On Monday night, i went to Universal Sole for a fun run and training seminar put on by CARA. I am doing the half training program this summer in preparation for the ZOOMA half marathon in August. Some of our ZOOMA ladies showed up, as well as our sponsor, muscle milk! It was a kick off for half marathon training. So, if you are on the lakefront Saturday mornings - look for me!
Because I am me, i missed the training run because of my inability to emotionally handle parking downtown, and ended up sitting in a corner of Universal Sole stewing. Luckily Katie and Lauren couldn't find parking either. Eventually the runners returned, including Kelly and Sierra, and we got down to business.
I have been to many of these seminars, so most of the information wasn't new to me (but super helpful if you are a newish runner!) Things like stretching, nutrition, etc. The one new element was that they had a sports psychologist talk to us. First off, i didn't even know there was such a thing as sports psychology, and now i want to know more about it. Secondly, she briefly went over coping with the Boston Marathon tragedy, but mostly went over the mental aspects of training and marathoning (or half-marathoning!) I know a lot of people (myself included) that do not perform well in the marathon distance despite being very talented runners (myself excluded). Most of us train every muscle in our body except our minds. (Except me - i skip my core workouts also). So our body is physically able to keep going, but our minds freak out and we end up walking, crying, puking, drinking bloody mary's, whatever our coping mechanism is. So really, most of it is a mental battle.
It's something i want to learn more about, and obviously, she only had 10 minutes to talk about it. One snippet of advice she shared was to have a "power song". A song that no matter what, you will run to. Its almost like a subconscious message to focus and get back in the game! I have always had a power song, and it's Freebird, by lynyrd skynyrd.
Something about the slow start and increasing tempo just gets me to run, no matter how tired or hurting i am. And it doesn't hurt that its like a 10 minute song. I wont lie, during really awful training runs, i have listened to it multiple times in a row.
Do you have a "power song"? Have you ever heard of sports psychology??
Because I am me, i missed the training run because of my inability to emotionally handle parking downtown, and ended up sitting in a corner of Universal Sole stewing. Luckily Katie and Lauren couldn't find parking either. Eventually the runners returned, including Kelly and Sierra, and we got down to business.
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| Stole ya pic, Kelly! Thanks! |
It's something i want to learn more about, and obviously, she only had 10 minutes to talk about it. One snippet of advice she shared was to have a "power song". A song that no matter what, you will run to. Its almost like a subconscious message to focus and get back in the game! I have always had a power song, and it's Freebird, by lynyrd skynyrd.
Press play if you can handle the awesome.
Do you have a "power song"? Have you ever heard of sports psychology??