#MyChicagoMarathon No. 17

I'm going to run 26.2 miles during the Chicago Marathon, this fall. That's something that I've never done. My last post, #MyChicagoMarathon No. 16, closed with the following quote from Thomas Jefferson.

I've been a runner for a while now. I have running training plans that I follow. And up until now, that alone has worked for me. It's allowed me to stay in (relative) good shape, and run a dozen half-marathons and countless other road races.

Three things that I've neglected (to an extent) that I'm going to need to do a better job of leading up to my race in October.

Diet - I eat healthy. I've always ate pretty healthy. But I think I need to do more than eat pretty healthy leading up to my marathon.

Sleep - This is the one thing that I neglect the most in regards to my personal development and wellness. I need to get more sleep than what I do. The week leading up to the race, I'm committing to getting seven hours of sleep each night.

Stretching - I never did this, regularly. I'd do it here and there, but never consistently. It took up too much time. But then I hurt my back. And I was desperate to never again experience that kind of pain the restrictions to my activity that the pain caused. So, since March of 2018, I've made stretching a regular part of my daily routine.

My goal is to finish my marathon in four hours (or less). That's a nine minute, nine second per mile clip. I am certainly capable of running at that rate. However, the question is, will I be able to run at that rate for the duration of 26.2 miles? If so, it will be the result of more than just the miles that I logged while training.

This October, I am running the Chicago Marathon. Leading up to the race, I'm using this space (my blog, this is post number sixteen!) to document my journey. Until next time, I'll close with a shameless plug to my fundraising page (linked); I encourage you to visit, and (if you are able/willing) donate (I'm only (roughly) $250 short of my goal; THANKS to ALL who have donated!).

I hope that you'll follow me on this journey, and I hope you enjoy my story.

#MyChicagoMarathon No. 16

Earlier this spring, I listened to the audio version of Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance by Alex Hutchinson while running.

It was a really good book, and a timely read as I was preparing to start (and then starting) my marathon training. I've shared a couple of the quotes that really resonated with me, below.

"You have to teach athletes that they can do more than they think they can."

"The brain rules the body. You're capable of much more than you think."

"The marathon punishes over confidence with old testament severity."

"Training is the cake. Believing is the icing."

In the context of training for running a marathon there seemed to be an emphasis on the mental component. How do you mentally prepare for such a physical test? One tip that I'll take away is every so often change WHEN I'm doing my training. I'm a morning runner, always have been. Every now and again, I need to run after work or after the kids have been put to bed just to change it up and see how my mind is going to respond in a context/setting that isn't as familiar.

"If you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done."

More on this quote from Thomas Jefferson in my next post, #MyChicagoMarathon No. 17...

This October, I am running the Chicago Marathon. Leading up to the race, I'm using this space (my blog, this is post number sixteen!) to document my journey. Until next time, I'll close with a shameless plug to my fundraising page (linked); I encourage you to visit, and (if you are able/willing) donate (I'm only (roughly) $250 short of my goal; THANKS to ALL who have donated!).

I hope that you'll follow me on this journey, and I hope you enjoy my story.

#MyChicagoMarathon No. 15

Previously, I wrote about how we all deal with pain. We choose to either live with the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. Choosing the pain of discipline has an easier aftermath.

One of my all-time favorite quotes is "Discipline yourself so no one else has to." - John Wooden

For years, I've worn the words 'DISCIPLINE YOURSELF ' on my RoadID as a constant reminder.

I want to give credit to my parents for setting me on a path that would instill discipline in myself at a pretty young age.

Let's rewind to the early 1990s...

West Branch was (and still is) a powerhouse football program among small schools in the state of Iowa. As a result, West Branch Football was my first true love. It’s all I wanted to do. In fact, my goal setting, and planning, and thinking didn't really go beyond the fall sports season of my senior year of high school. I would have plenty of time to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, after I’d finished playing football at West Branch. I know that it probably sounds silly to read this (coming from an elementary school principal in his mid-30s), but all I ever wanted to be was a really good football player for West Branch and win a state championship like my heroes did when I was in grade school.

Image via @wbbearsfootball Twitter page

As an upper elementary school age child, my Dad started to take me into the high school weight room in West Branch. At the time, being around my football heroes who were stars in my eyes was the best. But in the long run, what I probably wasn't aware of at the time, it was this practice that set me on a path for a lifelong commitment towards my fitness and my health. Going to the weight room, and trying to emulate the work of my heroes, became a routine. I wasn't power-lifting (nowhere close), but I was developing a habit. And, ever since, this habit of exercise has remained a constant in my life.

My football career ended-up okay. I don't know that I was ever a star, but I was a two-year starter on offense and a two-way starter my senior year. We didn't win a state championship, but we did go 9-0 in the regular season my senior year and win a district championship. Furthermore, my success in high school even afforded me the opportunity to play football at the collegiate level (a small division three school, nonetheless). None of this was a credit to my natural athletic ability; I owe all of what I accomplished (athletically) to the passion and commitment that I possessed.

As an adult, I think of myself as being very driven and highly disciplined. I trace those traits back to my early love for West Branch Football AND my parents (both my Dad and my Mom) for putting me into situations that were supportive of that love. Thank you, both. It is that drive and that discipline that allows me, now, to commit to a 20-week training plan, running five days a week in-order to prepare to run a distance (26.2 miles) that I once never thought imaginable.

This October, I am running the Chicago Marathon. Leading up to the race, I'm using this space (my blog, this is post number fifteen!) to document my journey. Until next time, I'll close with a shameless plug to my fundraising page (linked); I encourage you to visit, and (if you are able/willing) donate (I'm only (roughly) $300 short of my goal; THANKS to ALL who have donated!).

I hope that you'll follow me on this journey, and I hope you enjoy my story.