And the 15th Anniversary Edition of the Couch to 10K is on the horizon.
It has nothing to do with running but it’s hard to believe that there’s only 10 days to college football.
We’re smack dab in the middle of ‘marathon training season’ which is almost as much fun as football season though the Summer heat and humidity makes it seem even longer! In the South I would venture to say that the humidity is the largest stumbling block to successful training – though it’s here every Summer we always seem to fuhgeddaboudit. Then we’ll have a bad long run or 2 and our mental capacity and desire to run a marathon (or Half) springs more leaks than a submarine with a screen door.
There will always be ups and downs with running…always. The challenge is not to let the highs get too high or the lows too low (and I think ‘low’ is harder). If you’re disappointed in a run compartmentalize your thoughts into 3 steps:
- Feel. It’s okay to feel disappointed – never depressed, just disappointed. It shows you care. Acknowledge your disappointment but don’t dwell on it.
- Reflect on what may have contributed to your performance – fuel, heat, humidity, lack of sleep, party warrior? Was it something you can control in the future (sleep, fuel, party city) or something you have NO control over (weather)? Or just a complete lack of energy, perhaps dead legs; whatever! Then….
- Move on! If you can ‘fix’ it, then prepare for the ‘fix’ next time – if you can’t, fuhgeddaboudit! Move on – either way, you can’t go back but you can be like the Roughriders and Charge! Move on! You’ll run again, and again and hopefully many more miles – learn well, but have a short memory.
Saturday 9:30 a.m. Trak Shak Homewood. Info Session about the upcoming Couch to 10K 15th Anniversary Edition. We won’t run Saturday – it’s for all those who have an interest in the program and want to learn more. I’ll explain the program and then open it up for questions. I’ll hang around as long as need be to talk with folks individually if need be. Our first run will be Monday 8/31 at the BB&T Bank Bldg parking lot (next door to Mt Brook YMCA). We’ll have 3 runs the 1st week, 2 group runs in the 2nd week and from the 3rd week on, at least 3 group runs each week. If there’s enough interest we’ll even add a morning run…
What I hear most is, “I can’t because…..” of whatever reason; however it’s REALLY because most people are just afraid to step outside of their comfort zone. We’ll have all shapes, sizes, ages, and abilities out there – it’s almost like being at the beach, seeing the ocean but being afraid to step into it…why? In 3 weeks you’ll be running and forget all about any apprehension you may have had!
It’s fun – we make it fun and keep it fun because IF it’s fun, you’ll want to do it – if it’s not, you won’t. That simple. It’s a confidence builder, day after day your confidence will grow; where it might start as a tiny sapling, by the end of the program when you’re doing more than you ever thought you could, your confidence will be like a mighty oak! It is challenging; anything worthwhile is. There’s a difference in challenging and ‘hard’. Challenging this is, hard, it ain’t.
If you’re not sure ask yourself these questions…”Why not? Why not me? Why can’t I do it?” If you don’t have a good answer, come on! At less than $5 a week you’ll have some incredible adventures, a lot of fun and discover a whole new world. You don’t have to see the whole staircase to take the first step.”