Go the distance

After not running for too many years I decided to get physical therapy on my knee and hip. After five months of therapy, which primarily consisted of me doing exercises four times every day, I’ve started running again. I love running like no other exercise, and the social aspects of it just make it better.

I was in the library a couple of weeks ago, and spotted on the books for sale table (donated books) a copy of How to Train for and Run Your Best Marathon, by Gordon Bakoulis Bloch. When I was a healthy runner the marathon had been my nemesis. I am pleased with all my other PR’s (personal records), low 19’s for the 5K, 39:54 for the 10K (allegedly short, but an official time never the less). Half marathon and 30 K (18 miles) times were even better. But the marathon – don’t ask, don’t tell. I’ve only been able to complete one, as the training for my other two attempts did me in. So I never qualified for the Boston Marathon. In my circles, without a qualifying time, the other PR’s didn't amount to much.

So I bought the book. As I was paying for it, I told myself, “Well, it only costs fifty cents, so if I never use it, I won’t be that much in the hole.” But as it sat on my dining room table, day after day (I live alone, so no one complains) I kept noticing it, and eventually started reading it. I started thinking about doing a marathon.

Just tonight I noticed that the back of the book has big letters on the top, in red, saying, “Go the distance.” It means go all 26.2 miles, but for me it meant something else. It meant, “Give 100% toward your goal, qualifying for Boston.” If Ms. Bloch’s title is accurate, and I run a better marathon than I did ten years ago, I will make my goal, since the qualifying times get longer as you get older (one of the few benefits). My time in the only marathon I ran would qualify me at my present age.

As I am writing this I am thinking about my last posting, about why people don’t work really hard. The four reasons my trainer and I came up with are:

1. They are lazy
2. They aren’t familiar with working hard
3. They think they are going to hurt themselves
4. They don’t think getting really strong is important.

How does that apply to me?

#1. Nope, I’m not lazy, plus I enjoy running, especially hard.
#2. Nope, I am familiar with working hard and pushing myself.
Skipping 3 for now,
#4. Maybe, getting to Boston isn’t necessary for my wellbeing, but it is important; I’m just not sure it’s important enough to prioritize my time for the training it will require.

For me,#3 is the big one. Part of me thinks, going the way you are going now, you will be able to run in the woods for half an hour to an hour. That’s what you really enjoy. You start doing the long runs training for a marathon requires and you will hurt yourself and won’t run at all.

So I’ve got one definite applies and one partially applies. So how do I get motivated using self motivation?

#4 is easiest to deal with. All I need to do is make a decision, take control. I look at what training will actually entail. The question for me is not will it take too much time. The question is, “Will it take time away from other things that are more important to me?” The only thing more important right now is the time I spend on developing my speaking career. When I take the time to phrase the question that way, the correct way, instead of having an automatic knee jerk reaction, I am able to reflect. If the answer is yes, it will take time away from something more important, then I have made a decision. That decision is "this path is not one I want to take." Motivation means doing what’s right for you.

With respect to #3, the fear that I will injure myself, I have decided to expand my environment(the third factor of self motivation) to include chi running. Its originator/inventor, Danny Dreyer, claims it results in "effortless, injury free running." Sounds exactly what I need. So I have bought his book and his DVD and am trying it out. When I finish this posting I will go online and see if there is someone in my city who coaches it. If not I will look into attending a seminar in a near by city.I will make a coach part of my social environment.

As you can see by what I am going through, a large part of self motivation means looking at yourself, knowing yourself. That’s what so great about self motivation. You are in control; your motivational plan is totally focused on what’s important to you.

Taking charge of your motivation may involve a little more thought than just listening to a motivational tape, but the benefits greatly out weigh the additional work.

If you have some advice for a runner like me, don't hesitate in leaving a comment.