Runner Insight

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This first paragraph here is basically a PSA for you. First off, Mother’s Day is just around the corner…and if you’re stuck for a gift suggestion and your mother likes to walk or run, or hike or bike or jog, go over to the right hand sidebar, and  get your free ebook “Gifts For Runners – More Than 50 Unique and Creative Gifts for the Runner in Your Life.” It’s got tons of great ideas, not just for runners but for anyone who enjoys walking, biking, hiking, etc. And Father’s Day is coming, too. So go get it…it’s free. Right now…what are you still reading this for…you should be over there under the FirstGiving Donate Box———>

This second paragraph here is to remind you that I’m now starting the third week of my 1,222.25 mile Run Over To Ellen’s on a quest to raise $30,000 for Guide Dogs for the Blind. So if you haven’t donated your $1.00 yet, why not click on the Donate button on the FirstGiving box in the sidebar and do that now…while it’s on your mind…I know it’s on your mind…because I’m putting it there right about now     Anyway, once you donate at least $1.00 you get special access to the private website set up for donors only, where we update you daily on our progress and post announcements and hold special VIP giveaways for donors. I know you can handle a $1.00 donation…so go for it. Over there ———>

And now, back to your regularly scheduled content…. 

Breaking Through Barriers…Or Not

Once I started running again after my back injury, I got stuck at about 3 miles when I’d go for my runs.  Don’t get me wrong…3 miles was really good considering I was out of commission with lower right back pain and sciatica for over 2 months. 

But I knew that what was happening to me had nothing to do with my physical ability to run longer or the lower right back pain or even my diminishing vision.  I had simply hit a wall.  Albeit a mental wall, but a very real wall to me, nonetheless.  I knew that I was now capable of running longer, but my mind was playing games with my body, telling me I was too tired to go any further and that I needed to take it easy on myself.

So after some consideration, I decided to call the Discovering Wellness Coaching Program that is provided free of charge to clients of my chiropractor’s office.

I knew I needed some gentle nudging, and that’s exactly what I got when I spoke with Rodrigo the Wellness Coach. No Biggest Loser show Jillian-style rants for me…as much as you’ve got to respect Jillian and what she’s accomplished on the Biggest Loser TV show, I just don’t respond well to that. I love Jillian, but of the Biggest Loser trainers, I would definitely perform better with Bob…Anyway, back to the point…Rodrigo’s immediate and simple suggestion was that maybe I could run 5 extra minutes 3 times a week. 

Well yeah…I could do that. 

We also discussed my diet and decided I was not eating enough carbs, and this would account for my low energy.  So we upped my carb intake too.  Along with some other suggestions and small goals, I was set, and Rodrigo would call and check in with me same time next week.

When I hung up the phone after talking with my coach, T looked at me and said, “I’m pretty sure I told you all those things, too.” 

Of course she did, and she was right, but sometimes I think we just have to be hit over the head with the same information multiple times before it finally sinks in! There’s also the added authority that sometimes exists when information comes from an outside source.

So the next day I started out my run with the intention of going 5 extra minutes.  When I got to the place on the trail where I had been stopping to turn around, I simply stepped around the wall in my mind that had been blocking my progress.  You see the wall wasn’t very big at all; in fact, it was quite small. I had just made it big in my mind. 

But once I moved around it, I was free.  I ran an extra mile.  About 10 more minutes!  It felt great.  I could have kept going, but I also knew I needed to be smart and not increase my mileage too fast at the risk of injuring myself. 

So what mental barrier have you thrown up to block your forward progress? 

Sometimes it just takes a little outside coaching and encouragement to help you realize that you don’t always have to expend all that energy trying to break through the wall.  You can just find another way around it. That’s what I did.   

How ‘bout it?

-Vision Runner

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Tags: back injury, Biggest Loser, Biggest Loser show, Biggest Loser trainers, Bob, ellen degeneras, ellen tv show, Father's day, gifts for runners, gifts for runners free ebook, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Jillian, Jillian Michael, Jillian Michaels, Jillian Micheals, lower right back pain, Mother's Day, run, Run Over To Ellens, Runner, Running, sciatica, The Biggest Loser Tv Show, Vision Runner

This entry was posted on Monday, May 4th, 2009 at 1:25 am and is filed under 2009 Fundraising Run, Everyday Inspiration, Running. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.