Mental Toughness

I am 8 days post first half marathon.  As previously posted it was a very challenging race for me in terms of the mentality around mile 11. I was thinking there is no way I would ever do this again... unless required for Victoria 2016.  All that said, I know there will be some training runs leading up to Victoria that will be really close to 13.1, if not in fact 13.1 or farther (YIKES!).  

I was really hoping this race bling would be bigger...

I think stating that a half marathon is something I would never willingly do again was my way of coping with something that truly challenged me.  It was something that was physically tough, sure, but the real meat of that challenge came from the mental game I had to get through when it started to get hard. 

“Mental toughness is to physical as four is to one.”-Bobby Knight 

This is the kind of mental training I need a lot of over the next several months because there is no doubt in my mind that completing a 70.3 race will be mentally challenging.   Anyone who has done any kind of endurance activity will tell you that at some point your body will be able to handle the work, but you have to be able to keep your mind on the right path. It can be easy to go to ‘The dark side’ of yourself when things get tough.   Mental toughness is being able to fight through that and keep moving; it is what separates a finisher from a non-finisher. 

“You know that little voice in the back of your mind, telling you to stop? Well you can train that little voice. I taught mine to shut up.” -Unknown

Something like getting a flat tire on a course (or even a training ride) can completely derail someone who is physically prepared but not mentally.  You have to figure out how you are going to deal with the issue at hand and get moving again.  Then you have to figure out how to not get hung up on that incident, otherwise it will impact the rest of the race. 

“Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward.” -Victor Kiam

So what does any of this have to do with last week? Well, as I have found with triathlon, my desire to ‘never do that again’ doesn’t stick around long.  I must have a horrible memory because today I started looking for another half marathon to sign up for.  Part of me wants the experience for the mental aspects so I can see if it would be better the second time.  The other part of me says ‘you’re an idiot.’

“If your going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill 

I think my difficult pregnancies gave me the ability to be mentally tough but to also quickly forget how truly awful those particular experiences were.  So maybe in that aspect I have a leg up on my toughest competition- myself.  I guess I am blessed with the uncanny ability to forget.  So I am sure I will find my next 'hell' right around the corner...