I wanted to share a little bit of motivation with you guys today! I have a very busy week with training and my kids are now out of school for the summer so we are literally running like crazy! But part of my training is gearing up for a race on Saturday. This is a cross country race so it's run on grass and is a little harder but I have a goal time and my coach has told me to push for a PR (person record). I have never been a fast runner and my biggest problem is my mental game. I have heard it said running is 90% mental and 10% physical. I would definitely agree with that. I struggle with my running mentally far more than physically. My mind can tell me I'm not going to finish or I'm going to slow or any of a number of things to get me to quit or walk.
Over the last few weeks I have been trying some mental workouts. Sounds funny right?! It's nothing crazy just some positive self talk and some visualization. Now I know what you are saying "Visualization?! Isn't that weird?!". And I would have agreed 100% until a few weeks ago. I thought visualization was a hippy/yogi type thing. But I decided that I'm going to give it a try. So Friday I tried it for my long run Saturday. I was going for 10 miles and I needed to keep myself going. What I did was envision myself out on my run. I knew where my turn around for my out and back was, so I saw myself there at mile 5 looking and feeling strong. I kept telling myself at mile 5, 6, 7, 8, & 9 I WILL feel strong and look strong. And you know the crazy thing? When I got to mile 5 I said to myself "I LOOK and FEEL strong!" and that pushed me harder. I started to struggle at mile 8. I told myself again " I LOOK and FEEL strong!" and I prayed that God would give me the strength to make it back home. I can't say I completely felt strong through to the end but I didn't give up! I did have to stop and walk for a second as to not lose anything in my stomach on the road but not because I was feeling weak or tired. I was hot and tired when I finished but while running I just kept saying "You CAN do this!" I also reminded myself that I'm NOT the fat kid in gym class no one wants to pick. I told myself I am STRONG and I AM worth knowing and loving. I talk a lot to God while I run and He helped me to remember I am HIS child and He loves me! Positive affirmations sound like a bunch of crazy when you are talking about them but when you actually use them they work!! Try it out! Next time you are doing something hard whether it's running, walking, a big presentation at work, talking to someone you don't know, try it out! Envision yourself doing the task and how you want to look and feel doing it. Then GO DO IT!! And if you need to tell yourself "I'm doing GREAT! I feel *insert the way you want to feel*!" during the task, do it!
I may not be the best but I'm trying to be MY best! I want each of you to be YOUR best too! We are all on different paths with different goals but we can all help each other to get there!
Question of the day!
Have you ever used visualization? Or positive self talk? What is your BIG dream goal?!
Love, Lacey
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