Sleepless Knight
Jedi Knight Seeking His Jedi Princess
- Joined
- May 15, 2008
Thank you. I appreciate as many different ideas as I can get about how to approach this. It's a new way of thinking about a race for me, but I also think it's going to be very beneficial during the marathon. I think I always dreaded the marathon because I couldn't wrap my head around the distance or the time on my feet.The trick is to focus on how many miles you've completed and send a positive message to yourself about the miles behind you. I've got 'numerology' I use at most miles of a marathon.
You want to try to only think of the 'next' mile in front of you.
I'll post more when I get back from my run.
Yep, next deadline is October 15th. My trick this time around was with the Dark Side races, I trained during a deadline, but the race fell after the deadline, so the stress was gone. This time the race fell shortly before the deadline.I was wondering if you'd be super busy yesterday. Next deadline is October 15th, right? (Or do you not do extensions?)
But wow, pretty crazy that you trained for a half right before a tax deadline. I wasn't thinking about that. Now I'm even more impressed with how you did!
I do like the idea of breaking things down. I heard someone once say "at mile 20, it's just a 10K." At the end of most of my half marathon races, I always tell myself I've gone one last training run left to go. But I didn't really do that this time.
There is so much truth to this. While failure isn't quite the right word, I think the statement from Yoda that my mind picked up on is the perfect description for this race. I certainly didn't fail. But because I didn't have the race I dreamed of, I learned so many very important lessons that I believed I needed to learn before the marathon instead of during it.As for failing, I don't believe anyone who finished any race or event ever truly "failed". Sure, sometimes we don't hit the goals we want, but that's because we decided to challenge ourselves in the first place by setting goals outside our comfort zone. If a goal is too easy, there's not much of a sense of accomplishment on meeting it.
Thank you so much. Sometimes it's too easy to get tangled up in my own thoughts and not realize what did happen during the race. I've met a few people in the parks after runDisney races who say "I wish I could do that." I offer as much encouragement as I possibly can that they really can do that, but at some point, each person needs to believe it for themselves.I've certainly had races where things do not go as planned - poor pacing, poor training, poor weather, etc. - but I've never regretted running the race itself. I know I've given a good effort, and I can be proud of that, whatever my result was. You ran a great race and overcame some serious obstacles. Never forget that.
I really love this approach. I wish I had utilized it more during the Giant Race, but really want to apply it during Dopey. I chose the Walt Disney World Marathon precisely because it's in Disney World. Lots to look at, be distracted by, and look forward to.One of the things I did was consciously try to appreciate the current moment and be grateful that I'm in that moment. I start by appreciating that I'm alive and I'm healthy enough to start this race. I think back to my training and remind myself that I put in enough work that I'll probably finish this race, too. I look around and really try to notice my environment.
I know I say it a lot, but I really appreciate so many people in this community offering their expertise, experience, and encouragement. I've come to realize that even though I often run alone, I don't really run alone if that makes sense.I also chat up my fellow racers, and I've found most of them are grateful for the distraction. I'll talk about training, other races they've done, etc. - just anything to help pass the time. If someone is struggling, I try to increase their spirits as much as I can. When you do Dopey, there are going to be so many great moments you're going to want to savor - things like running down Main Street in Magic Kingdom, passing by Everest in Animal Kingdom, and the lap through World Showcase before you finish outside EPCOT. Plus, there's going to be so many cool photo ops, on-course entertainment spots, and cool runner costumes that you'll have a lot to take in as you run. Sometimes I've even missed mile markers because I've been so distracted by all that's going on around me! So enjoy the moment when you run Dopey, and just keep moving forward. You'll be fine and you'll get to the finish eventually. As much as I love crossing the finish line in a RunDisney event, a part of me is a little sad it's over. Enjoy the experience and good luck!!
I've never run through the Magic Kingdom so that should be cool. Plus, I've heard about the Gospel Choir in Epcot near the end. That sounds amazing.