Sometimes I set goals on a whim. I don’t advise doing this–unless you’re not someone who puts a lot of value in goal-setting, in which case you just stop before you finish.
That’s not the case for me. I set a goal to run three half marathons in my 29th year. I’m not actually a fan of half marathons. They’re fun while I’m there, but I dread them. A sprint triathlon or 10K is much more my style. But I did it. I said I would run three. So I will.
I’ve run two so far. One was physically challenging (more here) and this weekend’s was mentally challenging.
I’ve never had such a thing happen. I started strong then hit a wall. A complete mental wall. I couldn’t get my brain and my body to work together. Physically I was fine, but mentally, I couldn’t get in the game. The weather was perfect. The course was challenging, but not as hard as the first half I ran a few years ago (best feeling ever–more here). Nothing makes sense. My mind just hit a block. I finished, but it wasn’t pretty.
I wish I understood. For someone who tends to have a pretty good grasp on the mental aspect of things (most of the time), this was pretty foreign. I’ve never experienced such a thing.
I was going to wait until the fall to run my third, but now I feel sort of an urgency about it. I want to recoup these last two. I want to finish on a high note. So, it’s highly likely I’ll be headed to Oklahoma City in two weeks to run with a friend. Sounds crazy, I know. But, hey, you only live once, right? Then I can focus on the tri with a super short open water swim (I’ve only done pool swims so far) I’m planning to try my hand at this summer–gotta start somewhere!
You'll only be four hours from us!! OKC is fun!
Hate to hear that you had such a challenging run, but love your spirit to overcome.
One day I need to do a marathon,,,, even though I am NOT a runner.. I just want to do one so I can be in the club. I feel like I am the only one that has not done it.
If I weren't doing it in such a whirlwind fashion, I'd stop by!
Gotta accomplish those goals!
I don't foresee a marathon in my cards–ever. Never say never, though.