A Little Trip Into My Endorphin Spiked Brain...

I went out this morning for a 6 mile run and since I don't listen to music when I workout anymore, I get a lot of time to just THINK.  Today's topic was...

PERSEVERANCE

It started with my legs felt feeling bit heavy; I felt groggy.  Then a mile or two into the run, my legs had woken up, my stride had increased a little (though I was purposefully holding back just to make it an easy run) and I felt good.  Isn't it odd how sometimes all you need is to get over that initial hump and the rest of the workout is GLORIOUS!

That led to two thoughts...

First, in the book 50/50, Dean Karnazes talks about how he always feels better after a run than before he heads out.  Even on days when he might not feel quite up for a run, he knows that once he's out there, it'll feel better.  I'm the same way, I always feel better after working out; maybe it's the endorphins? 

The second thought I came to was something a female athlete said - "the first five minutes of anything sucks."  If you have the motivation to want to do something, but find there's a bump at the beginning, remind yourself that the first part will suck.  After that, it's great.  I've used that quite a lot lately since I heard it.  I thought that was a great tip for motivation.

Then I went in all kinds of directions...

I started trying to come up with examples of other things I've persevered over, bumps I've run into and overcome.  Today before my legs "woke up" I debated cutting my run short, but I stuck with it and felt great.  It might not be smart, but despite pains, I've pushed through them and finished my workouts.  I pushed through my half marathon with insufficient training and never walked let alone met my outrageous goal.  I've hit countless walls in training and through testing myself, I can always say "just another minute and let me see how it goes."  Well, that minute turns into five, then 20, and before you know it, I'm done.

Then something hit me from the blogs I've been catching up on...

Danny @ A Quest for Running Perfection summed it all up very well recently with a short motto that I believe he pulled from the book Why We Run.

"Stay on Target"

When you lose focus, reset it.  Don't let things distract you.  But the thing I work the hardest at myself is 'know yourself.'  Know what fatigue vs. haven't woken up feels like.  Know how far you can push a pace before it gets into a gray area.  Know how hard you can climb that hill and still push on.  And if you don't know the answer to all the questions, test it!  The only way you're going to know if you can hit that PR is by trying.

If I may say so, you are capable of much more than you think. 

PS.  Tomorrow's post will come straight to you from North Carolina.

That's right, ROAD TRIP!!

Kristin @ Bigger Girls Can Run Too has a college reunion

I'm just pretty much pro at long distance driving (11 hours in the car straight, no problem!)

We'll be leaving at  2AM Friday (that's 11PM Thursday for those west coasters)

So stay tuned for some road trip shenanigans from Team Awesome.

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Questions

1.  What's one example of a time when you persevered?
In training, during a race, at school...?

2.  What do you think about while you're working out?
Does anyone else have an inner motivator in you when you get a shot of endorphins?


Stay fit.  Stay healthy.