A little over a year ago I ran my first Ultra Marathon (50K) trail race.
I never imagined I would sign up for this kind of race. I had always like the idea of being able to say that I ran a Marathon, but wasn’t really keen on actually running one. I really hadn’t heard of many people running distances farther than 42.2 miles – as I had not been exposed to this crazy ultra-endurance-distance world yet.
I was still not comfortable running a Half Marathon distance so I knew that this would be a challenging goal to accomplish. A leader in my run group had run a couple 50K races the year before and even finished one after seriously injuring his ankle early in the race. His message was that if you were determined enough you would get through it. After that, a few other run friends talked about signing up and I reluctantly joined in (mainly because they were all doing it and I didn’t want to miss out). Yes, peer pressure made me do it! The great part of this was that there was a large group of great people to do all the training with and surely one of them would keep me company on race day.
To make a long story short… I did all the training runs, focused on fueling my body properly and got through the actual race day feeling pretty good. There were many parts of that race day that tested my will, strength, motivation, emotions and my body. Since that day I have completed a Marathon (so now I can say I ran one!), a handful of Half-Marathons, lots of training runs and a second 50K trail race (yep, I did it again!). I am very grateful that I was talked into that first 50K, because it taught me that I am a strong, determined person who will not back down from physical challenges and that I can push myself beyond my perceived limits AND live to talk about it!
Here are a few key things that I took away from last year’s experiences. I know that all of these things can help anyone as they work towards their health and wellness goals. I learned that you really could do anything you choose – so I challenge YOU to set a goal and get started!
#1 You can do ANYTHING, if you are determined enough!
My body and mind were pushed beyond anything I had ever experienced (other than childbirth) AND I survived to tell about it! There is a true sense of accomplishment and reward when you do something you didn’t think you could do. Finishing the 50K race is something I am really proud of. More important were the shorter training runs that I got through when I was struggling, hurting, tired, cold or soaking wet – those smaller goals (I made each training run a goal) gave me a real sense that I could reach my end goal (or at least get through the next run).
#2 Goal Setting & Planning works!
Planning is KEY! I had a great training plan. Every week I had a list of training that needed to get done. I did every one of those training runs as if it were the only thing that mattered. I took the focus off the end race (which was daunting to me) and instead just got through each individual workout/run. Some days this was hard, other days it was easier; but I knew I had to do them. The sense of accomplishment as I crossed off each training run was amazing – I was able to see that I was making progress towards my big end goal.
#3 Workout with A Friend!
Or many friends! I was lucky to have a large group of people training for the same event and we all supported each other during each training run. I learned that everyone has a bad day and at some point everyone in our group needed support to get through the training. On race day, it was the help of friends that got us through the distance. There was always a friendly conversation going on that would keep my mind off the rain, hills, cold, distance or whatever else was challenging me at the moment.
#4 Be Flexible!
I don’t mean the stretching kind of flexible (although that helped my training). I mean go with the flow and change up your schedule when needed. Life happens and sometimes we can’t do a run/workout at a certain day or time. Find another time to do it and you will still be on track.
#5 Just Do It!
Ditch the excuses. Yes, it’s raining, freezing (-8C out), you are tired, didn’t get that laundry done. There are an endless number of reasons why NOT to do something; you need to focus on WHY you wanted to do it in the first place. My motivation was to finish the race and I knew that I needed to train for it or I wouldn’t get through it. THIS is what got me out the door for those cold, wet runs. AND I always felt amazing when they were over!
#6 Fuel Your Body!
Your body is a machine and should be fueled accordingly. It needs certain nutrients (carbs, fats, protein, water, vitamins & minerals) to function properly. Without ALL of these things or if you are eating too many processed, nutrient poor, junk foods your body will not work as it should and you will feel sluggish, tired, bloated, sore (inflammation), sleepless, sick, etc.
Whether you are training for an endurance event or even just getting through life, you need to give your body what it NEEDS! Carbs, fats, protein, water, vitamins & minerals. I learned through trial and error what worked foods worked for me.
Like I said, all of these 6 things can apply to you, no matter what your end goal is. Don’t be afraid to try something that challenges you. The feeling you get with completing a goal is priceless. But you won’t figure that out if you don’t take that first step. Pick a goal and GO FOR IT!
I never imagined I would sign up for this kind of race. I had always like the idea of being able to say that I ran a Marathon, but wasn’t really keen on actually running one. I really hadn’t heard of many people running distances farther than 42.2 miles – as I had not been exposed to this crazy ultra-endurance-distance world yet.
I was still not comfortable running a Half Marathon distance so I knew that this would be a challenging goal to accomplish. A leader in my run group had run a couple 50K races the year before and even finished one after seriously injuring his ankle early in the race. His message was that if you were determined enough you would get through it. After that, a few other run friends talked about signing up and I reluctantly joined in (mainly because they were all doing it and I didn’t want to miss out). Yes, peer pressure made me do it! The great part of this was that there was a large group of great people to do all the training with and surely one of them would keep me company on race day.
To make a long story short… I did all the training runs, focused on fueling my body properly and got through the actual race day feeling pretty good. There were many parts of that race day that tested my will, strength, motivation, emotions and my body. Since that day I have completed a Marathon (so now I can say I ran one!), a handful of Half-Marathons, lots of training runs and a second 50K trail race (yep, I did it again!). I am very grateful that I was talked into that first 50K, because it taught me that I am a strong, determined person who will not back down from physical challenges and that I can push myself beyond my perceived limits AND live to talk about it!
Here are a few key things that I took away from last year’s experiences. I know that all of these things can help anyone as they work towards their health and wellness goals. I learned that you really could do anything you choose – so I challenge YOU to set a goal and get started!
#1 You can do ANYTHING, if you are determined enough!
My body and mind were pushed beyond anything I had ever experienced (other than childbirth) AND I survived to tell about it! There is a true sense of accomplishment and reward when you do something you didn’t think you could do. Finishing the 50K race is something I am really proud of. More important were the shorter training runs that I got through when I was struggling, hurting, tired, cold or soaking wet – those smaller goals (I made each training run a goal) gave me a real sense that I could reach my end goal (or at least get through the next run).
#2 Goal Setting & Planning works!
Planning is KEY! I had a great training plan. Every week I had a list of training that needed to get done. I did every one of those training runs as if it were the only thing that mattered. I took the focus off the end race (which was daunting to me) and instead just got through each individual workout/run. Some days this was hard, other days it was easier; but I knew I had to do them. The sense of accomplishment as I crossed off each training run was amazing – I was able to see that I was making progress towards my big end goal.
#3 Workout with A Friend!
Or many friends! I was lucky to have a large group of people training for the same event and we all supported each other during each training run. I learned that everyone has a bad day and at some point everyone in our group needed support to get through the training. On race day, it was the help of friends that got us through the distance. There was always a friendly conversation going on that would keep my mind off the rain, hills, cold, distance or whatever else was challenging me at the moment.
#4 Be Flexible!
I don’t mean the stretching kind of flexible (although that helped my training). I mean go with the flow and change up your schedule when needed. Life happens and sometimes we can’t do a run/workout at a certain day or time. Find another time to do it and you will still be on track.
#5 Just Do It!
Ditch the excuses. Yes, it’s raining, freezing (-8C out), you are tired, didn’t get that laundry done. There are an endless number of reasons why NOT to do something; you need to focus on WHY you wanted to do it in the first place. My motivation was to finish the race and I knew that I needed to train for it or I wouldn’t get through it. THIS is what got me out the door for those cold, wet runs. AND I always felt amazing when they were over!
#6 Fuel Your Body!
Your body is a machine and should be fueled accordingly. It needs certain nutrients (carbs, fats, protein, water, vitamins & minerals) to function properly. Without ALL of these things or if you are eating too many processed, nutrient poor, junk foods your body will not work as it should and you will feel sluggish, tired, bloated, sore (inflammation), sleepless, sick, etc.
Whether you are training for an endurance event or even just getting through life, you need to give your body what it NEEDS! Carbs, fats, protein, water, vitamins & minerals. I learned through trial and error what worked foods worked for me.
Like I said, all of these 6 things can apply to you, no matter what your end goal is. Don’t be afraid to try something that challenges you. The feeling you get with completing a goal is priceless. But you won’t figure that out if you don’t take that first step. Pick a goal and GO FOR IT!