This week we celebrated Labor Day. My original intent was to do the usual, get
in a run, hang around the house, and veg in front of the TV. Since the Peachtree Road Race I had been
taking some down time to heal up some nagging injuries so I really wasn't too
motivated to run a race. After some
consideration I decided to run the Labor Day 10K in Macon. A few of my buddies had already committed to
running the race and after a few conversations they convinced me to just pace another
buddy of ours – Tiki. Great idea I
thought, I can get in a run, with no pressure to actually race and worry about
my actual time. Cool beans.
As race day approached, due to prior commitments, my friend had to pull out… now what?? Maybe I can run with one of my other running buddies… but alas another idea reared its ugly head…. Why not go for it? A few weeks prior to Labor Day, I had been slowly building up my miles… low intensity, easy runs, with no speed or tempo work… so I felt pretty good going in that I would be able to help pace Tiki and make it to the finish line in one piece. I could just run by feel; just to see how things are progressing. THAT WAS THE dumbest, smartest idea I ever had. I pull up to the starting line… competitive engine starting to purr… For the first time in a long while I was a bit nervous. I look at my other buddy, Cheneda… and ask, ‘hey you want me to pace you?’ She looked in my eye, smiled, and said no if you feel it do what you can. She must have seen the Kraken pacing back and forth. By the way, Cheneda got a 10K PR in this race... great job!!
GAME TIME!! Siren
goes off and we begin. I’m racing again;
feeling that familiar sense of adrenaline and that cool sensation from the wind
blowing on me as I speed down the road.
I check in with my senses… breathing - check, arm swing - check, watch started
- check, legs moving - check. All
systems go UNTIL…. Is that a darn hill before the mile 1 marker?!? FREAK!!!
No worries, I thought… I've been here before… keep pushing, lean in, dig
deep. I get through that early challenge…
5.2 miles to go. Mile 2… Things start to
settle down a bit… I’m going downhill now, feeling good, feeling great… until
things start to level off. At this
point, I’m starting to wonder what did I get myself into.
OK don’t panic, don’t push it, 4 miles to go,
no need to aggravate anything. Let’s get
through this in one piece – mind playing tricks on me. I fell for it hook, line, and sinker… instead
of focusing on the mile I was in… I started rationalizing or thinking about the
ENTIRE race. I've learned through my
marathon runs that in order to take on 26.2, mentally you can’t think about it
all at once. The same goes for any race…
break it down into stages. I made a fundamental
flaw. By doing so, your brain will sabotage
you by protecting itself and the body. I
immediately switched from race mode to let’s just get out of here in one piece
mode – at freaking mile 3. So, then
comes mile 4… OK after a quick argument with myself… the second half of this
race was advertised as a fast 5K, so OK its only 2 more miles… dig in… let’s go!!! BUT WAIT!!
Is that… another freaking hill?!!
You've got to be kidding me. Mind
playing tricks on me, part 2 – that’s all I got Scottie… shut it down, let’s go
home, thank you for playing. I start
thinking about the trees, the sun, whatever I could to get through this hill
and the next 1 ½ mile. So, with about a ¼
of a mile to go… I see/hear this kid STRUGGLING (about as hard as me
J)… I put my coaching
hat on and tell him let’s finish together and we went for it – kind of easy at
that point when you see the finish line.
Whew!!! We made it. Kid thanks me like it’s his first race… I pat
him on the back, where is the freaking water, stretcher, hey I need oxygen!!!
In the end, overall it was a great event. I really did like the course, it was
challenging, but not so much that I wouldn't do it again… with more
preparation. I came in 3rd
for my age group, helped a kid finish hard, and got to hang out and experience
a new running adventure. The best part…
I didn't fall apart and feel pretty happy about my progress. Until next time… Keep Running!!!
From time to time we have to give acknowledgement and/or look back to thank those that have helped us along the way. Success is “the achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted”. Everyday people set out to achieve something they've never done before… these goals become our drive, our passion. Whether it’s to finish a weekend project, make a ton of money, or to win a race, each and every one of us strive to achieve something or be better than we were yesterday. 
The very nature of being a runner forces you to be goal oriented, to lose weight, to finish a race, or to be socially connected to others. That’s where mentors, coaches, or other runners come in. Our community is rich with people from all walks of life. Our interactions with each other help to grow us, mold us, inspire us to dig deep within ourselves to realize that we can set a goal and achieve it. Even if we stumble or have a setback, it's our mentors, family, and friends that provide that guidance to help us to continue to move forward. Many people like to think its hard work and dedication that makes a person successful, and for the most part it is, but if it weren't for the people giving that subtle nudge, that one tip, or by sharing their story then your efforts may have taken longer than originally intended. 
So, I’d like to take the time to thank each and everyone of my past and present mentors, the family and friend, the ones who help me today, and the ones who will help me in the future. It’s your shoulders I stand on and hope that I would be so fortunate to help others to achieve their dreams as you have helped me to achieve mine.
