Tempo Issues and A Personal Fix

Yesterday, I went to the gym to do my tempo run. It would have been impossible to do this outdoors given we had a surprise snow storm of 5 inches this week (which really isn't that much, but it is a good amount when you aren't expecting it after several 70 degree days) so the sidewalks are, again, covered.

My plan was to run 3 miles at tempo, but 5 miles total. However, after just 1.5 miles, my legs felt like they weren't going to carry me. In fact, my form felt way off. It felt like I was tripping all over myself. I stopped running at 1.5 miles and began to walk, feeling completely disappointed in myself. And then I remembered something I read about visualization on MomOf3's blog. She said you have to practice visualizing yourself being successful in achieving your goals in order to cross the marathon finish line. I'm not running a marathon, just a half, but I figured I'd put her advice to good use.

So I imagined myself cranking up the speed on the treadmill and running without feeling any lead legs, without any aching body parts, without any doubt. While I was visualizing this, I imagined a determined look on my face. And I promised myself that as soon as I hit 2.0 miles, it was time to stop visualizing, start running, and finish the tempo run strong.

And so at 2.o miles, I did exactly what I pictured. I cranked up the speed, picked up my pace, and breathed my way through the last three miles of my tempo run. And wonder of wonders, I felt great! The lead legs were gone, and so was all the doubt. In fact, I probably could have kept going (I kind of wish I would have, but my husband was finished with his workout and I didn't want him to have to wait around for me. In hindsight, he would have been fine; he likes to stretch for a while).

So while my tempo run may not have been 100% successful, I feel a lot of happiness in the fact that I pulled myself out of my rut, got my mind right, and finished as strong as I visualized. I'm going to make visualization a part of my regular training schedule because it's important, as Momof3 said, for me to be as mentally strong as I am physically strong.

Tonight I'm off to TRX Suspension training. I'm a tad nervous... I'll report back how it goes.

And on another note, I got to meet Pulitzer Prize winning author Edward Jones this week. He came to my classroom (so it was just us and him) and answered my students questions about literature and writing. I hope to write more about this later this week because it was a very cool experience to share with my students.