In less than 24 hours until my 50k run and I feel the strongest I have in some time. There is a confidence that comes with knowing you have done almost everything you can to prepare- ate well, hydrated, stretched, received massages, got adequate rest, etc.
About a month ago, I hit a brick wall- I couldn’t finish my long runs. I was frustrated mentally and drained physically. It was a turning point for me. I realized I wasn’t doing all the little things that I preach so much about. Just tweaking a few things in my life made huge differences.
Athletics is so much like life- rarely is it the big changes we make that propel us toward our goals, but rather it’s taking care of the little things and making small changes. Step by step, you create confidence- you don’t just wake up with it one day. Step by step, you make little sacrifices that make you feel better about yourself.
There aren’t many people that can say they have ever done what I am doing, probably many would never want to. But what dawned on me the other night was that I’m not special in the fact that I have some extraordinary talent that allows me to run extreme distances. The majority of people could do what I am doing if they had the desire and could put the time into it. What I do have is a goal and it’s a goal that is worth enough for me to do the little things in order to accomplish.
Have a goal, do the little things for they do make a difference and enjoy the journey.