LESSON 12 - PUSHING PERCEIVED BOUNDARIES
First, I want to recognize that last weekend I successfully ran a 21.3 mile run, could walk afterwards, and recovered rather quickly so that was exciting and motivating and I am working to keep training!!
Last night, I did a speed workout and I'll admit that speed scares me. I was talking to my good friend Lance Carter, awesome triathlete and life coach the other day about his Boston Qualifier training program, and he said, "Most people will sign up for a marathon when they aren't fast enough to run a 5k [to qualify for Boston]."
Wow...my mind was blown. I had never really thought of it that way, but it makes a lot of sense to build your speed at the shorter distances. I have always been afraid of speed. In all honesty I'm afraid of what will happen if I work that hard. I like to stay in my comfort zone, and grow nice and slowly so it isn't that uncomfortable.
For my speed workout last night I did a 1.5 mile warm up, 3 x 1/2 mile stretches between 8 and 8:30 min/mile, (which pushes my limits) with 90 second rests in between and a 1 mile cool down. I felt pretty good during the first 1/2 mile speed stretch, but it was difficult. I was breathing hard and I had to continue to push myself to keep pace. When the second one came I was right in the middle of an uphill, didn't feel very recovered, and started to struggle. I was about halfway through and I realized that my mind was literally yelling at me:
WHY DID YOU GO THIS WAY?!?
WHY DIDN'T YOU BRING ANY WATER?!?!
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO DO THREE STRETCHES?!?!?!
Full panic mode set in. Then I noticed my breathing. If I would have continued in that fashion, I may have hyperventilated soon. Holy cow brain, chill out!! I nicely and gently talked myself down which is a change from how I used to talk to myself. I slowed my breathing and made it through the rest of my workout while contemplating this. It frustrates me that my mind can still take me so far out of reality and create these overreactions, but I guess I've been practicing this way for 30 years, so I will have to give the time and effort that changing this behavior deserves.
I also thought how I really haven't pushed myself much through this training. I have been going the farther distances. which is a challenge, but I have been doing it in my comfort zone. Since moving to Minnesota, I haven't been pushing my lungs at all. As far as my speed goes, I'm faster than I was before so I felt satisfied. I have have to wonder what could really happen if I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone? What are the possibilities? How fast can I really be? I don't really know right now, but I think I'm finally ready to find out.
I am raising money for two charities: The Front Row Foundation and Our Pioneers. I am lucky enough to know the people who operate these charities and value each of their causes and missions deeply. So if you feel so inclined to support their causes and me through providing more inspiration with every dollar donated it would be greatly appreciated. Find my fundraising page here: https://www.gofundme.com/0to50k.