NaNoBloPoMo (Nov 10) Even the pros have their down days

I've often blogged about my highs and lows in running. In fact, both my first and second marathon included long stretches where I wondered to myself whether I was ready; whether I'd overtrained; whether I'd under-trained; whether I was having an off day; whether I should quit.

This weekend, a colleague and fellow runner forwarded me this article by Staten Island runner Mike Cassidy, whose PB for a full marathon is somewhere around 2:18. Cassidy's article speaks honestly and openly about his self-doubt halfway through the race, where he asks virtually the same questions that I've often asked myself mid-race.

Cassidy's story drove home to me that even though our times may be hours apart, our minds as runners are more alike than I'd ever imagined. It gave me the confidence to believe that more than any training, it's the mental games that I as an amateur long-distance runner need to recognize and overcome, come next race day -which I am still hoping will be next February for the Calgary Hypo Half!

What strategies do you use to overcome your mental self-doubt during a race? Let me know here!

Happy running,

~ HRG

It's NaNoBloPoMo!

I jst discovered this morning that it's NaNoBloPoMo! If you're a writer, you may have heard of NaNoWriMo (National November Writing Month). But I'd never heard of NaNoBloPoMo until this morning (bad blogger, me!).

Anyways, since I've found that I like a challenge, and that writing every day forces me to write, be creative, and more to the point write fast, I've signed up - four days late! So today's going to be a day of playing catchup so I can get on schedule with the rest of the NaNoBloPoMoers.

Thankfully, since I've started running again, I now have something to write about again, too! And having to write every day in this space will hopefully help keep me on track with my winter race goal: the 2014 Calgary Hypo Half.

I'm feeling good about running again (minus a tight left Achilles' heel and right IT band, which I am realizing are just part and parcel of running - getting used to those tight muscles and aches and pain). But I'm back on schedule again. Actually, I'm a couple of weeks ahead of schedule, and feeling good.

So here's to a happy NaNoBloPoMo, fellow run bloggers! And happy start of winter training!

Stay safe and warm out there on those icy streets, fellow Calgary runners!

~ HRG