Get Your Next Personal Best
In June I ran the New River Gorge Trail Festival 50K. I had completed my first 50K, The DeClue Loop, in October of 2022 in 7 hours 24 minutes and I was excited to see how my running has improved over the years. I finished this 32.37-mile race in 6 hours 34 minutes getting a 50-minute PB (Personal Best)! I hadn’t looked at my watch for time until the end of the race and I was ecstatic at how much time I was able to take off my 50K!
Here’s what I attribute my success to, which can also be applied to life in general:
BE PREPARED. You can’t expect to succeed by just showing up and winging it. Whether it’s a work project or 32.27 miles on the trails, showing up without preparing is a great way to fail. I followed my running program leading up to the race. I showed up for myself on the days I just wanted to sleep in. I ventured out in the dark on cold winter days when I would have much rather stay snuggled up in bed and on days when I knew I was going to experience the trifecta of discomfort for me (heat, humidity, and buggy trails- YUCK!!!). Not only did I stay consistent with my training, but it helped to train my mind to do hard things. During the race I thought back to some of those tougher runs and remembering how I finished each run giving me that little extra to keep pushing in the race.
KNOW YOUR OBSTACLES AND CREATE A SOLUTION. Going into this race I knew the heat was going to be a big obstacle for me. I planned ahead. I followed a heat training protocol and got in my hot tub directly after finishing my runs. I created a race day plan to address the heat. I used a cooling bandana, which was a game changer. I upped my hydration and electrolytes. I also knew the last mile of the race was going to be brutal as it left you exposed to the sun on sidewalks that amplified the heat. I brought an extra flask of water to dump on me as I got hot. I could have just said, I’ll push through when I get hot and skipped making a plan. (It’s so easy to think we’ll just do it.) If we don’t know our obstacles and have a solution to address them as they pop up, our chance of success drastically lowers. When you have a plan, you don’t have to think about it, you already know how you are going to handle things when they get tough.
RUN YOUR OWN RACE. The excitement at the start line of a race makes it easy to go out too hard. It’s also easy to try to keep up with someone at the beginning of the race only to blow up before you’re even halfway to the finish line. I ran with another lady for a mile or two in the first quarter of the race. She then went faster than I felt I could sustain for the mileage left. I let her go ahead. I kept running my pace and ended up passing her and a few other ladies with less than 4 miles to the finish line finishing fifth overall female. If I would have tried to run her race, I would have faded and not have the energy to finish strong. Now there are times when you may need to rise and respond to the competition, but it’s up to you to determine when that that’s appropriate and what you are capable of. Make the decision based on yourself not others.
CHOOSE A POSITIVE MINDSET. Mindset can make or break our success. Around mile 16 of the race, negative thoughts started to creep in. I questioned why I was running this race and contemplated if I should even do my upcoming 50 and 100-mile races. I started slowing down and walking. It was very hard to start running again. I was focusing on how hot, humid, and hard it was. I caught myself thinking this way and did two things. I started repeating my mantra, “Strong and steady, nice and easy.” I also thought about the type of person I want to be and how I want to show up in life. Do I want to be someone who gives up when things get hard or do I want to step up and give my best? The answer was easy; I want to give my best. I was able to run the rest of the race, minus one small section of a huge climb. I found the magical fine line of sustaining a pace that was uncomfortable.
LIFT OTHERS UP. Cheering on others not only spreads encouragement to the person you’re cheering for, but it lifts you up too. There was an out and back section of the race where you see runners coming the other direction. This was also the point I was struggling. I started cheering on each person I encountered. That in combination with repeating my mantra allowed me to go to a better place mentally and run my race.
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH SUPPORTIVE PEOPLE. Having others around you who know and support your goals can make a huge difference. From Mike supporting me in my training, to my mom making some of my race day fuel, to members at Forward Fitness and my family giving me words of encouragement, I have been blessed by so much support in the preparation for this race. Mike ran the half marathon distance of this race and then showed up for me at the final aid station of my race cheering me on. Hearing that support gave me a little extra pep as I headed out to finish the final 4 miles of the race. In the last 200 feet before the finish line, I was running in with another racer and was just going to let him pass me. At the exact moment a lady on the sidelines shoutout out to me to pass him instead. That was all I needed, an outside voice believing in me and cheering me on when I was exhausted and feeling all the heat of the afternoon. I picked up my pace to what I felt was a sprint, passed him, and finished giving all I had left.
What a rewarding feeling to finish a race, or any endeavor in life, knowing you gave it your all! It’s stepping up to challenge and choosing to move forward through discomfort that makes the success that much sweeter.