7th grade track practice in Middle School. At that time I was one of the two fastest runners on the team and during practice we would go out hard and walk at points when needed. We were so far ahead of everyone else, no one ever caught up and we still finished every practice well ahead of the rest of the team. However, my best friend during the Middle School days, who was a girl, would complain, “You may have beaten me but at least I ran the whole way!” Why are females always trying to compete with me? It’s not me, it’s just science. At any rate, yesterday was the first time I have walked during a run in 16 years and I liked it.

It began with a muddy, slippery, 75% grade incline at about mile 5, after I had been running uphill for almost all 5 miles prior. I found that with an incline this steep a fast walk can often be faster than a run. I leaned forward and put a brisk walk up the steep hill. While I was walking I was breathing very heavy and becoming more fatigued, but walking was working different muscles in my legs. I was saving my running muscles which I needed for the downhills. By walking up some of the steepest hills I was able to conserve enough energy to be able to move my legs at the maximum pace the downhills pushed me. Without walking up the steep hills I would not have been able to finish the race in the place that I did.

Walking also took the pressure off of my injured knee. My knee began hurting badly at about mile 8. Every time I started running up a small incline it would twinge at each step, but when walking it wasn’t putting this pressure on them. Walking takes the constant pounding off of your knees. Jeff Galloway has built marathon training plans from the run-walk-run method which has been very effective for thousands of runners. He’s still running strong at age 65 and claims you can keep running until your 100 years old by using this method. That’s great news for me since my knees feel like they are 100 years old from all the jumping out of airplanes I’ve done. Maybe it is OK to walk. Without a doubt, it helped me perform the best to my ability in this race.

Overall, I had a great time at the XTERRA Georgia Trail Race. The race was very well put on and run smoothly like all of the XTERRA Georgia Trail Races, everyone really enjoyed themselves from new trail runners to experienced trail runners. And as you can see from the picture above, every runner needed a good ice bath to soothe their muscles after running this challenging, mountainous race. Beautiful day, beautiful terrain, beautiful race. This is what trail running is all about….and trail walking.

Posted in Events, Health, trail running, training | Comments

Safety Tips for Trail Running

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

The reason Trail Running is extreme is because you are taking a risk running far away from civilization and help if you needed, while also exhausting your body. Veteran Ultrarunner Maria “Gina” Natera-Armenta found this out the hard way. Luckily, after being lost for 4 days and ready to die she was found. Read her amazing story in the Orange County Register. Now, that’s what I call “The Real OC.”

As you can see, trail running can be dangerous even for Veteran Trail Runners. I talk a lot about running with confidence and swag but you also need to know your running limits. As runners, it is tough to think that we can’t do something, especially when it comes to running, but sometimes we have to realize when we are in above our heads. Your body says stop but your mind says keep running. If you’re mind usually wins, then you should mitigate the risk to your body in these ways:

First, you should carry plenty of water. Maria had plenty of water for her trail run, but not enough to survive on for 4 days. Understandable. However, it is good to air on the side of caution. Always bring more water than you think you will need. The worst that can happen is that you end up carrying more water than you should on your trail run. It’s cool though, more weight equals better training. It’s math.

Also make sure you have a good running partner. Maria went out with a running partner but she passed him after he was throwing up. When trail running try to find a running partner that is at about your same ability level as you to try to avoid being separated. To be extra safe, find a running partner that is either a doctor or a wilderness survival expert. Runners dig other runners with skills.

Lastly, if you still have the energy and the terrain allows you, try to find your way out. Read these tips on how to find your way out back to civilization when lost on a trail run. Believe it or not, there are some simple ways to find your way back to safety.

Overall, just be careful when trail running. We at SeriousRunning.com are thankful that Mrs. Natera-Armenta is doing well now and should make a full recovery. Please take the necessary percautions and stay stafe out on your next trail run. Happy Trail Running!

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Posted in trail running, training | Comments

Build Your Running Base

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

I was speaking with a friend last night who is getting back into running who asked me if I thought he could get back into good running shape. He used to run 17 minute 5Ks in High School, which is pretty SeriousRunning, so I knew he had the knowledge of running and the ability to run well. I told him that all he has to do is build his base back up. Building your base is the most important thing to do when you start running, again, or for the first time. Also I told him, male runners typically peak at about 28-30 years old so it was time for him, being 28, to get after it. After your long distance running peak the next age mark in your life is 35 when you can become President. After that, it’s all downhill.

Before you can get to the downhill you need to lay your groundwork. You have to build your base by running distance. The pace doesn’t even matter, building a base is all about logging on the miles. Your mixture should be long easy runs with a bit shorter, easy runs for recovery, gradually increasing your overall mileage as you go. This increase in mileage not only will give you the endurance to perform well during long races, but it will also give you the endurance to run fast at shorter distances without getting fatigued. In running, endurance is everything. From the distances of 400m and above, you must have endurance. Build your base, increase your endurance, and go longer. You’re such a stud.

Building your base is also a great way to build confidence in your running abilities. You’ve got to run with confidence to run with swag. Then let your swag do your running for you. Once you run 3 miles you know you can do that at any time. It’s the same for any distance. I’ve built my base for 17 years and it gives me the confidence to run a 13.1 mile trail race this weekend even though I haven’t run more than 9 miles in the past 6 months due to injury. Build your base and have the confidence to run any race, at any distance, at any time. Be versatile.

When you first start running again, put on the distance, work your way up, and build your base before doing any speed work. Everyone has to start from the bottom, build a proper base while you are there.

Note: Listening to ‘Ace of Base’ while building your running base will not help you, in fact, studies have shown that it will decrease your work out benefits.

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Running with a Competitive Spirit

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Sometimes other runners are impressed with my running prowess. I’m not sure why, I’m not the fastest runner around; although, I would classify myself as a local hero. I don’t win any races, but can place in the top 3 in a local race of about 1000 or less, and always finish in the top 1 percent of every race I run, no matter how large or how competitive; that’s my mantra. The last race I trained for was a half-marathon in which I ran a 1:24. Since then I got a knee injury, but ran a 10K in 38:15 with limited training due to the knee which never allowed me to run more than 5 miles. Jerky knee. I don’t consider those times fast or very impressive, I would classify them as close to spectacular. I like living close to spectacular. Being spectacular is too much work.

So why am I close to spectacular at running? Because I’m not spectacular of course. Seriously though, is it genes, training, environment, or physical attributes? Well, my father ran track in college, so I do have running in my genes, but neither of my brothers have ever been much of runners. I have been running rather consistently for 18 years so I would say I have a large base to pull from, but my training for races isn’t a secret formula. Usually 5 days a week with a tweaked “expert” training schedule; however, I don’t do anything else to train but run. No special diet, no heart monitors, no cross-training, just running. My environment has been rather good for running, living in Georgia for most of my life with a good bit of hills, but I did live in downtown Los Angeles for 4 years where it was all flat, smoggy, and full of stoplights. I also was in Iraq for 15 months with the same conditions as Los Angeles minus the stoplights. Now that I think about it, there weren’t any stoplights in the whole country. Even in the large cities. Not that we as the US Army would have cared, we would have just driven through them anyway. And lastly, it isn’t physical attributes. I’m 5’10”, 155 pounds, not ultra skinny, not fat, but I do have a stronger heart than most (I have so much love to give), but hands the size of a girl’s (I’ll never be a professional guitar player), and normal legs, so obviously physical attributes don’t make me a local hero. So what is it?

Competitive Spirit. We all have it, some of us just choose to use it more than others. I’m personally always competing. I’m tracking my words per minute right now. I’m winning. Seriously though, you have to be competitive in your races and your training to reach your running potential. For training I’m not saying you always have to run a fast pace, time yourself on every run, and always be about to die at the end, but you do have to keep yourself accountable. You have to always push it without letting yourself slow down or walk. You also have to take that first step out the door no matter how you feel. Compete against yourself in sticking with a running plan. Don’t let other factors in your life tell you what to do. I bet your boss doesn’t run under 6 minute miles so why listen to him/her?

You have to want to compete in every race. Whether it is against other racers, the race course, or yourself, you must have that competetitive spirit. You have to go into every race knowing that you are going to leave it all out on the race course. You have to push yourself harder than anyone else. It doesn’t matter how much training you’ve done or if you are genetically made to run, it only matters how well you run and finish the race. You have to want it. You have to want to be your best. Even on a half-marathon I am out of breath and tired by mile 2. Because I am always pushing it. Competing until I cross the finish line. Then after crossing the finish line challenging other runners to bannana eating contests. I’m always competing.

So get that competitive spirit and reach your running potential! Don’t you want to be impressive?

Tags:competition, competitive
Posted in Motivation, training | Comments

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