Secret to Finishing a 5k: Playing the Winning Card

As April 1st quickly, a bit too quickly I might add, rolls upon us so does my goal of running another 5k. The Race for the Roses 5K is fairly flat and straight. The flat part I am beyond grateful for but the straight part has me a bit uneasy.

When running in a straight line or path its really easy to see just how slow your moving. You can see each and every mental marker. The way I run is that I see something, like a stop sign and think to myself, okay just make it to that, then once I have accomplished getting to the stop sign (or whatever) I pick a new mental marker. With each marker I pass I gain confidence and stamina. But the straight line leaves you watching that marker for what seems like all eternity. Thus leaving you to play the mind vs willpower game. Which to be honest is not a game I usually win. However, I have a winning card up my sleeve for just this kind of emergency.

My card is B, who will be running in front of me and let me just say, a 6'2" man does not naturally run at the same pace as a 5'4" gal. His stride is much larger than mine, which places is pace far ahead of me and when he slows down his pace it throws off his mental game, allows more wear & tear on the joints and is just as difficult as keeping a pace that is too fast. He has graciously obliged to run the slow pace because he loves me and because he knows how difficult this goal really is for me. The plan is that he will be running just far enough ahead of me for me to watch his feet. To see the momentum of forward motion, to allow my eyes to feed my brain the motion of running so that willpower to simply stop and walk does not take over.

I have been training so I don't expect to be using my winning card until mile 2.5-3. I have had to make a few changes to my training schedule because of not feeling well, aching joints (arthritis) and the weather. So I haven't gotten to the point in my training that I had hoped. I am not going to let this drag me down though. I am going to run the race and I don't care what my time is. My goal is to simply run the entire 5k.

I have always told myself that there is no failure in making adjustments to my training schedule. It would be a failure to completely give up; which I don't do.

Here's to hoping my secret to finishing is playing my winning card, after all, the card is pretty darn amazing!

~Doodlin'

Bag-O-Motivation

December and now January have proved to be incredibly trying months from many different angles of life. Surprisingly my health is not one of those aspects. So, today, when I got a large bag with my name on it that instructed me to open one gift after doing my nebulizer (breathing) treatments each day as motivation, you can image my joy. In fact the joy was so overwhelming that it overflowed from me like a waterfall.

You know I get many many words of encouragement, which I love and will always need from time to time. But this gift was so thought out and so perfect as a jump start to gaining motivation or the reward factor of changing a schedule to accommodate the treatments. Even though I am almost 30 years old, I still need to be rewarded. And let me tell you its so much more pressure (positive) to earn a reward from someone else, rather than me giving myself the reward. I feel obligated to follow thru on my end of the bargain you'd say.

My first gift was a lollipop and a little printed "you can do it" message. While I was doing my treatment tonight, I thought about all the parents who attempt tirelessly to get their children to sit still and do their treatments how great something like this would be. A simple gift to pull from a bag if one does their medications is marvelous. It could be a sticker, piece of candy, a piece of change to put in their piggy banks (dime or a quarter) or whatever your child would enjoy. I also think that this idea works for any adult who maybe going thru a rough time.

Do you know someone who could use a few days of encouragement or motivation? Maybe give this a try it sure warmed my heart and put a fire under my backside.

Thank you Nancy for this wonderful gift.

~Doodlin'