Toronto Running Chiro

Dear me on the start line,

This is a blog I wrote mostly for myself but I thought other people may find it useful.  And I would also love if it started a conversation about the things you are thinking of when toeing the start line.  I think a lot of us have great aspirations of what will be in our heads come race day but sometimes those thoughts are forgotten in the hustle of getting to the line.  Many of these are adapted from things I have read in the past and from my wonderful coach Megan Brown.  I was also reading the book ‘How Bad Do You Want It’ by Matt Fitzgerald while writing the blog and a lot of inspiration was taken from it as well (*great book by the way I highly recommend it).

So I thought writing down some of my thoughts may help, so here it goes:

Do not be afraid—fear will only weigh me down —as my coach says it is hard to run with a heavy back pack on.

Everything you are trying to prove that you are; you already are.

Remember that this is the fun part and, as Shalane Flanagan says, it is the ‘celebration of all of your hard work’.  Now is the time when you get to show off just how fit and you really are.

I want to remember that it is going to get tough out there but I am strong enough to handle it.  It will just be fatigue trying to break me but I know I am better than the fatigue and I can fight through it.

Do not try so hard; just let it happen.

Focus on your breath and just run.  There is nothing more to it

Do not be focused on the external, rather bring the focus to internal factors and allow yourself the potential to run your best

Listen to my body throughout the race and give an effort I know I am capable of holding for a marathon

Be in control of my thoughts. Do not to let myself go to that negative headspace I sometimes inhabit. Focus rather on the things that inspire me and make me want to push harder.
-the months/years of hard work
-the knowledge that I am strong enough to be here
-the belief in myself
-the passion & love I have for running

I want to remember all of the tough training sessions I put in to get me to this race; not only in this last training cycle but in all the years I have been running.

If my passion endures so will I

And when things get tough and the question comes up “how bad I want it”… I want to be strong enough to say “bad enough to keep pushing!”

Lastly, I want to remember why I do this: because I love to run and to push myself.  I cannot imagine my life without running.  And I feel so fortunate to be able to run the way I do.

Writing this blog actually made me really nervous and excited.  Not about the actual race I know I am in the best shape I have ever been in.  But in a way that is almost more intimidating because my body is so ready for this leaving my mind the only thing that could mess things up.  And with my track record that is a scary place to be.  But I have come a long way in working on my mental game and I know I am stronger mentally and physically so now all I have to do is the fun part of training—RACE!

A huge thank you to my coach Megan Brown who has inspired me and helped me to open up my potential by allowing myself to stop trying to force things and always grasping and instead just running and letting the potential happen.

I wish everyone racing the best of luck but know that it is not luck that brings success it is all the hard work you have been putting in for months leading up to this day.
Have fun out there!!!

And remember…

So how bad do you want it?