Fools - we are all fools! Lessons from running a 50km Ultra!
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| Finish line at the 50Km Ultra Marathon |
1. self talk - it is either your best enemy or your best friend; you have to decide on which one you want it to be fast because it can make you or break you. There is no place for negative talk...nope!
While running the 50km ultra, I kept telling myself that it would be okay, that if I could run a marathon (had run 5 in the past three years) then I could run this. There were moments where I also said to myself that I could just give up (get a ride back to the finish) and moments where I started to cry because I was flipping tired of the heat, but I quickly replaced it with "you are so capable of doing this". Self doubt happens to all of us and not just in running. If we can recognise it early then we can use it to propel us towards a healthier path.
2. support - I had my sister and nephew there at the beginning, the middle and the end; it made all the difference. I also had people following me and encouraging me on facebook; hey, it all works as support is support no matter where it comes from!
At the half way mark where I met up with my sister I stopped for a few minutes to stretch and try to cool down. It was there that I told her that I wanted to give up. I was having trouble with the humidity and I didn't think I could go on. As I drank Gatorade and sucked on an orange, she said to me that I had made it half way and that I could make it back. I must have looked at her with my crazee eyes (I sure wasn't feeling like I could make it back - did she know how flipping hot and humid it was?) but as I looked at my nephew, I could see he was nodding his head that I could do it. Maybe they knew something I did not, I thought. So off I ran. "Fools" i continued with my train of thought, "we are all fools". You need to fool yourself first into believing you can before it becomes a truth. A little delusion is worth more than gold; trust me it is!
3. listen to your body - you need to be in tune with what your body is telling your mind because when running for a long period of time your mind lies to you! Oh yes it does! Bugger it is! And what is worse is that you won't know your mind is lying to you until long after you have finished the race. This happens in other situations and we need to be cognisant of what our body and mind are doing or not doing. Being aware of self is an important part of movement in life.
In the humidity, I was overheating. I almost fainted twice. I held back the vomit twice. I started to panic! So I started grabbing for the ice at the aid stations and put it in my hat and in my bra (yea you heard me, my bra!). I knew I needed to get my core temperature down or I wouldn't make it. I also rested longer at the aid stations drinking and eating here and there. I listened to my body and because I did, I made it across the finish line - the ultimate goal!
4. challenge yourself but enjoy it - this sounds a little strange together but we all need a challenge here and there in life in order to create change and for us to find our limits; how else will we know how far we can go if we don't push to find the limits? And while challenging ourselves there should be some fun involved in it; why so serious!
I laugh at myself whenever I can because I am funny and do funny shit (ask my sisters or close friends)! It also helps me through the spots where other coping mechanisms might not.
I tripped on the sidewalk running back from the half way mark. I had to grab onto the cement wall to right myself up or I would have fallen to the ground. It hurt and I had to stop and walk off the strain to my left quad. I started to cry a bit as I was afraid I had to call it quits. Then I looked around to see if anyone saw me almost take a nose dive; yea that is soooo embarrassing! I giggled at the thought, then off I ran. I laughed at the guy who stood in front of me while I was running by the falls telling me "good job you". uhhhh yea okay there mr! I let out a good one when a person said "how far you running?". Hmmm....sign on my shirt does say 50kms doesn't it? I think at that point I was giddy with heat and laughing at anything. It helped, boy it sure did!
In the end, at the finish line (whatever that finish line is for you), celebrate you. We often give praise to others for their accomplishments (I praised the guy who ran beside me for a while who made it across the finish line 40 minutes ahead of me. I praised those who ran past me heading to the half way mark that I had already been to, and those who passed me and were ahead of me.) but fail to give ourselves praise.
After getting my medal at the finish line, I stopped to chat with the guy who ran with me for a bit during the race. He praised me for a good job and all I could say was "yea, yea, it was good". It wasn't until the next day when my sister read out a text from a friend of ours saying that I should be so proud of myself to have run in the heat and humidity the way I did, that I realised I really did something so awesome! Celebrate yourself; you are worth it. I celebrated with an espom salt bath, twice! I soooo needed it! Miigwetch.
In good thoughts,
Carrianne aka Ultra cougar extraordinaire!
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