April 7th. This day has been marked on my calendar for around 365 days. Today was the next major landmark on my run season. I would get to measure my fitness, to practice my pre race routine and run the streets of this amazing city with my favorite running partners.
Mother Nature had her way today and the Statesmen Cap10K was canceled. Some runners were upset, others were relieved. I didn’t fall into either. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love races. I love testing my limits even if I fall short of my gold goal. I love being inspired by others. I love meeting once strangers. Today felt like just another day.
My Mom is visiting from Oregon. She was generous and offered to be at the finish line to bring me dry clothes after the race. I woke up to let her know she would be miserable as the radars were shades of red for a majority of the morning but appreciated her offer. “I’ll go run this thing and come home immediately after if I’m too cold” I said. As I walked out the door to let Henley out, she yelled, “I’m not sure if you’re crazy or just have a lot of heart”. I smirked. I am not sure either, but I was ready to take on 6+ miles.
By the time I was back, there was an update. The race would be delayed for 30 minutes. I read the messages on social media. Some participants were being told the race was canceled before it was officially announced. The me 1 year ago would have been in panic mode about what to do. Instead I asked my Mom to drop me off as close as possible to the starting line to avoid being completely drenched before the start. She agreed. The next update would come at 7 am.
I was abnormally calm. Ryan and I have been running our long runs together on the weekends. We joke that at least 50% of our runs have been in sleet or rain and today would increase our percentage. I was excited to run in the rain. I feel the most free in those conditions. To keep myself distracted while I waited for the next update, I decided to email my mental coach.
7 am. The race: canceled. I took a moment to reflect. To be honest, I’m not sure my fitness is where it needs to be to run at the pace I intended, but I was going to do my damndest. I was excited to put everything I had been working on with Coach Dean to the test. Were my chosen words enough to redirect my thoughts? Could I switch my brain to focus on gait patterns and less on the pain? But here’s the thing. I should be implementing this routine every time I put on my shoes. It is a practice, regardless of whether it is a race or another training run. You cannot show up on race day, try something new and expect to execute.
My “A” race ended up being “a race” that I held for myself on the treadmill. I would still practice as if it were my “A” day. Last night, I laid out my clothes. I packed my dry bag. I set my alarm to wake up 2.5 hours before start time. Took in my normal Skratch concoction. I was unusually calm. This is the most mentally prepared for a race I have ever been. The physical side is relatively easy compared to the mental side. With my mental game coming together, I am confident that I am exactly where I need to be at this moment. The work isn’t done, but today was an accomplishment even though there was no finish line ending.
Thank you to the race officials who continuously make runners the priority. You rarely get the credit you deserve because you are selflessly looking out for us. I appreciate you. See you in 2020!
Cheers!