The One With My New Mantra

I’m not really the type of person to have mantras that I say to myself; I mean sure I have a few things that often run through my head while I’m running or during races…

Ephesians 3:20 being at the top of that list: 

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine…."

That has gotten me through many a rough day or race. But other than that I really don’t have a saying that I like or that I try to live out each day.

While on my run on Wednesday night I was thinking about how the word HUMBLING kept creeping into my mind throughout Sunday’s half marathon and I really thought about that word and why it was hitting me so hard. I think it stood out to me for a couple of different reasons; hopefully I can put those thoughts down here so that it makes sense to everyone.

For starters I was hoping for a PR; maybe that was overly ambitious of me or maybe I just got caught up in the excitement of so many good races lately but for whatever reason it was probably a goal that I didn’t need to bother with. I did have good intention and I did know that it wouldn’t come without hard work and I even did a few speed training workouts but at the end of the day being sidelined for 10 days just really didn’t help. That was humbling to me. It made me stop and realize just how hard it is to achieve a well run race. I was immediately humbled by the fact that my body has in fact worked hard enough to reach a 2:18 half marathon! Sunday’s race was way harder than that 2:18 half marathon in Tulsa was in many ways but at the end of the day I can appreciate that hard work so much more.

I was humbled by the fact that despite awful weather and having been sick I still managed to find my way to the starting line. I’m not sure who this person is that I’ve created but I kind of like her. Sure I may be crazy and many of my friends and family may think I’m extreme but for me the self-confidence I have gained from this journey to crazy runner girl is worth so much more to me than I could ever explain (and so I probably won’t try to). 

I toed the line of a race that no one was forcing me to run knowing full well that it might be a rough day with the wind and the rain and the cold. I mean of course I had paid money and taken a trip and drug my friend down there, so it would be pretty selfish of me not to run but I didn’t have to and I did it anyways, because I like it. And of course for that extra Marathons of Texas medal…. Anyways the point being is I get out there and do this because I like to run, I enjoy the races and the process even if that includes having a rough day. Do I like the rough days, no, of course not but I do realize that’s just a part of life. So I’ll take them and learn from them.

The other reason I was humbled on Sunday was because somehow along with the thought of being humbled the thought of me being experienced also crept into my mind. I’m still surprised that I felt comfortable thinking that word but at the end of the day I do. I don’t necessarily think of myself as an experienced runner the way I would consider others an experienced runners, for example Skinny Runner…she’s run 40 marathons, that’s experience. My blog friend Erin, I consider her experienced, she’s been around the block a few times and done many different athletic endeavors and she’s even taken second place at a marathon (Rock ‘N Roll San Antonio, in case you were wondering). So no, I’m not that kind of experienced, not even close. But I have run a few races and I have completed several rounds of training and I have spent a good part of this year learning about myself and running. I may not be the first person you would think to ask your running questions to but I could help you out with a few minor details. But more importantly is I’ve learned things for myself; I have gained confidence in what I need to do to accomplish certain things. I’ve gained confidence in knowing what running 13 miles is like and I’ve even gained confidence in knowing what running 26 miles is like. I know what I am capable of and I know how to push myself to achieve bigger and better things.

So there you have it, I’ve been humbled. All of this led to the decision that for the next 6 weeks I will be using the word Humble as a focus for all of my workouts, it will become my mantra. Each time I go out to run or each BodyPump or yoga class I take I will be looking for ways in which the workout can humble me. If there isn’t a moment during the prescribed workout that I feel completely humbled by then I will create one for myself. I want to really focus on making the most of my training and becoming the best I can be at what I enjoy doing.

You will also find a little thought at the end of each workout about what was humbling to me.

We will see how this goes; I may like it and decided to have monthly mantras from now on. But for now I will be focused on being humbled from now until the end of February.