“Why didn’t I think of that?” Rain pelts me sideways as I wait in the porta-potty line in the athlete’s village in Hopkinton.
Every third person splashes by in the field of mud with plastic bags on their feet. “Brilliant,” I think. For the moment anyway. Those bags will have to come off before running the 26.2 miles, and the rain and 30 mile an hour head winds haven’t shown signs of relenting since I got off the bus.
I\’m not an elite athlete by any means, but I’ve been in a lot of races. Longer. Greater elevation. More challenging terrain for sure. But Boston is showing me a different animal this year, and I I am already second-guessing my clothing decisions as I shiver a bit under the trash bag I’ve draped over myself to block some of the deluge. I intentionally bring up the amount of time in my head that I hope will be the longest I’ll need to be out in this. 4 hours, most likely. Worst-case scenario. I can be uncomfortable for 4 hours, and there’s a good probability it won’t come to that if I race smart.
Mental tip – Resign yourself to the uncomfortability of your situation, then own that all discomfort has an expiration date.
A woman in a different “potty” line smiles that nervous smile of someone wanting to know they’re not the only one who is freaking out.
Me: At least it’s not 90 degrees and humid.
Woman (nervous laugh): Yes, that right.
A woman in front of me in line, face all crumpled: I’d much rather have that! This sucks!
My mind searches for other parts of truth. It\’s not easy as I watch winds push against the coffee and bagel tent like sails on the ocean. Runners huddle together underneath, unwilling to come out, holding onto their comfort until the very last minute before their corral is called. I look back at the women across the way.
Me (best Boston accent…which isn’t that good): The course will be lined with Bostonian diehards just looking to cheer you on and push you forward!
Mental tip – God controls the outside weather. Let him. You have say over the weather inside your head.
I slosh up to the corrals. Go over all of the training that I’ve done that trumps this thing called Heartbreak hill. 26 miles of mostly down or flat and only 400 feet of gradual pavement “rise,” doesn’t hold a candle to 3 hour runs on VAST trails, wearing chains and 15lbs worth of gear, while climbing 3000 feet on uneven, ankle aching terrain.
Mental tip – Train big to make your race small: give your inner corner man something to brag about to you.
I line up with the rest of the wet cattle looking to stampede out of Hopkinton to Boston like the bulls of Spain. My internal coach begins… Set your watch, think about the splits you need. The buffer you’ll give yourself for every second you stay under a 7:48 mile to qualify. Think about how much time you will bank by the end of an 8 mile drop and another 8-9 miles of straight. You can give up a bit of that time on the later miles and elevation and still have plenty of margin, and if you don’t…it won’t ever be from a lack of trying. I have found over my many races that keeping my prefrontal lobe occupied with reason, math and numbers, lowers my anxiety. By focusing on my race strategy instead of my emotions, my brain creates less muscle and mind crippling cortisol, a chemical in my brain that can reek havoc on my legs and my mental game.
Mental Tip – The mind can only focus on one thing at a time. Have that “thing” be helpful not harmful to your efforts.
After a good battle with the course and the weather, I unfortunately ended up falling a bit short for qualifying for next year’s Boston Marathon. A miss by two minutes…deep breath. But when I consider the steady downpour and 30 mile an hour head-winds for 26.2 miles, I can own I ran the smartest and best race I had for the day. I finish with my faith in my well tested mental-emotional tools in tact, ready to fight (ok, race) another day. I have found my tools as useful for my physical efforts as they are for any endeavor I\’ve ever set my mind to in my life. I hope some of these tools can be of use to you on a tough day, and please share some of your well earned tools from your mental tool box that could give another a leg up when they need it most!
Resign yourself to the uncomfortability of the situation, then own that all discomfort has an expiration date.
God controls the outside weather. Let him. You have say over the weather inside your head.
Train big to make your race small: give your inner corner man something to brag about to you.
The mind can only focus on one thing at a time. Have that “thing” be helpful not harmful to your efforts.
