Thursday, January 24, 2013

Lose Yourself


I was staring down the track yesterday, about to run my last 800 repeat when Eminem’s Lose Yourself came on my iPod.

Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted in one moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip?

I paused for one more second to let the words sink in and then accelerated and started my stopwatch to time my eighth and final repeat. 

Yes, perhaps a little dramatic to relate this song to my track workout but I was willing to do whatever it took at that point to push through the last half-mile of my fast repeats. 

Yesterday was a tough day at the track for me.  After last week’s post about learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, I really have been taking my own words and living by them.  I've been getting outside in the freezing cold (for Portland) weather and pushing myself as hard as I can.  I ran my best track workout of this training season last Wednesday and followed it up with another hard workout on Saturday and one on Monday.  By Monday afternoon, however, I was completely spent.  As in, lie-down-on-the-couch-for-two-hours-in-the-middle-of-the-day spent.  Something that I never do.  Not even after 20 mile runs.

Just one of the many beautiful sights from Saturday's chilly run

I started to think I was on the verge of overtraining and began to doubt myself, definitely not a good mindset to have when headed to the track yesterday morning.  I began with a 1.5 mile warm-up jog to a nearby high school track and started my first 800.  It.Was.Awful.  My legs felt so sluggish and tired.  Immediately upon finishing my first repeat, I started playing mind games familiar to all runners.  Instead of running 8 x 800, I could run just 2 x 800 and then run 3 “fast-ish” miles before heading home.  This way I would still be running the same total miles.  Makes sense, right?!  Runner’s logic, for sure.

After two 800’s, I decided I could quit after three because then I would at least be close to halfway done.  Once I had finished the third one, I had to do one more and make it to halfway.  Then I would run two fast miles before heading home, or so my mental argument went.  Long story short, I found myself staring down the track before my eighth and final 800 when the Eminem’s lyrics had me convinced that finishing my last repeat was the key to my success.  Ha! 

I followed up the repeats with one “fast” mile and then jogged home.  Honestly, I was surprised that I won that mental battle with myself on the track.  And my 800 times weren’t really that horrible…just not what I wanted them to be. 

I returned back home and made my post-run smoothie -- a tasty blend of frozen bananas, frozen pineapple, cucumber, spinach and Vega One protein powder.  I then tried unsuccessfully to sit in a cold bath while drinking the chilly smoothie before giving up and taking a hot shower instead.  But while I showered and got ready to pick up the little ones from preschool, I reflected on my workout and was immensely proud of myself for finishing when my body was screaming at me to quit.  And I thought about the last words of Eminem's song...

You can do anything you set your mind to

What kinds of tips or tricks do you use to get through a tough workout?  Do you have something specific you think of to help motivate you?  

What about favorite songs to help motivate you??

- Kristen


22 comments:

  1. This is very corny, but when the going gets tough, I think about when I gave birth. I climbed that incredible mountain, and so I can definitely run another mile.

    Be gentle with yourself. Running is 90% mental, I'm convinced :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha, yes, when I think of giving birth (three different times), it puts everything into perspective!

      Delete
  2. Also, this song:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEABPD4wNCg

    ReplyDelete
  3. I play these mental games ALL THE TIME. I convince myself that I could "just" do this or that and wiggle my way out of a hard workout. I think the only thing that kept me going would be just saying "ok, I'll do one more and see how I feel..." and I ended up finishing. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I knew that I couldn't be the only one who played mental games and tried to convince myself it was okay to quit early. While sometimes I believe it truly is okay to quit, yesterday was most definitely NOT that day for me. :) Love that we have the same mentality!

      Delete
  4. I always give myself permission to stop. I know that sounds a little backwards, but once I tell myself I am allowed to quit, I don't want to. I also play the "one more repeat" or "one more mile" game and always end up doing more.

    You have some really great mental strength!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's exactly how I feel on some of my more challenging runs, Kate! I tell myself that I can quit but then I don't want to.

      Delete
    2. I've done that before, Kate, too! My coach did that to me once in Middle School (a loooong time ago!) about a track meet when I "didn't feel good." As soon as he told me I didn't have to go I was thinking, "Wait a minute!" That night was when I had one of my biggest meets. :) It works for me to remember that day.

      Delete
  5. You know I've been there. Way to push through. I often find strength in songs or praying. The mental challenge, one really important one to win!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Tayarra. I really thought I was going to lose the battle yesterday and definitely think it is okay to quit at times...but in the end, I was happy I did it yesterday. Sort of hard when your times are slow, though, to keep going!

      Delete
  6. Nicely done! You're AWESOME! I was cracking up at the "runner's logic" as I have done the exact same thing on many runs :) It's like, once I've given myself permission to cut it short, some of the pressure is relieved and then I just get it done. 8x800s... I am so nervous about getting up to that point, but hearing how you got yourself through will be huge motivation for me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I read your recap the other day and saw that you rocked your 8 x 400's! You will do the same when you are running 8 x 800's, I'm sure. Funny that we all use the same logic. :)

      Delete
  7. That is DEFINITELY a very motivational song. The other one is "Til I collapse" also by eminem, that'll get me going!

    Whenever I have a bad workout..or not motivated, I just simply have to think and be grateful that I have my health to be able to DO this. It's a very humbling thought :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are SO RIGHT that we need to just stop and think every once in a while about how lucky we are to be able to run. I usually only really appreciate my healthy when I'm injured/sick...which is not how it should be.

      I'll check out Til I Collapse!

      Delete
  8. I played mind games with myself the other day... maybe I'll just do a 5-mile run today and then tomorrow I'll do the 6-mile run. When that happens I just remind myself that if I start doing things like that it'll be way too easy to do it again, and again. Running is too new to me to be cutting corners and pushing workouts to tomorrow!
    I've been listening to a lot of Pandora lately... and (sorry) this includes Justin Bieber radio!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If Justin Beiber motivates you to run, then so be it! :) Whatever gets you out there, right?! I love listening to Pandora when I run. I get so tired of the same songs on my ipod.

      Whenever I tell myself that I can quit, I never actually do. There is something about giving myself "permission" to quit that motivates me to keep going.

      Delete
  9. I love that song!!! I used to play it in my car before exams. Haha.

    Running for me is completely mental games. I always find the first 10-20 minutes into a run the hardest and want to quit. If I push through the end is no where near as sluggish.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I also start off very sluggish. I finally have learned to just run as slow as I want for the first 1-2 miles. It really helps get me going and then I feel comfortable speeding up.

      Delete
  10. Oh yes, I definitely have that mental battle with myself on hard workouts. I have cut them short too many times... I recently found a running group and the times I do track workouts with them, I've surprised myself. There's really something to having that accountability!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've never done a track workout with a running group -- sounds so fun!

      Delete
  11. I LOVE YOUR BLOG!! Way to finish the tough workout. That song is one of my all time favorite running songs!

    ReplyDelete
  12. My song is Drop the World by Enimen and Lil' Wayne. It's full of curse words so be forewarned, but man, does it pump me up when I'm about to call it quits.

    ReplyDelete