Lesson #4.
DREAM. Dream big! Completing a marathon is a challenge that many, if not most, people would never even think of, let alone attempt. Therein lies the value. In committing to this objective, I gave myself permission to fail and, in doing so, to keep trying until I succeeded. No one, including myself, ever thought I would make it. Don't be afraid to dream big dreams. They are the stuff that life is made of. No matter what your status, situation or age, decide what you want to do, then move toward it. I am living proof that it is possible.
Lesson #3.
KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE. For the last twenty years, I've had on the wall just above my desk a sheet of paper with 26:385 in 72-font bold script. This is exact distance of a marathon. It was always in the corner of eye and, therefore, continuously in the back of my mind. I cannot say I consciously thought about it, but now that I've accomplished my goal I can tell you that I looked at it often. Writing things down does two things: it clarifies thought and instills commitment. Write your goal down, put it on the wall in front of you and look at it every day. The mind is a wondrous thing. It will work on your behalf, knowing you were meant to accomplish this.
Lesson #2.
ACT. The one thing that contributed most to my success in this endeavor was the fact that I was prepared to pay the price required. My daily commitment to making training a priority, to extending this commitment to other areas of my life including nutrition and non-running activities during my injury period, all of which combined to ensure my success. The final outcome was guaranteed by the daily actions I did over the entire six months prior to the race. It wasn't the race that was important, it was what I did to prepare for the race. The after-race feelings were almost anti-climactic, although I enjoyed the attention and admiration that came my way. I look back now and realize that my actions were my success, not the outcome.
Lesson #1.
FIGHT THE FEAR. Of all the lessons I've learned through this experience, by far the most powerful one is the realization that my biggest obstacle was fear: fear of injury, fear of loss of face, fear of pain, fear of failure. This was never more evident than when I drove the marathon route the day before the race. The scope of my challenge became huge, as did the fears that came with my decision. I wavered many times during that last day, but kept coming back to one thing: what did I really have to lose? In that one question came the resolve to do my best and give my all. And in the end that was all that was required. Fate brought me a quote in the last week before my marathon experience. I posted it above my desk and read in numerous times as race day approached:
"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do." Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 - 1962)
And now, on to the next challenge,
Michael
Monday, June 25, 2007
Monday, June 4, 2007
The epilogue: reflections, the Seret Strategy, the team.
Reflections on my marathon experience:
It's now been a week since achieving my objective. I spent the entire week basking in the glory of my accomplishment. Almost 400 people checked out my race day diary. Many sent me congratulatory notes. What a feeling! I still get emotional when I read it or think about those last few kilometers. I find it's really hard to exlain this to someone who's never done it. Will I do it again? I'm not making any decision on this for a couple of months.
Full disclosure on my Secret Strategy:
Some people have asked about this (especially my youngest son). After I made the decision to run the whole marathon distance, I wanted to move away from thinking about the entire exercise. It kept scaring me too much. I also knew I wouldn't be running the whole time.
In my mind, I split the distance into four separate distances. Then, I accepted the fact that I wouldn't be able to run non-stop within each segment. And I developed a "Secret Strategy" to reach my goal.
My Secret Strategy was to run/walk each 10K section in a different proportion (10K = 9/1, 10K = 8/2, 10K = 7/3, 10K = 6/4). Although the theory sounded wonderful, I found that when I applied it to my 30K run I literally burned out. Each segment took more time, more time meant longer on the course, leading to exhaustion and dehydration. I ended up adapting this Secret Strategy by extending my 9/1 as long as I could, then dropping to my next level. This worked well. In fact, the race day dynamic of group running allowed me to extend this to 10/1 for nearly 28K.
Thanks to my entire team:
Personal Fitness Expert, Wendall Hughes (www.phytness.ca)
Wendall, your contribution to my success goes way beyond a simple "thanks". From the moment I chose to accept this goal, your initial fitness program, your expert information on nutrition, your feedback on my progress, your support when I made the decision to go all the way and your on-going accessibility, all these made a huge difference. But the contributon that had the most impact was when you took the time to drive to course with me. I can't tell you how much this helped my confidence and my state of mnd. It exemplified your professionalism and your commitment to my success. If you're reading this and have a fitness goal in mind, contact Wendall. He can make a difference. I know. Without him, I wouldn't have succeeded.
Physiotherapist, Donna Lamport-Durocher (www.motionmatters.ca)
Dealing with an unwelcome injury is an athlete's biggest nightmare. Donna's expertise, along with that of her capable team, carried me through almost two months of physical, emotional and phychological physiotherapy recovery. I'm sure at times I taxed her patience and her professional competence, but she never let it show. In fact, her positive attitiude and her consistent, caring approach kept me close enough to my goal that I was able to ramp up quickly once I got over my major issue. Thanks for all your support through a difficult time. I couldn't have done it without you.
Massage Therapist, Angela Wilson (www.metcalfemassage.com)
Just to show you how committed my physiotherapist was, she referred me to an ART (Active Release Therapy) Massage Therapist to speed up my recovery by stimulating (read as digging into) muscle recovery. Angela's involvement had a major impact in keeping me on track and complementing my physio program. As a runner herself, Angela was able to empathize with my situation as she worked diligently on my injured calf.
My family: Cheryl, Jennifer & Aaron, Jeff & Rachel, Jason & Maria.
Each of you has had a hand in helping me achieve this life goal. Cheryl, your belief in me every time I've seized this dream, especially this time, is incredible. Jennifer, your unwavering support through my ups and downs kept me going. Jeff, your confidence in me was sometimes greater than my own. Jason, you often acted as a barometer for my emotions and kept me focused. Aaron, Rachel and Maria, you were there the whole time, either in person or in spirit. Thanks, it made a difference.
And now, on to the next challenge.
It's now been a week since achieving my objective. I spent the entire week basking in the glory of my accomplishment. Almost 400 people checked out my race day diary. Many sent me congratulatory notes. What a feeling! I still get emotional when I read it or think about those last few kilometers. I find it's really hard to exlain this to someone who's never done it. Will I do it again? I'm not making any decision on this for a couple of months.
Full disclosure on my Secret Strategy:
Some people have asked about this (especially my youngest son). After I made the decision to run the whole marathon distance, I wanted to move away from thinking about the entire exercise. It kept scaring me too much. I also knew I wouldn't be running the whole time.
In my mind, I split the distance into four separate distances. Then, I accepted the fact that I wouldn't be able to run non-stop within each segment. And I developed a "Secret Strategy" to reach my goal.
My Secret Strategy was to run/walk each 10K section in a different proportion (10K = 9/1, 10K = 8/2, 10K = 7/3, 10K = 6/4). Although the theory sounded wonderful, I found that when I applied it to my 30K run I literally burned out. Each segment took more time, more time meant longer on the course, leading to exhaustion and dehydration. I ended up adapting this Secret Strategy by extending my 9/1 as long as I could, then dropping to my next level. This worked well. In fact, the race day dynamic of group running allowed me to extend this to 10/1 for nearly 28K.
Thanks to my entire team:
Personal Fitness Expert, Wendall Hughes (www.phytness.ca)
Wendall, your contribution to my success goes way beyond a simple "thanks". From the moment I chose to accept this goal, your initial fitness program, your expert information on nutrition, your feedback on my progress, your support when I made the decision to go all the way and your on-going accessibility, all these made a huge difference. But the contributon that had the most impact was when you took the time to drive to course with me. I can't tell you how much this helped my confidence and my state of mnd. It exemplified your professionalism and your commitment to my success. If you're reading this and have a fitness goal in mind, contact Wendall. He can make a difference. I know. Without him, I wouldn't have succeeded.
Physiotherapist, Donna Lamport-Durocher (www.motionmatters.ca)
Dealing with an unwelcome injury is an athlete's biggest nightmare. Donna's expertise, along with that of her capable team, carried me through almost two months of physical, emotional and phychological physiotherapy recovery. I'm sure at times I taxed her patience and her professional competence, but she never let it show. In fact, her positive attitiude and her consistent, caring approach kept me close enough to my goal that I was able to ramp up quickly once I got over my major issue. Thanks for all your support through a difficult time. I couldn't have done it without you.
Massage Therapist, Angela Wilson (www.metcalfemassage.com)
Just to show you how committed my physiotherapist was, she referred me to an ART (Active Release Therapy) Massage Therapist to speed up my recovery by stimulating (read as digging into) muscle recovery. Angela's involvement had a major impact in keeping me on track and complementing my physio program. As a runner herself, Angela was able to empathize with my situation as she worked diligently on my injured calf.
My family: Cheryl, Jennifer & Aaron, Jeff & Rachel, Jason & Maria.
Each of you has had a hand in helping me achieve this life goal. Cheryl, your belief in me every time I've seized this dream, especially this time, is incredible. Jennifer, your unwavering support through my ups and downs kept me going. Jeff, your confidence in me was sometimes greater than my own. Jason, you often acted as a barometer for my emotions and kept me focused. Aaron, Rachel and Maria, you were there the whole time, either in person or in spirit. Thanks, it made a difference.
And now, on to the next challenge.
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