How I’ve changed my mindset and prepared for my first big-time race
In recent years, there has been a major uptake in people picking up running as a hobby. Whether it was born out of a need to get out of the house during COVID-19, to deal with the general uneasy state of the world, or just to maintain mental and physical health, it is undeniable that running is trending again. My reasons for getting back into running probably encompass all three of these and more.
As a former high school athlete, I felt like I needed another end goal to work towards now that I have no more state tournaments to dream of. Thus, I signed up for the Madison Half Marathon with my girls! It’s taken some getting used to, but I think that I have honed and improved my so-called “training plan.” This plan followed my self-established three “M”s and went as follows:
Mindset
Going into this, it was very important to me that I was running for the right reasons. Historically, I have had bouts of running for very wrong reasons and didn’t end up having a fun time at all, so I had to keep it light this time. My goals for this time were to become a stronger person and know that I have what it takes to overcome a mental and physical endeavor like this. This end goal had to guide my time leading up to race day to stay focused, while also keeping this endeavor a positive one.
Motivation
The most important part of all of this for me iAdditionally, I’m so thankful for my race day support system. Coincidentally, my mom is going to be in town for the half marathon, and it’s my buddy Maddy’s 21st birthday. Knowing that it’ll be a happy day of celebration makes me want to go even faster, and the overall race day energy throughout the city will give me enough energy to finish. s to make it fun! While some days running seemed like the last possible thing I wanted to be doing after school and work, I had a few ways to motivate myself by making the run much less of a chore.
First, I would run new courses that I found through friends, social media, running apps, and more. Seeing new places makes a run seem much more like an adventure than a workout, and it can even make you forget how long you’ve been running for.
Next, runs are more fun with buddies! My girl Megan and I went for quite a few runs this summer and fall. Being able to talk to someone on the trail can help you to keep your pace steady and, again, help you forget the length of your run.
Finally, having the right gear and being able to test out new clothes or gadgets can make even the most boring run novel and exciting! Throughout this process, I’ve gotten a new pair of shoes, two new running tops, and a Spibelt to keep things in while running. It’s not a super excessive amount of new gear, but it has been enough to keep me excited over the past few months and has definitely improved my experience.
Marathon
Now, what all this amounts to: race day! Step number one for a positive race day experience is fueling. Learning how to fuel properly before, after, and during runs has been by far the most difficult part of this for me so far. Lots of carbs before and after runs with plenty of food to recover are the keys to improving over time. Food is always fuel, and is the top necessity to start and finish strong.
Additionally, I’m so thankful for my race day support system. Coincidentally, my mom is going to be in town for the half marathon, and it’s my buddy Maddy’s 21st birthday. Knowing that it’ll be a happy day of celebration makes me want to go even faster, and the overall race day energy throughout the city will give me enough energy to finish.
Finally, I’ve decided not to set a time goal for myself. I think I’d rather soak up the good vibes than worry about my pace every mile. It’ll also give me an even greater opportunity to break my “record” next time around!
I feel like all of these have prepared me well for my first official “race-day.” Turning running from a less-than-healthy escape with negative motivations into a positive goal to strive towards has been quite the feat, but I’m feeling excited and motivated for the big day. I’ll know that I can do hard things if I just apply myself fully, and I think that I may come out on the other side better for it.