Road to 26.2
Tuesday, February 4th- 1 week, 4 days
The past six months have been heavy training for the marathon, and I’ve been on this journey for two years. My running plan for this race has been my life for the last 18 ½ weeks. I’m now in my taper and have been questioning everything…everything. I’m told this is normal, especially for a marathon, especially for the first one. I remember going through some mind games when I tapered for my half marathons last year, but this is much different!
I was talking to my friend Russell about this craziness the other day, and he shared some fantastic East Texas wisdom that will carry me through race day; all the hay’s in the barn.
It’s so simple and perfect! All of the work that has been put in has made me ready for race day. All the training, fuel changes, new gear, injuries, recovery, mindset work, all of it. I’m ready. All the hay is in the barn.
Another one of my friends, DuWayne, gave me some wonderful advice as well. He had just finished running a 5k, 10k, half, and full marathon in four days, in Floridian heat and humidity. I asked him what he would tell me about my first full, and he told me that my body knows what to do so practice telling my mind what to do.
There is something big that you have been made ready for as well. What is something you’ve wanted to do, to accomplish, but haven’t started yet? Does it seem too big, too overwhelming? Don’t start by looking at the barn full of hay, start with the field where you are and plant a few seeds. Make a plan and keep going. You can achieve whatever goal you have been dreaming of, sis, you just need to start. Your heart knows what to do, so practice telling your mind who is boss.
You want to buy a home? Start with a savings plan. You want to get your MBA? Start with a plan for a program. You want to be more physically capable? Start by parking farther away at the grocery store.
You have been made ready to tackle the most beautiful dreams, the ones that are hard to even say out loud, the hairy scary ones. Step by step, day by day, work on those dreams. You are more than capable. Make a plan and keep going. Arthur Ashe said it best, “Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”
All the hay’s in the barn, you know what to do, let’s goooooooooooooooooo!
Xo,
Ellie
Ellie Schreiner's Blog 