Listening to your Inner Coach

Today they were calling for storms around 11am. I had a plan.
Drops boys off at schools at 8 and RUN!
I was going to do my long run today. Because we went out of town for Labor Day weekend my mojo has been all messed up.
I was trying to talk myself into 18 miles. I was trying to stay positive and convince myself how awesome it was going to be. That I would just run for over 2 1/2 hours letting the wind blow my hair and smile runners bliss all the way.
IT WASN"T WORKING!
Even trying to prepare myself laying out all my stuff and all the psychological crap I was feeding my mind I was freaking out!

It was a solo run. I was going to be  listening to the voices in my head.
I was going to have to Coach myself and ignore the cries of "Wimpy Nita".
The Battle between Powerful and Powerless.

**RUNNING TIP #1 IGNORED.
"If it Feels good DO NOT speed up!"
The first 8 miles felt amazing. Coach Nita said "Slow DOWN"
I did not listen.
I should have listened.
My tank was starting to drain pretty fast in the humidity around mile 10. I had to make a detour to moms house as I was about to pee my pants. I drank my coffee a tad to close to my run and my bladder was nagging me. It just stinks being a girl. 2 kids and it feels like you are going to pee your pants. But when you run to the bathroom, dropping your drawers before you have even entered  only to TINKLE...Really? What is that? I thought it was going to be like opening the flood gates and this was IT? Shoot I might as well just peed my pants, no one would have even known!
While I was there mom handed me a bottle of ice water. It tasted so refreshing. This was the first drink I had tasted on my run. It was glorious!
But I had to go before it started to rain.

I was starting to whine.
"UGH, its so stinking hot. My whole face is sweating and stinging."
"How much longer? How much farther? AM I there YET?
"What's that? A new Pain? Great!"
"Hmm, Haven't felt that before, it feels like a giant turd hanging from my tail bone, I wonder what that means?"

The the Inner Coach interupts.
"Shut up and RUN."
"Take a drink, eat a chomp, and relax."

That sounded like a plan. I had stopped at home and gotten my water bottle filled with ice water. I can not even explain how that cold crisp water tasted as I swallowed it. It was like water given to me from heaven. It tasted like water from the Garden of Eden. I felt my tank slowly filling again...for a few moments.

Then the voices start creepy up again...
"I ran to darn fast the first half, I gotta walk."
"Is my ankle numb? Is that normal"
"This Sucks. I hate long runs."

The Inner Coach barks back.
"Yup, You took off too fast, So walk. Give yourself 1 minute walk breaks every 11 minutes."
"Pick up YOUR FEET..Your shuffling."
"Slow Down. Relax. Breath."
"Your almost there. Maintain."
"It doesn't have to look pretty, it just has to get DONE."

And with that I listened to to the Inner Coach. Failure was not an Option. There was no short cuts out there today. There was no one to cheat but myself.

TODAY'S MISTAKES.

• I took off to fast and bottomed out at the end.
• I did not hydrate properly last night so I felt fatigued faster on my run.
• With the humidity I should have drank sooner that I did. I was behind the gun with hydration and it took its toll on me.
• I ran altogether to FAST. Long RUNs should be ran 1 minute SLOWER than marathon pace. 

Ultimately, I listened to my Inner Coach. But there were still those nagging voices of pride and pouty that were heard also.
I am Thankful for those that prayed for me on my run.  With all the mistakes I made it is a wonder I finished. With sweat dripping in my eyes, random aches and pains throughout the run and overall fatigue God worked a miracle in my run...Because of Prayers.

My favorite Recovery Drink! Lowfat high protien and full of YUM!

THE RUNDOWN:

Distance: 18.01

Time: 2:37

Pace: 8:44

QUESTION: Ryan Hall dropped out of the Marathon for the Olympics at mile 10 with hamstring pain. Many people were upset because they believe he should not have ran it. People thought that if he knew he was injured he should not have ran it and let someone else have that spot. WHAT DO YOU THINK? DO YOU THINK HE SHOULD NOT HAVE RAN???



Anita