"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired."
- George S. Patton, U.S. Army General, 1912 Olympian
I came across this quote while surfing the web at work over the weekend. Considering this was my worst weekend ever to run, it couldn't have come at a more appropriate time. It seems ever since my 'cramping episode' last Saturday, I have been in pain ever since. I didn't run Monday, tried to run 4 miles with Phil on Tuesday and about fell apart, and didn't run on Thursday due to being so sore and in pain. Saturday, I had every intention of doing 10 miles. I just had to leave early to be able to do it before I had to be at work by 8am. By the time I made it to the crafts cabin, I knew my day was over. I limped back to the car and went home doing only 5 miles. I find it ironic that with two weeks to go, I am actually going backwards while listening to everyone having great runs. Anyway, enough about the whine party.......
So I'm having issues and don't know what to do. Then I read that quote from General Patton. That is so true. My mind quit on me before I finished my first mile. My mind controlled my run. When I didn't want to get out of bed Saturday morning, I knew it was over before it started.
Here are a few more quotes that gave me inspiration:
"Anybody can do just about anything with himself that he really wants to and makes his mind to do. We are capable of greater than we realize."
- Norman Vincent Peale, author
"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it."
- Oprah Winfrey, talk show host and marathon finisher
"Hills are speedwork in disguise."
- Frank Shorter
"He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat."
- Napoleon Bonaparte, legendary military leader
"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'"
- Peter Maher, Irish-Canadian Olympian and Sub-2:12 marathoner
As Chuck likes to quote from the movie Cool Hand Luke, I'm gettin my mind right, boss! I will take these final two weeks and give it all I've got! No Retreats!! Reserves!! No Regrets!!
I AM A MARATHON RUNNER!!!
(a bit of a tired, broken down, achy, slow marathon runner, BUT ONE NONE THE LESS!! )
Monday, September 24, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!!
Ok, here are my comments and thoughts about Saturday's run:
1. If you take a benedryl the night before, make sure you take it early enough to wear off when you get up at 3:30am the next morning. When the alarm went off, I didn't know which way was up. It was amazing that I got there fully clothed and my underwear was on the inside!!
And being the astute nurse that I am, at 3:30am I decided to take a 2-liter of Dt. Mountain Dew in the car with me to try and wake me up not thinking clearly enough that the caffiene would dehydrate me later.........go figure.
2. With a full bladder at the start of the run, make sure your cap light functions properly when you have to make a pit stop in the woods.
It seems that I am now covered with a poison ivy rash all over my body from one of my little 'treks' into the woods in the dark. I had to take a decadron shot and start popping Claritin Antihistimines as soon as I got to the clinic on Monday.
3. And if you do drink a liter of Dt. Mountain Dew, be sure to replace enough liquids and electrolytes so as not to have a crushing headache the last twelve miles so that you don't see two of everybody from your dehydration. I apologize to anyone if I seemed rather short at the end of the run. I was in a lot of pain.
4. If you are dehydrated, don't try and drive until you have enough fluids to counteract the cramping that has been occuring the last twelve mile of your run.
It seems I cramped up when I got in the car. Ok, no biggee. It passed. Then, by the time I got home, it took upwards of twenty minutes to try and get out of the car without cramping. My wife had to come help me out of the car. Then she had to undress me in the bathroom because I couldn't bend my legs. But oh my Lord! Did that ice bath and cold shower feel sooooooooo good!
5. After cleaning up and feeling better, remember to keep drinking fluids and replacing those electrolytes. I hobbled over to the couch to rest, and watch a nice afternoon of college football. It seems I dozed off for about thirty minutes. I'm laying there on the couch and thinking, 'ok, I need to go to the bathroom'. I start to get off the couch and that is when the most miserable time of my entire life began for the next 6-10 minutes. I like to think that I died and went to hell and back. ..........
As I got off the couch, both of my groin muscles and my other "male associated" area locked up completely and I began what was the worst cramp of my life. I have had broken bones, passed a small kidney stone, and had MCL/ACL damage to my left knee and none of those things even compared to the pain and agony I was feeling at that moment.
I tried to get off the couch thinking if I could just 'walk it off', I would be ok. But NOOOOOOO! I took a step and fell to the ground on my hands and knees. Tears were pouring out of my eyes as I howled in agony. In the background, I could hear my wife and son laughing at me as they later said that I was "screaming like a little girl". I don't remember much of anything as I almost blacked out from the pain, but I do remember asking her to shoot me and put me out of my misery.......
Finally, by the grace of God, it subsided after what Tamara said was about 6 minutes. I lay on the floor afraid to get up. They helped me up to the bathroom, laid me on the bed, gave me some ice packs to the areas and popped a flexeril muscle relaxer down my throat to knock me out. About three hours later, I got up, and then proceeded to eat and drink for what seemed like an hour. I devoured almost a whole pot roast, all but one piece of a pan of cornbread, a loaded baked potato, a bag of cooked mini carrots, and all the liquids I could stand. And then I was still hungry that night before I went to bed.
Moral of the story, hydrate.......hydrate.......hydrate........even with the cooler weather. Take your electrolyte supplements and stay away from excessive caffiene before a long run.
Sorry to ramble for such a long story...... I just finished my afternoon Dt. Dew........excuse I have to go to the little boys room now........:-)
1. If you take a benedryl the night before, make sure you take it early enough to wear off when you get up at 3:30am the next morning. When the alarm went off, I didn't know which way was up. It was amazing that I got there fully clothed and my underwear was on the inside!!
And being the astute nurse that I am, at 3:30am I decided to take a 2-liter of Dt. Mountain Dew in the car with me to try and wake me up not thinking clearly enough that the caffiene would dehydrate me later.........go figure.
2. With a full bladder at the start of the run, make sure your cap light functions properly when you have to make a pit stop in the woods.
It seems that I am now covered with a poison ivy rash all over my body from one of my little 'treks' into the woods in the dark. I had to take a decadron shot and start popping Claritin Antihistimines as soon as I got to the clinic on Monday.
3. And if you do drink a liter of Dt. Mountain Dew, be sure to replace enough liquids and electrolytes so as not to have a crushing headache the last twelve miles so that you don't see two of everybody from your dehydration. I apologize to anyone if I seemed rather short at the end of the run. I was in a lot of pain.
4. If you are dehydrated, don't try and drive until you have enough fluids to counteract the cramping that has been occuring the last twelve mile of your run.
It seems I cramped up when I got in the car. Ok, no biggee. It passed. Then, by the time I got home, it took upwards of twenty minutes to try and get out of the car without cramping. My wife had to come help me out of the car. Then she had to undress me in the bathroom because I couldn't bend my legs. But oh my Lord! Did that ice bath and cold shower feel sooooooooo good!
5. After cleaning up and feeling better, remember to keep drinking fluids and replacing those electrolytes. I hobbled over to the couch to rest, and watch a nice afternoon of college football. It seems I dozed off for about thirty minutes. I'm laying there on the couch and thinking, 'ok, I need to go to the bathroom'. I start to get off the couch and that is when the most miserable time of my entire life began for the next 6-10 minutes. I like to think that I died and went to hell and back. ..........
As I got off the couch, both of my groin muscles and my other "male associated" area locked up completely and I began what was the worst cramp of my life. I have had broken bones, passed a small kidney stone, and had MCL/ACL damage to my left knee and none of those things even compared to the pain and agony I was feeling at that moment.
I tried to get off the couch thinking if I could just 'walk it off', I would be ok. But NOOOOOOO! I took a step and fell to the ground on my hands and knees. Tears were pouring out of my eyes as I howled in agony. In the background, I could hear my wife and son laughing at me as they later said that I was "screaming like a little girl". I don't remember much of anything as I almost blacked out from the pain, but I do remember asking her to shoot me and put me out of my misery.......
Finally, by the grace of God, it subsided after what Tamara said was about 6 minutes. I lay on the floor afraid to get up. They helped me up to the bathroom, laid me on the bed, gave me some ice packs to the areas and popped a flexeril muscle relaxer down my throat to knock me out. About three hours later, I got up, and then proceeded to eat and drink for what seemed like an hour. I devoured almost a whole pot roast, all but one piece of a pan of cornbread, a loaded baked potato, a bag of cooked mini carrots, and all the liquids I could stand. And then I was still hungry that night before I went to bed.
Moral of the story, hydrate.......hydrate.......hydrate........even with the cooler weather. Take your electrolyte supplements and stay away from excessive caffiene before a long run.
Sorry to ramble for such a long story...... I just finished my afternoon Dt. Dew........excuse I have to go to the little boys room now........:-)
Monday, September 10, 2007
And Now, The Top Ten List....
In the spirit of David Letterman, I would like to do the "Top Ten Reasons Why Chicago Is Going To Be A Better Run than Mississippi". Feel free to add to the list. Are you ready?
10. Humidity? What Humidity? Just like Lisa in California and myself in Kentucky, it was nice to actually be able to breathe again.........
9. Deep Dish Pizza. Cheesecake Factory. The miracle mile shopping extravaganza. I believe from a culinary experience, my stomach and tastebuds will thank me after all of the gels, and gatorade this year.
8. October!! I went to the doctor the other day and they asked me if I was allergic to anything. I said "Yes, August!!" I keep thinking back to the levee days......
7. Now is where you come in to finish.....Let's hear your thoughts!!
10. Humidity? What Humidity? Just like Lisa in California and myself in Kentucky, it was nice to actually be able to breathe again.........
9. Deep Dish Pizza. Cheesecake Factory. The miracle mile shopping extravaganza. I believe from a culinary experience, my stomach and tastebuds will thank me after all of the gels, and gatorade this year.
8. October!! I went to the doctor the other day and they asked me if I was allergic to anything. I said "Yes, August!!" I keep thinking back to the levee days......
7. Now is where you come in to finish.....Let's hear your thoughts!!
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Kentucky, part II
Hey Everyone!
Sorry to have missed this weekend, but we are back at the lake house in Kentucky for the Labor Day weekend. I didn't run until today as my father-in-law wanted to play golf yesterday (how could I say no?). So this morning, I went back to my little high school track to do my 10 miles. I don't know how Saturday was in Jackson, but this morning, the car temperature said 70 degrees. There was a nice breeze blowing and very little humidity.
The problem is that it is really hard to do long distances without the group or running partners! I got so tired of going around in circles, but there was no safe place to run except the last place I wrote about (with all of the hills and blisters). So my legs were really sore from playing golf in the hills the day before when I got out of bed.
Needless to say......sore legs, running by myself with no motivation, and still tired from working doubles at work this past week, I managed to get 7 miles in before I gave up the ghost. But hey, 3/4 of it while on vacation is not too bad if you ask me.....
I have already decided that I will not run anywhere near the amount by myself as I do with a group. So I guess if I want to keep running, I better stay with all of you guys.
Well, gotta go, they are calling me to come have some cake and home made ice cream out on the dock by the lake. Suffering for the Lord, I am........
Sorry to have missed this weekend, but we are back at the lake house in Kentucky for the Labor Day weekend. I didn't run until today as my father-in-law wanted to play golf yesterday (how could I say no?). So this morning, I went back to my little high school track to do my 10 miles. I don't know how Saturday was in Jackson, but this morning, the car temperature said 70 degrees. There was a nice breeze blowing and very little humidity.
The problem is that it is really hard to do long distances without the group or running partners! I got so tired of going around in circles, but there was no safe place to run except the last place I wrote about (with all of the hills and blisters). So my legs were really sore from playing golf in the hills the day before when I got out of bed.
Needless to say......sore legs, running by myself with no motivation, and still tired from working doubles at work this past week, I managed to get 7 miles in before I gave up the ghost. But hey, 3/4 of it while on vacation is not too bad if you ask me.....
I have already decided that I will not run anywhere near the amount by myself as I do with a group. So I guess if I want to keep running, I better stay with all of you guys.
Well, gotta go, they are calling me to come have some cake and home made ice cream out on the dock by the lake. Suffering for the Lord, I am........
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
