Week #12 NYC Marathon Training: Showing Up

Much of marathon training, and life in general, is about showing up. It’s the simple act of getting out the door, embracing the challenge, and putting in the work, even if your motivation is waning. It’s about getting through aches and pains, life’s scheduling challenges and the onslaught of mental fatigue that often comes with week after week of training. It’s about keeping your eye on the prize, even if that prize still feels like it’s miles away.

That is what this week was about for me: showing up.

Some days training was a struggle, other days it was like butta, but each day of dragging my hiney out the door added a drop of grit into the mental toughness bucket because I didn’t allow excuses to creep into the day.

No matter how much you love running, you will absolutely have days when you’d like to do anything but run. It’s usually those days that are the most important because figuring out ways to overcome your mental block becomes gold on race day, especially when you hit rough patches (and there will definitely be rough patches during a marathon).

Here are a few mental strategies that have helped me over the years:

  • Create personal mantras. One I lean on often when my motivation is waning is: “Don’t think, just go.” I simply shut down my brain, block out all the things that are pulling me in a different direction, lace up my shoes, and go through the motions of getting out the door. Once out the door, everything usually falls into place. On the run I repeat, “Just keep moving forward.”
  • Know your “why.” Lean into why you decided to commit to running a marathon. Every person has a different reason. Maybe it’s a Bucket List item. Maybe it’s a milestone celebration like turning 40 or 60. Maybe it’s a cause like Team for Kids, or in honor of somebody. Whatever it is, write it down and put in somewhere prominent so you look at it every day.
  • Visualize. Imagine yourself running through different parts of your race and visualize yourself successfully crossing the finish line. Internalize how incredible it will feel to reach your goal.
  • Focus on what feels strong. This is especially helpful during a run. If your calves are grumpy, focus on your core. If your quads are screaming, focus on engaging your glutes. No matter what, you will be able to find strength somewhere in your body, especially your heart and mind.

Week #12 training schedule (Sept. 4-10)

  • Mon 9/4: Run 5 miles EZ recovery run (Goleta Beach bike path), strength 35 min
  • Tues 9/5: Spin class 55 min, strength 30 min, walk 2 miles
  • Wed 9/6: Run 6 miles tempo run (SBCC track and waterfront)
  • Thurs 9/7: Run 3 miles EZ (Lake Los Carneros), walk 1.2 miles
  • Fri 9/8: Rest day, walk 1.5 miles
  • Sat 9/9: Race She.Is.Beautiful 10K plus 1.25 mile WU and 1 mile CD (8.25 miles total)
  • Sun 9/10: Rest day, walk 1.5 miles
Monday, Monday, so good to me [cue the Mamas & the Papas]…easing back into the week with a nice little recovery run from Goleta Beach.
Tuesday’s workout was fueled entirely by caffeine, heart-pumping music, and an awesome spin instructor. Thank you Kristine for always bringing your positive energy to keep us going!
Wednesday, I was feeling a little creaky, but there’s nothing like a good warm-up and an inspiring audiobook, (A Race Like No Other: 26.2 Miles Through the Streets of New York), to get you in the right frame of mind to knock out a solid 6-mile tempo run along the waterfront on a gray morning. I always look forward to my veggie sammies afterward with a protein smoothie.
Thursday early morning 3 mile cruise around Lake Los Carneros, sporting my “Dream Big” hat for a little motivation, with a big shout out to my friend Jenni Miller and the Smith-Magenis Syndrome research foundation, who created these hats to support this important cause. It always gives me perspective and inspiration when I wear it. After my run, I had the joy of finally catching up with my friend Emma, whom I hadn’t seen all summer. Making time and creating balance while training is the secret sauce to a happy journey to the starting line.
Friday was a rest day, so I took a nap, went for a nice walk in nature with my hubby, then tried to figure out what kind of “get-up” I was going to throw together for Saturday’s She.Is.Beautiful 10k. I love this race, which I’ve run 4 or 5 times, and always like to bring a little flare to the morning. These were my options. And this is what I ended up choosing…
My friend Becca and I (Team B & B) reveled in the fun energy swirling all throughout this event, and enjoyed clapping and cheering on the stream of runners rocking both the 5K and 10K courses. While I wasn’t “race” racing this year, I was happy to log my miles at a faster pace than I have been training, and also get in some more good heat training. It was a toasty one! I was especially inspired by all the young girls running with their moms or taking on the challenge solo. This is one of the most uplifting and empowering races around. Kudos to Race Directors, Sarah and Melissa, for creating such a fantastic event.
Here’s a glimpse at a few of the many uplifting signs placed along the course, just one of the many reasons I love this race.

She.Is.Beautiful reminded me once again that it’s always about showing up. If it weren’t for the 2,500 women (and a few men) who showed up with incredible energy, this race would be half as much. Just keep showing up.

All in all, it was a solid week and a wonderfully uplifting way to cap it off. Onward we go with a full heart and a big dollop of gratitude for our running community. As I write this post, training Week #13 of 20 has just finished strong. I’ll be circling back around to share that soon.

As always, thanks for coming along in this marathon training journey back to New York. Only six weeks to go!

xoBecky

PS: If you’ve missed any of my previous NYC Marathon posts, you can click here to check them out:

Kicking off 20 Weeks until the NYC Marathon

Week #2 of NYC Marathon Training: Patience & Grace

Week #3 of NYC Marathon Training: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Week #4-11 of NYC Marathon Training: The Good, the Bad & the Evolving