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A NEW LAP BEGINS
I wrote this post for you on my birthday while out for a morning run. Very rarely does writing happen in front of a computer. It almost always happens while doing something else.
This one came to me while running along a trail in San Diego determined to run 5.4 miles to commemorate my 54th birthday.
It was a bright, sunny day, but it was definitely TOO hot for me. Under normal circumstances, I would have run a shorter distance in that sort of heat or simply rescheduled. But, it was my birthday + I really wanted to start my next lap around the sun with a solid, celebratory run.
So - there I was on the trail - too hot, but chugging along + strategizing on how I could make it an enjoyable run + reach my goal of 5.4 miles without exhausting myself. After all, I had a full day of celebrating ahead of me + didn’t want to be too tired to enjoy it!
Maybe that is why my mind wandered off to write this piece + distract me from the fact that my face was on fire from the heat.
As hot as it was, I was feeling pretty proud of myself for being out there running in less than ideal circumstances on my birthday. I could have been curled up on the couch watching Netflix or eating birthday treats. (Don’t worry, I did some of that, too.)
Instead, there I was out in the sun, moving my body, feeling energized, well-rested + more than capable of powering thru a sweaty 5.4-mile run - even in the heat.
At 54, these are NOT things I take for granted. I am blessed to have my health. I put a lot of daily effort into keeping it up.
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
As I was running + plotting the turnaround point for my 5.4 miles, I started thinking about the number 54. It’s a big number! I feel more like 45, not 54. When did those numbers get flipped around?
With 54 years behind me, I could very easily have another 54 ahead. I am truly sitting at the crux of midlife.
After having trained for multiple marathons + endurance events, one thing I have noticed on any long training runs - there’s something interesting about halfway marks.
You almost always feel really good at the halfway mark.
The tricky part is to feel good on those final miles.
THAT’S what you put the training in for. To feel good at the end.
It’s easy to get to that midway mark + think “I’m killing it!”
If you’re doing an out-and-back run, it’s easy to push yourself a little further at the halfway mark because you’re feeling so good.
That halfway mark can get you in trouble.
As great as you might feel, you have to remember, there’s another half to finish.
In every race I have completed, the clock was NOT my goal. Finishing strong was my goal. I wanted to get to the finish feeling good. I wanted to enjoy the journey + run my own race. I wanted to have fun.
I feel the same about life.
So, as I was running along on my birthday, thinking about the halfway mark + how I was going to finish my run feeling good so I could enjoy the rest of my birthday, I thought about some of the ‘second half’ strategies I’ve used on training runs so many times before + how much they apply to the marathon of life.
Maybe you will find them helpful, too.
TIPS FOR A STRONG BACK HALF
Slow down. Don’t race with the clock if the clock is not your goal. You don’t have to be constantly pushing. Dial it back a little bit. Slow your pace down. It’s the old ‘tortoise and the hare” story. Slow + steady wins the race. This is so important in life. We find ourselves rushing out of the gate, but that kind of push is not sustainable. We have to learn to pull back. Let enough be enough.
Be grateful. When you’re feeling good, acknowledge it. Relish in it. There’s something about really paying attention to those moments when you feel good. Allow those feelings of gratitude to fill you up. They will help fuel you in the moments that are not so great. (And, there are ALWAYS moments like that.)
Keep fueled. Speaking of fuel, it’s so easy to get lazy about fuel halfway through a long run - especially when you are feeling good. It is essential you keep your tank topped off in the second half. Don’t let it reach empty. You simply don’t have a chance to recover from an empty tank in the second half, so stay a step ahead + keep your tank full. This applies to life in so many ways.
Self soothe. Know how to calm yourself. It’s important to know how to self-soothe. Stuff comes up that you weren’t expecting. You cramp. You get too hot. These are the moments when you have to breathe a little deeper. Slow down more. Cheer yourself on. Reflect back on the moments that felt good + trust that more of those moments are on their way.
Stay in your lane. Find your pace. The most important part of any event for me is finding my pace at the start. There’s always a perfect pace for any given day. And, it’s not always the same. But I know it when I get there. It’s the pace that feels good + the one that will get me to the finish line without draining me. When you find yourself in a crowd of other runners, it’s easy to get caught up in the pace of those around you. But, if you want to reach the finish line feeling good, you gotta find your own. The one that’s right for you - on this day, at this moment.
Finish strong. Take it all in. Now that you’re chugging along, minding your own business, feeling good + making sure you are taking care of yourself along the way, you can take in the scenery around you. You can notice that person around you that needs some support. You can smile. You can share some encouraging words. You can experience the joy that comes from realizing it’s not about you + the finish line. Never was. It was about the journey to get there feeling good.
YOUR MISSION:
No matter where you are in your life journey, there’s always a start, middle + finish. Last week, we started about giving ourselves fresh starts. This week, I challenge you to think about the long haul in between. How can you adjust your pace? Be more grateful? Fuel yourself better? Self-soothe through the rough patches? Stay in your lane + finish strong?
IN SUMMARY:
Life is a marathon that’s for sure. But, don’t let the numbers dictate your pace or rush you along. Let the numbers inform your priorities + the importance of taking it all in stride.
See you next week?
Meanwhile - you can read thru the archives here. And, please reach out to me anytime!
Email: karen@becounter.com
Instagram: @redefiningkaren
Happy birthday, and I very much appreciate your analogy to running. A big part of my run coaching is strategizing with clients to be "a closer" (finish fast/strong) in their races. Self-care during the race (especially for ultra distances) is a big part of it. I also tell them, "be your own biggest cheerleader in your head"—silence the self-criticism, change it into self-compassion and cheering for yourself. Good for you for celebrating your bday in a healthy way! In addition to running, I challenge myself with "birthday pushups" to do my age in pushups. I have to stop & rest in between them—I definitely can't do my age in pushups all in a row—but it's a good feeling to have that strength at our age.
Great read and timely! My daughter is training for a 5K in CO and I'm planning to join her - finally going to do it and will keep these in mind!