I have 1 week and 4 days until I run my 3rd marathon. I didn't exactly prepare for this marathon in the way that I've prepared for my previous two. And I've been sick for over a week. But I have faith I can do this. I'm no Kara Goucher and although I don't think I was born to run marathons, I do think I was born to run. And I think my life wouldn't be half as fulfilling had I never laced up my shoes and ran. Running in many ways completes me. And as much as I want to set goals for the race on 4/18, I'm not going to. Instead I will take a note from Kara and "run this race free of both expectations and limitations. I will be thinking about freedom along the way from Hopkinton to downtown Boston."
In the meantime, I need your help. I need your mantra's. I need to know what you repeat to yourself in your head when the going gets tough. I want to have a list of things to repeat to myself when I start to give up. I don't want to give up. I want to dig deep. Help me out and tell me your stories of how you held on, fought the fight and didn't allow fear to stand in the way of chasing your dreams...
Liz, my mantra is "I am stronger than I think I am"... love this post my friend.... as you can imagine, it resonates with me.
ReplyDeleteI believe in you and you are going to do amazing. My favorite is "one day you will not be able to do this, today is not this day."
ReplyDeletelove this lizzy. I always think - the universe has a plan for you, the race (or life, or said situation) will unfold the way it should. If you ask the universe for whatever it is you need (faith, running legs...whatever) then it will provide for you! xo
ReplyDeleteI sometimes just tell myself one foot in front of the other when I'm running. It works.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you will do great!
I loved reading your post about faith :) I am proud to be the giver of this gift - I had no idea it meant so much to you and you still even had the necklace (let alone wear it lol). I am so proud of you for all the races you do (marathons esp.) You are such a strong and powerful woman and somedays you just need to be reminded of it more than others :) I know you can run this race and kill it! You have the ability to run it for sure, believe in yourself liz! You are definitely one of those people who when you put your mind to it, can REALLY achieve anything. I love ya hun!
ReplyDelete"they never said it would be easy, but they always said it would be worth it."
Love this post -- and as you know, I'm feeling exactly the same way about Boston. I've got one mantra, but it's actually pretty silly and I stole it from the TV show "Modern Family."
ReplyDeleteIn an episode where the family is rushing to get out of their car before it falls down a hill, the father (Phil) keeps repeating, "Slow is smooth and smooth is fast, slow is smooth and smooth is fast." I don't know why, but that totally chills me out and cracks me up all at once.
My mantra is "Just do it and it's done." This helps me get out of bed and workout in the morning, it helps me get over my shyness when meeting new people as well. It really helps me.
ReplyDeleteYou will rock that race!
I love your necklace and the sentiments it holds for you. I don't have many powerful mantras, but when I am out there, I think about how grateful I am for each and every footstep. There was a time when I never thought a marathon would be possible, so just being on the course is amazing. So much goes into running a marathon and you put in the work to get there. You are ready. I believe in you.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful necklace.
ReplyDeleteI spent too much of my life thinking I wasn't good enough and I let too many opportunities slip past.
My first BQ was a turning point in my life. It came early (2nd marathon) and relatively easily.
My mantra is MORE THAN ENOUGH.
All the best in Boston!
Mine is "running is a privilege." I didn't know you were doing boston again!
ReplyDeleteI read Kara's blog post yesterday too!! She is such a good writer.
ReplyDeleteI am a HUGE mantra person. In my sports psych class we spent a long time helping each other comes up with mantras that would work for us. My prof would always emphasize how important it was to get the language used in the mantra to be something that genuinely resonated with the person. Just because it means something to me, for example, doesn't mean it will have the same impact for someone else.
During my races I love telling myself that this is where I'm supposed to be, right now, running this race, and that I have pushed through pain before and I'm not afraid of it. Even single words can be very powerful. When I'm truly exhausted and in pain, sometimes all I have the energy to come up with is one word that I can focus on and repeat to myself to get me through it. I think it's a great idea to go into a race with those key phrases and words!
We can brainstorm some perfect ones for you :)
Love this post! When things get tough for me during races, I think about all the good things that are going on in my life. Love...confidence...the independence running brings...freedom to be outside..and faith :)
ReplyDeleteI love that your middle name is Faith! So pretty.
ReplyDeleteOK, so I don't necessarily have a MANTRA that I swear by, but sometimes when I'm running, particularly long distances or quick paces, I'll say to myself, "You're a total badass." I get that it's not a mantra and that it's not really PG, but it helps. I feel tough and I keep going.
You're going to be amazing!!! So excited for you.
"Never quit!" Just think about my experience at MCM when I was absolutely HATING my life and wanted to quit, I kept on thinking about having to tell people "yeah it wasn't my day" or "I just couldn't do it" I couldn't stomach uttering the word "I quit" So just think about getting through and crossing that finish line. Good luck girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhen I did long distance running, I would often tell myself 'pain is only temporary' - also singing songs in my head helps (either with or without an ipod). You can do it! Ride on the waves of emotions and cheering crowds to get through the tough parts.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that I have any magical words of wisdom, but I wanted to wish you the best of luck! When I used to run longer distances, I just used to focus on each little bit and remind myself that it was all temporary.
ReplyDeleteprefontaine: to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.
ReplyDeleteCAN'T WAIT to see you girls this weekend!
Not exactly a mantra - but I love the idea (and used it for the last 6 miles of my marathon) of dedicating each mile to someone... having a specific person that has sacrificed for you or inspires you through... letting that feeling of not wanting to let them down carry you through that mile... one mile at a time.
ReplyDeleteI've got two:
ReplyDelete-Hardcore badass
-This is what I came for
I love you necklace Lizzy!! And I love the meaning it holds for you. Little things like that always work as good reminders for me that I am strong, and I can push through the tough times. My mantras tend to change depending on the race I'm doing and how I feel. One thing that I repeated to myself during my last marathon was: "mentally tough, physically strong" It's something my Mom used to say to me in high school and it's stuck with me ever since. I also like to tell myself really encouraging things when I'm starting to get that voice of doubt in the back of my mind. Simple, cheesy things like telling myself how strong/awesome/powerful I am. And when all else fails, I set up mini goals for myself during the course. I break it up into smaller chunks and tell myself that I just have to make it to X...and then I can slow down/walk/stop/etc. When I get to X point, I re-evaluate and set another goal. Breaking it up like that makes a marathon much more manageable than focusing on how many miles I have left.
ReplyDeleteAnd just remember, you're running the Boston marathon! Let the crowd pull you along and try to have fun. I know a person never feels awesome during an entire marathon, but if you keep directing your focus back to the joy of running (and the celebration of the race!!) that will help you stay positive when you're struggling. I believe in you!! Can't wait to come cheer you on!
I am so proud of and excited for you. I have struggled throughout running, allowing negative thoughts to creep in and take over, until last year's Boston Marathon. I just replaced every negative thought with something positive, and sometimes that meant talking to myself out loud. For lots of it, I repeated over and over "one foot in front of the other", and sang the Disney song (Jungle Book? Can't remember) that has those words in it. I also brought my Blackberry and checked Twitter throughout. People were so supportive. I can't wait to track you and to cheer you on. In every moment just remember your legs know what to do, and you are stronger than you ever imagined. You are going to be amazing!
ReplyDeleteI love this Lizzy.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear you road to this marathon has been bumpy. I know you can do this though! You are much stronger than you think. And your legs have done this distance before; they'll surely be able to do it again. I have faith in you!
I hope you feel better soon :)
Ah! I wish I had a mantra! I like, "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right."
ReplyDeleteMakes me feel a bit fearless :)
Wow, positivities! I love bumping into blogs like this which is always a good source of inspiration for many people. :) Keep the faith, Liz. :D
ReplyDeleteKara is such a big influence and I love the sentiment here. Boston will be an amazing time for you. Don't worry about anything just focus on your inner strength. My favorite mantra is, You've got this. I can't wait to cheer you on!
ReplyDeleteI know you can attack this marathon, darling. You will be strong and healthy this time next week! Take care of yourself and don't stress. Can't wait to see you cross that finish line :)
ReplyDeleteDuring miles 17-20 of the New York Marathon this year I kept saying in my head, "I've trained for this." You've put in the hours,sweat, and heart for this marathon. Maybe this marathon training wasn't your dream but your training for all the other 5k, half marathons, and marathons will come together next Monday!
ReplyDeletePS Theodora says hi from Vegas!
I really like "if it were easy, everyone would be doing it!" I hope you feel better soon! xoxo
ReplyDelete