Never Give Up

Sunday was a race I thought I was prepared for. I had a difficult week leading up to the race and was looking forward to putting all my frustration and anxiety out in one mile. I was hoping to have the race of my life! I was stoked!

I stepped up to the start and there was "Gremlin". For a year I've said, "She not just fast, she's damn fast." She was in my heat (heap?). It was a one mile race. One mile, easy right? NO!! It was all out, everything you've got in one mile. For some reason at the start of the race I found myself saying, "Stay in her (Gremlin's) foot steps. Stay in her armpit." I can't do that. There's no way on this side of the sun I could ever stay in her footsteps!! I got to the 1/4 mile mark in 1:28. My goal was 2:00.

Shortly after that mark things went downhill both literally and figuratively!! I began thinking "I can't do this...I can't finish this race... I can't do this." I was not prepared for the mental "game." The week before and particularly the few days prior were full of disappointments and frustrations and I mentally played in to the "can't." For most of the race I found myself contemplating a DNF (Did Not Finish). On one occasion I stepped off the course as if to say that's it, I can't finish this race. Someone on the sideline encouraged me to walk through the intersection and then pick it back up. I finished, two minutes behind the leader.

Likely most of the people in that race typically run 8 minute miles. I haven't obtained that standard yet. I don't know if i ever will and can't really say that's my goal. My goal is to continue to run, continue to learn from the previous runs and have fun.

A friend found this in a magazine ad for Garneau and it has become my latests montra: "I train....not for the podium. Not for the medals. Not for the status. I train for me. For the passion. For the desire. For the knowledge that I will: Learn from yesterday. Live for today....Never give up." (The author isn't listed.)