Today, I did a 12 KM long run. I got up at 5 in the morning, geared up, splashed on the sun block and headed for Likas running track.
12 KM was a distance that I had not run in nearly 6 months. And this was on the back of my last run on Friday which was a total disaster. I was supposed to run 10 KM but managed to only do 3 KM. Everything that could go wrong on Friday, did !
As such I was expecting a tough run today. To overcome that I psyched myself up. It was a longer distance, it was going to be tough, it was going to be hot, I need to be mentally strong, I need to constantly scream at my mind to not give up.
Guess what? My expectations were met. It was a tough run physically and mentally and it really felt like a long distance. My speeds were slower, my legs ached and my lower back acted up. I constantly had to tell myself, just a bit more.
Only after finishing the 12 KM did i realize that this “run of hell” was designed, created and engineered by…myself.
I had visualized a tough run and got what I visualized.
That insight made me realize that for this upcoming Borneo International Marathon, my mind had already set me up for a tough and hellish half marathon. For months, I had been telling myself that I was still recovering from Denggi, which caused me to have joint and knee pains, since they moved the Marathon from Oct to May, I had very little time to get in shape…basically I was telling myself that I am unprepared for the marathon and will suffer.
Well, thanks to today’s run and realization, it doesn’t matter what my physical status is..what is more important is the conversations I am having in my head. So I am going to change my mind…I am going to design, create and engineer a most wonderful half marathon.
My new conversations with myself will be: I will cruise through the training distances, I will record new times and distances, I will become fitter and for the half marathon, it will be my most enjoyabe 21 KM run, I will cruise to the finish line, I will get my finisher’s medal.
The Borneo International Marathon is another 28 days away, I can’t wait…!
