The Hay is in the Barn (throwback time)

[IamTrike]

EmilyinDisney's post on the Marathon thread brought back lots of fond memories of Coach Charles. I know he was quite an inspiration and source of motivation for a lot of people on this board.

About 3 Weeks before a race weekend he would post his "Hay is in the Barn Speech"

I'm going to post a couple of them in this thread below:

From 2012:
"I heard this several times in school and coming from a farming community, I knew exactly what Coach was saying. In one little phrase he was telling us that we had practiced as much as we could, we knew our mission and game plan and that we were ready for the big game.

Well folks, the hay is now in the barn. For the vast majority of us our training plans are essentially complete. All we have in front of us is a couple weeks of tapering. Take this period to reflect on how far you have come. Who in the world would think that a 6-mile run would be a short run? Did you ever think that you would look forward to getting out for a run?

Use the next couple of weeks to heal up any nagging injuries. Two weeks will do a lot to heal up a nagging chronic injury. Rest is better than following a schedule if you have an injury that needs a little time off. You still have a week to get into a doctor if that is required.

Look at your checklist and make sure that you can find everything on the list. Replenish lube and fuel if needed in the next couple weeks. Now is the time to look at things like shoestrings to make sure they are not about to fail… they will only fail on race morning for the record. I would seriously pack my race morning gear in a carry on this week if this is your first travelling marathon.

So, what do I do if things are not all right, if I failed to get all my runs in, if my nagging aches and pains fail to heal before race day? Borrowing a cliché from the late great Coach Darrell Royal, “Dance with who brung ya.” Again, simply stated he was saying do the best with what you have in the game. For us, it is all about taking a deep breath on race morning and taking off as our wave’s gun fires (fireworks go off). That is the best that you can do. Trust your training and strength and you will do so much better on race day than you think you can. Seriously, race day is a special day that brings out the best in all of us. You will feel stranger and faster on race day just from the adrenaline rush. Your biggest worry should and will be pulling in the reigns as you cross the start line. The biggest point of failure in the first half of the race is starting mile 1 too fast. Sadly, most folks will not know they failed here until looking at the race splits after the race. Your goal should be hit the mile 1 mile post at a training pace or a minute a mile slower if you have struggled through a late season injury.

Good Luck. Enjoy your taper. It will feel like you should be doing more. Do not. Follow your training plan and taper your diet as well.

We will see you three weeks

_________________
Coach Charles
Perfectly Goofy 2006-2014
Endurance Coach
Running Disney since 99"

 

[IamTrike]

From 2014:
" The Hay is in the Barn

Coach Lackey used to yell that as we finished up practice before the big game. It was a groaner to a teen as we really did not understand the meaning of the phrase. It’s a simple way of saying trust all the work you have put in this fall and let the race come to you. You may not feel well trained or are suffering through injury or illness or worse; both. Relax.

Think back as you pack and think of how hard it was to run 2 miles last July and now how short a 10 mile run feels. Think of all the trials you went through and how you developed the tool set to pull a run out and finish it rather than throw the towel in and head home. There is an inner peace that you have now that will help carry you through the race(s) this weekend.

If you are in the lack of training or injured camp, trust that the miles put in will help get you to the finish line. I know some have run little since Thanksgiving and yes, you too are able to finish. Keep a positive outlook as you start and it will help carry you to the line.

It is very normal to be a little nervous today; especially if this is your first event. It may be difficult to work as you loop through the what more could I have done list, over and over and over. Note that even those with 20+ marathons have some of the same nerves. The causes may differ just a bit, but the nerves may be just the same. Take a deep breath and relax as you work through this short work week.

Hydrate starting today. You may be snowbound and think that is silly but if you amp up the daily intake by just one glass or two every day this week your body will thank you. Make sure to buy a bottle of water for the plane. Air plane will suck the hydration down.

Make sure you have everything on your check list. I have seen a couple versions floating around, make sure they fit what you have trained with this fall. Carry your race shoes and clothing in a carry on. It does not happen often, but you really do not want your running shoes in Hawaii while you are in Orlando.

Make sure you do not amp up eating once you arrive. Disney has really amped up portion sizes and buffets are just bad news if you fail on self control. You want to maintain a nice balanced and well portioned diet from now until race morning. You simply do not need to gorge on a ton of pasta, a simple and light pasta meal should be more of a celebration of race eve than a thanksgiving meal wannabe.

The weather looks warm and worse humid, I urge a cautious pace on race morning. You know what your training pace has been; start with that or maybe 30-60 seconds slower. Dew point (or wet bulb) temperatures are the statistic to look for. When they are above 60F, caution is needed.

Race morning can be an all nerves on deck period. Take a few deep breaths and make sure you do not walk out the door missing something important – like your bottoms. Ok Bib. I find that I allay most nerves by laying out my clothing in a stack; especially in a hotel type room. The first thing or bottom of the stack are my shoes then socks, HR monitor, Shirt, Bottoms…. That way you are pulling the first item needed from the top of the stack, then the next and so on.

OK gut check time. I know there are a few folks who are worried about the balloon ladies, sweepers, or just failing. I cannot emphasize enough that you especially need to trust you training. Come on and start with us. It is a great experience to be at the race and in the start. The forward momentum of the morning can create a newer level of energy that may well carry you 5-6 extra miles beyond expectation. Keep one very simple thought as you move through the race …………… The Relentless Pursuit of FORWARD Momentum. It’s that simple. Rather than worry once you pass Start, focus all thought, effort and action to the simple goal of the Relentless Pursuit of FORWARD Momentum. Keep you stride light. Head up. Shoulders back and arms freely swinging with a RELAXED grip. Smile, yes SMILE and take a deep and cleansing breath every so often…. Make the Relentless Pursuit of FORWARD Momentum your race day mission. Track your personal time from the start line. Make a pace list if you need so that you can check your personal time at every mile point i.e. :16; :32; :48…. If you are not building a buffer on those splits stay focused on your race day mission; the Relentless Pursuit of FORWARD Momentum. That may mean skipping a photo op, pushing through and avoiding a potty break, or simply knuckling down.

I know that there will be a few who try and try with all their might yet find themselves in a bus seat. It’s ok. Understand that you are part of the 1% of the world’s population who will start a marathon event this year. Hold you head high and enjoy the fact that you are not sitting on a couch or you are not the grumpy guest miffed at the runners who are keeping him from easily walking to a ride. You are one of the few who decided to be healthier and fitter last year and this is YOUR celebration and party. Enjoy the race while you are in it and know that even in an apparent failure, you are still a winner. You have moved off the couch. Take lessons learned and apply them to your next race.

Everyone, have safe travels and enjoy the race.

One final thought….
I wish I could say something classy and inspirational, but that just wouldn't be our style. Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory... lasts forever. – Shane Falco


Get out there and make it a great run!

_________________
Coach Charles
Perfectly Goofy 2006-2014
Endurance Coach
Running Disney since 99 "

 

[IamTrike]

From 2011
"The Hay is in the Barn
I used to hear this weekly back in my high school days (and yes there were high schools back then). Coach would walk in Thursday after practice and tell us that the Hay was in the barn boys, enjoy the fruit of our labors. If you think about it, he was correct. We have all spent the training season growing, harvesting, baling and stacking our ‘hay’ for future use. There is not much more that any of us can do from now through race day. Seriously, a marathon is not an event that you can cram for. I know there are a few who can simply head out and run one, but most of us need to spend the next couple weeks allowing the body to absorb the training from the last few months. Many do not understand that the work (running, lifting, etc) is not where strength and improvements come from; rather, its the recovery periods just after the work where they occur. It’s happens as a result of the muscle repairs those tiny little micro tears that occur with all workouts.

It’s taper time... Yes we do need to be out and running. Taper is seriously misunderstood by many runners. It is not a time of kicking back and not doing anything. Taper is a reduction of training volume. Volume = intensity x time. In many camps it is thought that intensity should remain high through taper. I am in that camp, at least for most runners. Distances, ie time, are reduced dramatically while the mid week intensities remain just as high as previous work.

The exception to the above... If you are injured or ill, I would just recover. Do not run or otherwise aggravate your injury. Give the joint time to heal up. If ill, it’s still ok to run, but keep it light. The general rule of thumb is that if your cold or illness is above the neck, head out for your run; if in the chest or below the neck stay in.

NERVOUS?
It is normal. Remember how nervous you were the first time you entered a race. These are the same nerves. If this is your first event, it is very normal to have a set of nerves during this period. Tapering tends to bring the nerves out as you are not working out near as long as you were just two weeks ago. Trust me, even the most seasoned runners have similar nerves. Maybe we just hide them better, or understand them better. But watch as you are in the corral on race morning. Folks are burning off nervous energy in various ways. Make a pledge to use your nerves to help get you to and through the race. Once the gun goeas off and you just hit the point where you are sweating, your case of nerves will soon disappear.

_________________
Coach Charles
Perfectly Goofy 2006-2014
Endurance Coach
Running Disney since 99"

 

[IamTrike]

An older one from Jan 2011:
"The Hay is in the barn….

Now all you can do is rest.

This is a saying that most cross country runners have heard from some coach along the line.

While it sounds really old fashioned, it is a very simple way of saying, there is nothing more you can do between now and the race.

So starting a week or so ago, you are what you are going to be next week and no last minute make up will make a difference. This week’s runs should be short with a moderate intensity. Your goal is to stay loose and to shake out the cobwebs. Forget any bad things that may have occurred in the last couple weeks and trust your training.

Over the next week you should focus on…

Diet – you are expending less so take in less. A really balanced diet is the best thing you can do for your body. Start pulling back on fibers in a couple days to distress you system.

Hydrate – Mid week or so start amping up you hydration. Not much but enough to keep your urine clear or just slightly colored. Remember most of us travel and most of the travelers fly. Airplanes are an extremely arid climate. Buy a bottle of water after passing TSA and drink it on the plane. Get an aisle seat if that will be an issue.

Sleep – Sleep well this week. Your most important night’s sleep is Thursday Night for the half runners and Friday for the Full runners. You should not expect a good night’s sleep the night before race day. It will just not happen. Even veterans runners can have issues on the road.

Nerves – yes, it is very normal to have a great set of nervous energy. Channel this energy into something productive. Do not fret on the missed long run, the cold or injury. They are all in the past and will not change the fact that the race is this week. Channel the energy into positive thoughts

Drugs. If you are on NSAIDs or cold meds, think about dropping them by mid-week. NSAIDs negatively affect your kidneys creating a likelihood of hydration issues and cold meds will dehydrate you.

Packing. If you are an infrequent traveller, make your list tonight if you do not have it already. Use the list for packing and double check. It is better to pack early if you do not tend to live out of a suitcase.

Carryon. Make sure you have your running shoes in a carry on or wear them on the plane. Ideally, the remainder of the running gear would also be in the carry on but the shoes by far are the most important.

Shoes. – If you have not recently done so, check your laces. They can wear and fray in the upper eyelet and break on race day. Also make sure that they are tight enough in the toe box area. The laces will loosen up over time in the toe area and that is a cause of front of the foot issues.

Once in the room. Make sure that you unpack your running gear early. Lay it out and make sure that you remembered everything. Race morning is not a good time to realize you do not have any shorts. Also, lay out your clothing in order the night before the race putting the first thing on on top and then working down the stack to the last thing on.

Race morning. Clothes, bib, d-tag and room key. Then everything else is optional.

At the gun. Remember to start your watch as you cross the line. As you start running, immediately take inventory of what you have on the day. Nice deep and cleansing breathes in the first mile will help set the pattern for the day. Roll the shoulders back, chest up, head up and a nice conversational pace. Take inventory of how the feet feel, the ankles, the calves, the knees, etc. Bring in positive thoughts in that first mile.

At the midpoint. Smile. You are making it happen. Keep that inventory going. If you feel a new hot spot, fix it if needed. A little Vaseline, a little biofreeze can work wonders. If you do blister, do not be tempted to bandage it during the run. It aint going to stay and the bandage will create a new hot spot wherever it ends up.

The finish – Smile as you cross the line and keep smiling for a few moments. You will be on camera for a good 30 feet. Once you get to the volunteers then remember to stop your watch. So many finish photos are taken of the runner stopping their watch. Keep moving through the chutes. Be happy that we have the disposable dtag and not the loaner tags as in the past. Then you had to stop while it was removed. As you make your way through the chute you will meet several folks. Thank them as they put your medal around your neck. Think about how you feel and whether you need medical help before leaving the baggage area. Once out past the bag area it is a little late. If you have a blister, a sore joint, and especially an ill feeling stop in and say hi.

Wear you medal during the remainder of your stay. This is one marathon where the medal can be worn for over a week. Enjoy the celebrity status.

Finally, thank your volunteers. Without them, none of this happens.

_________________
Coach Charles
Perfectly Goofy 2006-2014
Endurance Coach
Running Disney since 99"

 

[Ariel484]

Coach Charles, come back!!

Thanks for posting @IamTrike

 

[JeffW]

Still the advice that got me through my first Disney marathon all those years ago. The phrase "The Relentless Pursuit of Forward Momentum" always pops into my head late in long runs when I'm feeling tired, and "The Hay is in the Barn" is what I always say out loud when I finish my last long run before a taper. If you happen to be lurking Coach, thanks again!

 

[run.minnie.miles]

I have always heard this referenced, but I really enjoyed reading the original posts. Thanks so much for sharing @IamTrike !! I have a feeling I will be re-reading these often.

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

These are such great posts. Thanks for sharing them @IamTrike

 

[Baloo in MI]

This is awesome!

Thank you for posting this @IamTrike. “The hay is in the barn”; enjoy some rest and recovery and then go celebrate all the hard work of the last few months by running your race and crossing that finish line! Good luck to all!

 

[ZellyB]

Classics that never get old. I also say, "the hay is in the barn" when entering taper and have more than once chanted "relentless pursuit of FORWARD momentum" during a tough race. Sage advice!

 

[GBBTomorrow]

Awwwww....thank you so much for posting this! I ran my first ever marathon at age 39 in 2010, and Coach Charles helped me get through it, though I'm sure he has no idea. His motivation and his solid knowledge were invaluable to me. What a nice memory!