Friday, May 15, 2009

Marathon Training Lesson #2: The Mind

More time spent training for the marathon has led me to realize that while some of the challenge resides in the physical (easily adjusted by diet and rest), much more resides in the realm of the mind. Sundays are my long days--the days I tackle the highest mileage--and each Sunday I notice the mileage growing by leaps and bounds, sometimes by as much as two miles.

As the length stretches into the double digits I find myself thinking, "How am I *ever* going to complete this?" "How will my body handle the pounding?" But I realize it's just my mind working in overdrive, trying to anticipate the long road ahead and whatever challenges are out there.

It is in these moments that I just take a deep breath, give Zed (my reptilian naysayer) a yellow gumdrop and belly rub, and put one foot in front of the other until I'm in some sort of groove. I choose not to allow silly fears get in the way of my success, concentrating instead on the journey and taking it one movement at a time.

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