Today is one of my favorite days in Chicago. Marathon Day. I love it! Not because I am out there running the marathon (I am not), but because of the energy that is felt throughout the city. It is amazing to watch these professionals run 26.2 miles with their last mile being faster than any single mile I have ever run. But for me it is not just these elite athletes that inspire. It is the thousands of people that have made a goal, set forth to accomplish that goal and are now conquering it. For some, the goal may be to complete the marathon in a personal best record time, while others may just want to finish be it walking, jogging or running, still others are out to raise funds for one of their favorite charities. Whatever their goal, they are out there doing it – and the city of Chicago is behind them cheering them along.
What is Your Marathon? Is it running a 5K? Sticking with a diet? Competing in a triathlon? Try to come up with something that you really want to accomplish – something that is challenging yet achievable and start conquering your “Marathon.”
In honor of the Chicago Marathon, I wanted to share some of my favorite Runner’s Tips from my Runner’s World Daily Tips by Seller’s Publishing, Inc. They apply not only to runners but to all athletes.
“Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years that they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance is merely the demonstration of their championship character.” – T. Alan Armstrong, author
“Performance is a subjective measure of workout quality, not quantity nor intensity. If you felt great on yesterday’s run, you’d evaluate that as good. If you felt sluggish on that same run, you’d count it as poor. Trending workout quality – multiple poors in a row – is one of the easiest ways to identify the need for more recovery.”
“When your body is overwhelmed by training (or other sensors), it produces hormones like cortisol that can cause irritability or anxiety. Stress also halts chemicals like dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that has a big bummer effect on mood when depleted. Crankiness probably means not enough recovery.”
“It’s the road sign: ‘Beware of lions.’” – Kip Lagat, Kenyan distance runner, during Sydney Olympics, explaining why his country produces so many great runners.
And, my personal favorite (because it is so NOT me, but makes me laugh everytime)…
“Imagine that the runner next to you just did something terrible to you like stealing your iPod. That’ll amp up the competition – and the fun.” (fun?, seriously???)
Good luck in tackling YOUR MARATHON!
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