All the dreaming, all
the goal setting and all the planning will not get you closer to your goal
without taking that first step, figuratively and literally. To reach your running
goal, there is no substitute, you must lace those running shoes and get your
legs moving. You can get out the door or on the treadmill, but you must move.
“Moving Forward” is the first M of the DREAMS Cycle ™.
For me, taking those
first steps towards my goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon was not an
issue. I have been running for over 30 years, with only a few instances where
injury prevented me from running regularly. When I started my training to
qualify for the Boston Marathon, I was averaging about 40-50 km per week. The
issue for me was thus not to start running, but to start serious training for
the marathon.
Taking those first
steps is not always that easy. There are
many reasons that prevent people from moving forward.
I am afraid
This could be the fear
of hurting yourself, the fear of running alone, the fear of embarrassment and
even the fear of not knowing how to run. For me, when I set my goal of
qualifying for the Boston Marathon, a few fears popped up. The fear of failure was one of them. I was afraid of falling short and not qualifying. Another
fear was of not being able to put the right amount of training. I know how hard
it is to qualify. The first time I tried to qualify, it took me ten years and
ten attempts as recounted in my memoir, Take 10 and Reach the BostonMarathon.
I don’t know where to start
This is the fear of
not knowing how far to go, where to run and how fast to run. For me to qualify
for Boston, I had already defined my training plan so I knew what to do, I just
needed to execute.
I can’t find the
time
Running takes time,
but it is all worth it. However, when you start running, or you start on your
quest to qualify for the Boston Marathon, you sometimes have difficulty
figuring out how to get all the required distances in. The biggest concern for
me was how to spend 2-3 hours on the weekend doing long runs and leave my kids
possibly alone. To deal with that, I completed my long runs in the morning when
they were still asleep; luckily two of them like to sleep in. In terms of
leaving them alone, they had reached a reasonable age that they could be left
alone. However, I always felt the need to bring a cell phone in case of an emergency.
My other concern with
time was to complete some mid-length runs during the week after work. When I
get home from work, my second job starts as a tutor for my kids while they do
their homework. Sometimes this does not end till 9:30 pm. The later it gets,
the lower my energy level; when I start my run later than 8 pm, I feel I am
dragging my butt and starting is so much more challenging.
I don’t have the
right shoes, clothing, equipment
The beauty of running
is that it takes so little equipment. A pair of shoes and socks, some shorts
and a top are all you need. Of course, to make running more pleasurable,
equipment can make a huge difference. The right shoe can not only prevent
injuries, but it also has the potential to make you faster. Ask all the people
who bought the Nike Vaporfly 4% to see if they thought it was worth spending
over $250 on a pair of shoes.
In my case, I had all
I needed to train. I even had a Garmin Forerunner 610 watch that my spouse had bought
me about 8 years ago.
I don’t have the
money
Although running can
be inexpensive, racing is another matter. Running a marathon can set you back a
good $120 just in registration fees. If you are lucky enough to have a race in
your hometown, you don’t need to travel, but often people will travel to find a
Boston Qualifier. Luckily for me, my attempt at Boston would be the Ottawa Marathon
in my hometown.
I have something
better that keeps coming up
In a previous post, we
talked of the 5L’s of Life: Labour, Love, Learning, Lifestyle and Leisure.
There are so many activities in our lives related to those 5 L’s that can
distract us from going out the door. A recent attention grabber is social
media. I even get caught looking at my phone to see if there is any message
before I go out the door for a run.
I don’t feel well
enough to run
Running takes a
certain amount of energy. The less energy you have, the less likely you will
get out the door. Moreover, if you are sick, you don’t feel like running and most
of the time, you probably should not.
I don’t like to run
outside when it is cold, wet, and dark
Fairweather runners
are those that only want to run when the weather is just right; not too hot,
not too cold, not too wet and not too dark. Most runners will deal with some
level of bad weather, but when the roads get too icy, it is great to have an
alternative. This could be a gym or in my case, a treadmill. Apart from shoes
and clothing, the treadmill is the best investment in my running that we have
made. No more excuses because of the weather.
No more excuses - How
to motivate yourself for those first steps
By setting your goal
based on your situation, many impediments to starting your Boston Marathon
training should be dealt with, e.g. training plan, equipment, money. Getting
out the door for those first steps should be simple, but sometimes you need
that extra push. Here are a few approaches that can be used, not only for your
first steps but for many others.
Feel the fear and
do it anyway.
Fear is thinking of
something that has not happened. It is something in the future. Focusing on the
moment will help you deal with fear. Even in the presence of fear, you can
still move forward. Feel the fear and do it anyway. This is accepting that you
will be afraid, but you will do it anyway.
In the past, I have
sometimes felt the fear of tackling a distance, telling myself that I did not
belong at the starting line. That was the case when I competed in my first two
Ironman-distance races. As I was looking over the water not seeing the
turn-around buoy almost two kilometers away and looking around me at the slim
and trained bodies, I was telling myself: “I don’t belong here. These people
look so much more ready than I am.” All I could do was trust my training, feel
the fear and take those first steps in the water as the gun went off.
Don’t think about
it, just do it.
The loftiness of your
goal can sometimes paralyze you and prevent you from moving forward. Under
those circumstances, don’t focus on the end goal, but on the action you are
taking at that particular moment. The action is to run. So get dressed, put on
your running shoes and take that first step. Before you know it, the run will
feel more comfortable and you will finish that run that will ultimately take
you to your goal.
Same day, same
time.
Nothing works better
than a routine to get things accomplished with as little mental energy as
possible. Routine allows you to clear your mind of having to remember and to
fret about it. My general routine now is to come home, work with the kids on
their homework, have dinner, work some more with the kids and start running by
8 pm. I do this Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I don’t have to decide if I
will run that day on not; it is part of the routine, so I just do.
Start small and
build using baby steps.
The goal that you set
for yourself might feel daunting. Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is no easy
feat. In order to get there, you know you need to train consistently over the
course of months. A training program also involves building up. All you can do
is start from where you are and build on that. You take what looks like baby
steps to get to your objective. Soon, the long runs will get longer and your
pace will get faster.
Get company.
Walking through the
shadows of darkness is almost always easier with someone by your side. This
also applies to running on a dreary winter day. Running with a buddy is
probably the most effective way to get going. Your running partner can
encourage you and is someone you do not want to let down. Make plans with
friends to go running.
Register for a
race.
Another step you can
take to increase your motivation and to move forward is to register for your
planned race. Registering early in your training cycle also gives you the
opportunity to get the early-bird rate. I registered with my spouse for the
Ottawa Marathon on April 1st as they had an April’s Fool rebate of $32.50
off the normal $130.
There are other
techniques that can help you stay motivated and moving forward and these will
be explored in a future post on Staying Focused and Motivated. Check out this
website for more on this.
