I got a nice email from one of my soccer players I coached years ago as a 14-15 year old kid. He’s now competing in distance running and is preparing for the Western States Endurance run, a 100 mile run. As the countdown to that race is getting closer, he haas been dealing with some injury issues. Mentally, here’s how it was effecting him:
My wondering then turns to ruminating and the list of CAN’Ts, HAVEN’T’s, and DOUBTS grows increasingly longer. Negative thoughts spread infectiously, and I’ve found that they can get out of control very quickly.
- I CAN’T run as far as I’d like
- I CAN’T run as fast as I’d like
- I CAN’T train for the Inclinathon like I did last year
- I CAN’T run Pikes once a month like I did last year
- I DON’T KNOW if I’ll be able to compete or even survive 100 miles in June
- I DON’T KNOW if I’ll ever be able to run without pain ever, ever, ever again!
He’d remembered some things we’d talked about years ago, when he was playing soccer in college, and decided to look me up. He found an article on the site about positive self talk, and wrote a bit about it here.
When doubts arise regarding where I am with my training, I’m starting to become aware of their impact and am trying to redirect my focus. I’m trying to “feed the good wolf.”
- I AM able to run with greater volume, frequency, and intensity than I was able to last month
- My core IS STRONGER now than it’s ever been, thanks to ab challenges amongst friends
- I CAN now do consecutive headstand leg lifts and am putting my CorePower Groupon to good use
- I CAN jog for a couple hours, bike for a couple more, and jog around some more in the same day without feeling too beat up.
- I’ve DONE PLENTY OF HEAT TRAINING ALREADY thanks to hot yoga, treadmill workouts, and the hot tub
- I’ve been approached to be a part of an EXCITING OPPORTUNITY with a great group of people on Pearl Izumi’s Ultra Team (more on this in a future post)
What an amazing thing for an athlete you coached 15 years ago get in touch with you. Good luck in your run, Brandon!
