This one thing I do...forgetting what's behind me, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me. ~Philippians 3:14
As we're all preparing for road races this season, including the Mableton Day 5K Race, regardless of the cause or distance, we'll go through the necessary training, mental prep, sneaker break-in and proper breathing techniques.
The ritual or regimen differs person to person. For me, it's always been more of a mental prep than anything. Sure I physically train. Cardio. Clocking miles. Strength and core training. But if I haven't mentally prepared myself, heck even when I do, the minutes I'm waiting at the starting line begin to feel like hours.
Find out what's happening in South Cobbwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Butterflies, what if's, what not's and what-on-earth-was-I-thinking cross my mind.
I found this awesome motivation series called "I (heart) to run." PHENOMINAL motivational photos and quotables to get you ready to hit the pavement. I'm thinking of making these my phone alerts to schedule my running.
Find out what's happening in South Cobbwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Motivation like these and great music keep me movin'. My favorite running song is respectfully titled, "I'm Runnin'" by Mary Mary. It simply says, " So I'm runnin'/If I can't walk then I'll crawl and I get up if I fall/Gotta get to where you are, so I'm runnin', and I won't stop for nothing/It's hard, but it's worth it/When it's you that I want." During one of my hardest 10K runs BY MYSELF this song got me over what seemed like a mile-long hill climb.
So to all of my runners and self-proclaimed nonrunners (a.k.a. really fast walkers who happen to just lift their knees simultaneously) here's to seein' you at the finish line.
WHY RUN...
Whatever. There are no tricks. Run because you have to. Run because you love it. Run because you want to be fast. Run because you want to be skinny. Run to find some quiet time. Run to sweat. Run to eat. Run to hear your heart pound in your ears. Run because you're a runner. Run because you gotta keep the streak. Run because you don't know why the hell you're running. Run because you fought with your partner. Run because your job is sucky*. Run because you got no money. Run for the sunrise. Run for a race. Run because it's impossible. Run because it's easy. Run instead of doing the laundry. Run instead of watching TV. Run because no one else understands. Run because the cool kids do it. Run because you're tired of talking. Run for numbers. Run for feel. Run to prove something. Run because it freakin' hurts. Or don't run. If you got something better to do. - Jeff Edmonds
*Editor's Note: The wording was changed for this sentence.
