Friday, December 9, 2011

a.k.a. we hope for the best and run the plan....

If marathoning has taught me anything this year, it's that life is not within our control.  So if I was to run another marathon, all I can do on race day is hope for the best, and run the plan, and that will result in the best possible outcome for the day.

I will not guarantee the best possible outcome.  But, instead, the best possible outcome for THAT day.

Like Shifu tries to argue - I like to think that I can control things.  I can control my training, I can control my eating and sleep.  I can control my pace.  I can control...

not a whole lot else on race day.

We are all runners here, for the most part.

Some times we wake up, and we go for a run, and we channel Kara...  or we are RUN PRE... or our bodies are running machines.  Nothing can stop us.  Our lungs, hearts, legs, arms, core and mind work together and we cover the miles with ease.  Even blistering paces feel easy.

Sometimes we wake up with lead strapped to our feet.  Or poured into our quads.  We slug through our run with tired minds, legs, arms and core.  Our hearts pound in our chests, our lungs fight to exchange air.

And a lot of the time I have no idea when I'm going to have a good day, or a bad day, until deep into my run.

I can't control that, because I don't often know what's missing or been missed until after the fact.  I know where I went wrong on my 18 miles from hell in September of this year.  I failed to drink all day on Friday and stayed up late, through no fault of my own.  4 hours of sleep and no liquids = run fail.

I can't control the weather - be it wind, heat, rain or cold... or worse, wind... I said wind twice because it's twice as bad than anything else on that list.  I can't control the germs either.  I can wash my hands and douse the household in bleach, but it's all in vain, because all it takes to get sick is one sweet good night kiss from a 5 year old.

While I can control my training, I can't control the timing of an over use injury.  I can control my iron intake, but I can't entirely control the amount of ferritin in my blood.

There is nothing I can do but hope for the best and run my plan on race day, because I don't suck at running.

I mean, there would be nothing to do but hope for the best...  if I happened to be doing another marathon.

Not that I am doing one... but if I was, I mean...

Here's hoping.


10 comments:

MCM Mama said...

I expect a private message on FB. That's all I'm sayin'

Shellyrm ~ just a country runner said...

I see more big plans in your future. Which doesn't surprise me at all.

carrie said...

Amen GBA Girlfriend!!!

bobbi said...

I heart Shifu.

This post is 100% true. And even though I KNOW it, it's nice to be reminded...

Jen said...

HA!!!!

Or wind... say 10-12mph

Pam @ herbieontherun.com said...

Why do I have the feeling that the whole "not that I'm doing one" line is a big fat lie?

Allison said...

I hope that you enjoy running this weekend as much as I did last year!

Meredith said...

Not that you are, but if you were to run another marathon I would tell you... You inspire the snot out of me and so many! If you were to run another, I would tell you that I so wish that I could be there screaming from the sidelines. Yelling, telling you how STRONG you are and how STRONG you look. If you were, I would tell you that when fatigue comes and the suck monkey comes to sit on your shoulders and pull at your feet - punch him in the face! I would tell you to smile, remember your favorite run and savor the moment. Not that you are running another marathon, but if you were, I would smile, be beyond excited for you and sit with anxious anticipation from 3,000 miles away - thankful that by the time I wake up in the morning, you're already getting close to finishing. Oh, how I love that 3 hour time difference. Again, not that you are, but if you were...

Alex said...

Wooo-already saw the fb post-can't wait to read a GBA race report. =)

Laura said...

So true... marathon training is full of good lessons!