Chasing rabbits

Today’s 16-mile run pushed me hard. I was trying to keep up with a friend who wanted to go the distance but is faster than I am. We also were running with another Double D friend who is more evenly matched in pace to my first friend than I am.

The result: I only ran a few of the miles with them. They were too fast for me but I kept them in my sight when I could. It made me run faster than I would if they weren’t ahead of me.

I wished I could keep their pace the whole way because it was lonely in spots and tough. That’s just the way it goes sometimes.

There were moments I wanted to give up and I didn’t. I’m proud of that.

Chasing “the rabbits” ahead of me got me in touch with some good mantras for the future:

“You can’t cut the course short on race day. Don’t do it now.”

I used that one to avoid the temptation at the half-way point to stop short at 7.5 or 7.75 miles. I went  the full 8.0 miles, THEN I turned around.

“Stay calm and scale this one step at a time. You CAN do it.”

I used that one on the hills.

“You ARE going to make it. You ARE going to make it. You always do.”

I repeated this one near the end, the last two miles.

“See, YOU did it, you really did!” 

A final statement to the dissenting voice in my head, which plotted to thwart me earlier.

Runner’s World did an article this month on Mantra Magic.  If you are looking for some of your own, check it out. It helped me think and run stronger today.

The magic of a mantra is, it’s like pulling a rabbit out of a hat when you need it most. The mind almost always wants to give out before the body will. That’s when mantras really help.
 
And once in awhile it doesn’t hurt to chase a few rabbits either.

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Aging is inevitable, but growing old is a choice. Lace up your shoes, and let’s go!

Mileage today: 16; Denver to Boston miles logged: 1,203; Miles left to go: 567.

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