Capabilities + We have a scorpion winner!

"If we all did the things we are capable of, we would
astound ourselves"
- Thomas Edison

I found this little quote sometime ago, not sure how I came across it, but I loved it - it reminded me of when I first really attempted to qualify for Boston a couple years ago and started doing a lot reading on the brain, in particularly, it's affects on racing performance.  I was always a girl ridden with self-doubt about my abilities, especially in races where it "mattered" and though I knew I had endurance and speed on my side, I didn't know how to mesh the two into believing I could fight my way thought the pain of 26.2 hard. tiring miles.  My motto was: start out comfortable and just get slower as the fatigue increased.  I believed "negative splitting" or maintaining a consistent pace in a marathon was for the elite, or those very well-trained and educated on the subject, and therefore I'd just set out in a marathon running - and slow down when it got tiring so I could finish.

Which is fine, for awhile.  But you can only run so many races this way until you realize that something needs to change if you want to see different results.  It took me awhile to understand the physiology behind my running (everyone's running, essentially) and how our bodies work - Geeky science girl here needed to learn what was going on, how my body reacted to the signals my brain sent that I was tired and thus slowed down - what I learned was that I was capable of a lot more than my mental cramping brain told me I was. 

I needed to learn to train my brain to fight through the fatigue of the marathon if I were to improve as a runner.  The way I learned to do this was to kick up my training - to train my body to run at race pace as much as possible so it adapted to the pace it was going to do in the marathon.  I needed to get stronger to achieve this.

All forms of running fatigue entail signals of impending harm sent from your body to the brain.  You can delay running fatigue by training your body to resist various types of harm and by raising your brain's threshold of response to the body's danger signals.  How, you ask?  There are no guarantees, as I've mentioned so many times.  A vast array of factors can take our race down in a heartbeat - but if you do the work needed, your chances of succeeding have more power.  Train your body to run at race pace for an extended period of time through stressing it with increasing race-pace running, and you will see results. 

And it worked.  I stood on the start line of St. George, the race I was trying to BQ, with normal pre-race jitters - as the race so deserves - but confident I could pull it off if the Running Gods didn't throw some obstacle in my path.  I finally trusted my training because I finally trained at a level where my mind knew what it was capable of producing.  It was a feeling unlike I've ever experienced...I believe it was that race which transformed me into becoming a running coach: I knew what it took ME to train at the level at which to see improved results.  Anyone can read a training plan online and adjust it according to their lifestyle, but I knew how much I struggled with stale training times and inadequate race performances, how my mind would get all tangled in the few weeks leading to a major race, and how emotional that journey truly is - those are the things I want to share with you in the upcoming posts (race-pace runs, strength training, etc) - and hopefully you will find that you, too, are capable of so much more than you thought - and will break through some sort of barrier you may possess and truly astound yourself.  I look forward to it :)!!!

So anyway.....yowzie, my first ever giveaway was a huge success!  Thanks to all 131 of you who entered and commented - I thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts on bug consumption.  I think it's safe to say that we in the U.S. are pretty pampered and the vast majority of us all would not eat these creepy crawlers -- unless absolutely starving -- and even then it may be difficult.  I guess I watched one too many episodes of "Fear Factor"when that show aired - my boys were obsessed and I can't tell you how many times I almost lost my dinner watching someone consume a living cockroach - bleh!  Aside from the occasional gnat I've unwittingly swallowed while running or biking at the state park near my house, I'm not signing up to be a guinea pig with the FAO anytime soon.  Ok, never.

But it was fun and I thank everyone who participated.  If nothing else, at least you now know some bugs carry a lot of protein - in case you're stranded on a desert island one day and need some fuel!!

So the lucky scorpion sucker and CSN winner, using random.org is:  # 17
Jesse - Run to the Border (http://runtotheborder.blogspot.com/) 
email me, Jesse, we need to chat!

(I so need to learn how to have my comments individually numbered - it's not easy to scroll and count, people!!)

Other totally boring random stuff....

- No go on the new job.  I had a gut feeling before I even interviewed something was just "off" with the position and I have found out a few interesting facts since I learned on Monday I didn't get the job, that being I'm not sure I would have gotten it no matter how well I performed as someone was pretty much pegged for it beforehand.  A little bummed - but I learned a lot about myself in that whole process and it just made me that much stronger for the next.  Right?  Right!! 

- This whole insurance fiasco is becoming even more ridiculous.  When I found out I didn't get the new job (which provided benefits), I started working with HR so I could purchase it through the school district - as I was told I could.  Well, unbeknownst to me, I was suppose to sign up for it during "open enrollment" which was back in May - and it may be too late to do so now...or they may make me backpay for the coverage starting from May (um...hell NO!).  Ok, back in May, I was suppose to be picked up by another source, and we all know how that turned out, so now I have to find the rejection letter from the July insurance company (look for me digging through the local dump for the next 4 years) and send it, along with a whole lot of begging and pleading, to the district.  I can already foresee this is not going to go smoothly, if at all.  I hate to be a negative Nelly here, but I have totally lost all faith, and respect, for the U.S. healthcare system.

- The Heel: I've been reading a lot and learning to read the signs of my pain - not that I know what exactly it is - but I think I am learning how to process the signs better when it flares up, and therefore what running I am able to do, is a little more than I was able to do.  All runs this week, though not high in mileage, went well with no pain or twinge of pain ... though I did have a bit after I was finished yesterday's run.  Once I got off my foot though and stretched it, it was better and I could walk fine.  Just taking this baby one day at a time and seeing how to abate the pain as much as possible so I can hopefully just build my mileage up.  No need for speed (though I will admit it is demoralizing sometimes to see how pathetic the pace has become) right now, just build for awhile - the 50 is still on the forefront of race thoughts...and if I can managed to get it cranked up, would love to do this puppy in July, maybe: http://www.grandmesa100.com/Race_Registration.html

- The Arctic weather has returned to Colorado.  Monday it was 75 degrees and Tuesday it was a high of 30.  I completely understand now why old people flood Arizona and Florida in winter.  I honest to God wore my down-filled winter North Face coat for the first two miles I ran on my basement treadmill last night.  It's gonna be a long winter....

- I think I NEED a new pair of boots (need is a necessity in life to live, want is just a desire...this boot thing is a NEED).  While online browsing the internet for the daughter's upcoming birthday next week, I ran across these sweet things:

 

Hum....decisions, decisions!!  Both are much-needed, but funds are only allowing one.... thoughts?

Happy miles!!