No my friends, I'm talking about down playing successes. I've caught myself doing it a million times. As a pregnant runner, I do it basically every time I workout. I say things like:
"I ran three miles...they were slow, but I ran them!"
or
"I only got in a mile today."
or
"I had to start doing girl push ups."
Isn't that insane? I'm making excuses for why I can't perform at my peak performance level. I'm carrying an extra 20lbs, have a bladder that is continually losing space, and lungs that are overcrowded! Yet, how often did I do this BEFORE I was pregnant? Sadly, in retrospect, fairly often. I could usually be caught saying things like:
"I can't believe I didn't hit my splits in that six mile run."
or
"I could only hold the plank for 45 seconds."
or
"I ran a marathon in 5:08, I'm so mad I didn't go sub 5."
Now, most of us would pat each other on the back over a glass of wine concerning complaints like these. We would say things like "Hey, you ran six miles! That's great!" or "Not everyone is a superhuman plank person!" or "YOU RAN A MARATHON. THE END." If we can say these things to our friends, why is it so hard to live with no excuses about ourselves?
As I've gone further along in my pregnancy, I've begun to appreciate my body more and more. I've realized how much it is capable of, and I haven't even pushed a human out of it yet (My head is still in the sand on that one. May come up for air around week 35 or so...). I find myself reading some of my favorite running mom bloggers archives (Like Lauren, Meghan, Michele and Danielle) and thinking "Sheesh, that's amazing!" concerning their physical prenatal activity. What I've come to realize is, just as in running, your body will do what it can do. I'm learning to accept this. I'm learning to have a "no excuses" attitude, do the best I can, and be proud of what I accomplish.
I will whine less and be proud more. Via
So, if you hear me complaining, set me straight. I'm going to make a conscious effort to be proud of everything my body allows me to do. I'm going to be proud if I run, walk, or crawl a mile. I'm going to do what makes me feel good, rather than what is expected of me. This is the "training season" I am in. I appreciated Dorothy's candor, who is an incredible runner, when she discussed how "2014 is the year for being okay with doing these things", things that I think are less what I usually do (like how I'm running a 5k instead of a half marathon next weekend). Pregnant or not, a positive attitude will only help your training. Getting hung up on a bad run or a bad training week can really disturb your flow. I know I was crippled mentally in my second marathon, and I guarantee I would have done better if I had fought the mental demons and stayed positive in spite of a tough race. It won't be easy, but I am going to do my best to appreciate my body for what it can do and what it will do.
How about you? Are you willing to have a no excuses attitude? Do you find yourself in a downward verbal rut? What tricks do you have for staying positive? TELL ME ABOUT IT!
No comments:
Post a Comment