I’m getting close to starting something NEW. A NEW component to my running regimen. Just typing the word “NEW“, I can feel the butterflies in my stomach flutter a bit. NEW can be exciting, but along with the excitement creeps shadows of our old friend WORRY. “I hope I can do this NEW thing”, whispers my Worry Brain. So…..in the days leading up to my NEW endeavors, it was time for a good reminder of just how much I am capable of.
My mission is to increase my pace, quicken my step, run faster. No, not become speedy gonzalez….I’m far, far from that. But I do want to move up my pace from my 12:00 minute mile, and eliminate my need to recover by walking. These are my two goals. The NEW technique requires that I recover at my 12:00 minute mile pace. Begin to train my mind to see running at a 12:00 min mile pace as “a relief”. LOL. Ok, hold on. What was that? So I’m going to stress myself enough so that when I slow down to my normal 12:00 minute mile pace….that I will be relieved? So relieved that I will crave running at 12:00 minute pace. That it will feel great to be running that slow! LOL!! ALL-RIGHTY then. This is going to be , er, fun.
In the kitchen, tacked to our cork message board, right on top of my old Half Marathon schedule, hangs my new 18-week schedule. The first 1/2 of my Marathon Training Plan, is what I call my WeightLoss and Speed Training. This schedule has two new columns on it. One where I’m going to track my weekly weight loss. I figure putting those pounds on the schedule where my eyeballs look at them every day, will help keep me motivated in the Eating department. The second new column is my Interval training day. Friday morning is Intervals Day. NEW. NEW. N.E.W.
As this week progressed, just looking at the word Friday printed on that schedule, made my stomach turn. NEW. I tell myself, “Don’t be afraid of NEW, Diane.” Easier said than done, right? So I started trying to figure out — How can I use Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to help make Friday less scary? What to do? What to do? And just like Magic — an idea came.
Why am I worrying that I can’t run 12:00 minute miles? I do them all the time. Even during my Half Marathon, the first 5 miles were faster than a 12 minute mile. It’s only as I started to get tired at miles 11 and 12 when my pace fell below 12 minutes. “Why am I worrying? ” DUH — because it’s our retreat position, Diane. DOUBT is still where we go when we meet NEW. Ohhhh, R.I.G.H.T. Gotta focus more on changing that over time.
Well, the idea that came to me is this — the Best Way to Tamp down my WORRY, is to Remind Myself of What I am Capable of Doing. So, even though the weather has been great this week, warming up to nice spring weather for outdoor running. Even though I would have preferred to be outside for my runs this week — instead, I headed to the treadmill each day — to run my 12:00 minute mile for each of my two miles. Just so I could set the run to 5.0, and let myself stare at it while I ran. Just so I could bang into my brain that I Can Do This. Just so I could remind myself Just.How.Easy.It.Was. I did this on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday…..so by Friday……WORRY looked like a Weed in the Garden sprayed with Weed Killer. It was brown, withered, and nearly dead. In its place, my CONFIDENCE was growing like a newborn Peony. Straight and Tall. Staring North Toward the Sun. Newly formed Buds Ready to Bloom.
This plan turned out to be the single best thing I could have done for myself. I fed myself a week of reminders….reminders of my strength and capabilities…..and by the time Friday rolled around, my mental health was Strong and Ready. Ready to Attempt something NEW.
So, you might be asking right about now, What are Intervals? And How did they Go? Good Questions! Stay tuned……I’m going for it!
Ciao for now……Diane