“Dreams without goals remain dreams and fuel disappointment… Goals cannot be achieved without discipline and consistency.”
My goal this year was simple; I will break my personal record (PR) in each racing distance and ultimately condition my body to complete my 3rd marathon. I don’t plan to simply participate this year in the marathon, I plan to obliterate my “PR” which after my first two attempts is less than stellar. In addition to beating my PR’s, I set a goal for the number of races I will complete. Competitively, I will finish 12 5k’s, 6 10k’s, 3 Half-Marathons, and a Marathon.
Running has become somewhat of an addiction. As the miles stack up week after week, I find it more and more difficult to stop myself or even utilize my rest days as my body craves the physical and emotional fatigue that ensues at the end of each run. I am sore, whether it be a ligament, muscle, or joint, but in the most pleasurable way. I have already begun to push my repeatedly past my own threshold and consequently, found that I have experienced a new sense of serenity that Alexander Aciman writes about in his blog How a Lifetime of Running Changes You. Let me explain.
Psychologically, I can feel a transformation. Pain no longer feels like pain. Pleasure no longer has the same meaning. My body yearns to feel the pleasure of the pain. The “Post-Race Daze” as Alexander calls it is that moment of greatest discomfort but has ultimately turned into the fleeting moments of serenity that I chase for miles and really only experience for short period of time afterwards. The greatest satisfaction hasn’t come from the race swag or even the recognition of competing, but the serenity in these moments that keeps me literally running back.
I have come to the realization that some part of my body will constantly be sore. My threshold for pain however has changed. As my threshold evolves, so too does my mindset towards life. Running as allowed me to identify that my mindset needed to change in order for me to continue grow all facets of my life. For too long I have allowed outside circumstances to alter my state of being. I haven’t always made the best decisions and I allowed others opinions to trump my own. With each passing mile I am gaining a new sense of clarity. I am mentally stronger than ever, I am reminded of that with each passing mile as my body attempts to slow its pace but my mind propels my body forward relentless in the pursuit of new goals. I get to run every day, I don’t have to run. I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul and I am running my own race now, my chains are gone and am slowly being liberated with every mile. Stay Tuned...
2016 PR Records:
Kansas City’s Big 12 5k: 22:48 (7:20 Pace)
Great Plains 10K Challenge: 46:48 (7:31 Pace)
Burns & McDonnell Rock the Parkway Half-Marathon: 1:42 (7:46 Pace)
No comments:
Post a Comment