Preparation is everything. Controlling what you control is essential to performance. But you can’t control what you can’t control, and in that, there are so many lessons to learn.
Saturday was the Rivanna Marathon. My preparation was the best I could hope for. I set multiple PR’s (personal records), and I felt mentally ready. I felt that my 12 weeks of training brought me to the starting line ready. I was going to improve my Boston Qualifying time and set another PR.
However, with 2 minutes and 56 seconds until race start, I knew something wasn’t right. I immediately felt my body change. I wasn’t feeling my best. Five miles into the twenty-six, I found myself struggling at a very normal pace. Again, at mile, nine, I felt the same. My heart rate was in the 94th percentile in 98% humidity. Heart rate and heat are not something to mess with. I’ve never DNF’d (Did Not Finish) in ten years of racing. I wept for what I had lost.
I went to the doctor soon after getting home, and he diagnosed me with an infection and prescribed some meds. The rest of the day was pretty painful, physically and emotionally. I do have a Boston Qualifying time, but with Boston, that doesn’t always guarantee you a spot. That means that if I don’t get in when registration opens this week, I’ll have to qualify again in another race and hope for 2020.
There is a lot to learn from missing my goal. I won’t profess to have processed everything already, but I have thought about it a great deal.
You Can’t Control What You Can’t Control.
There is nothing I could do to prevent this infection. It.just.happened. There was nothing I could do. It was as if God just said, “Not today.” I’m not bitter. God is good and gracious to me in so many areas. Any other emotion would only lead to bitterness.
Use Your Disappointments.
I’m motivated to meet this goal of running in the Boston Marathon. I’m committed to it and know that if it were easy, everyone would run it. Boston is elite. It takes more than even your average marathon. And while training for 12 weeks and not meeting a goal is frustrating, I won’t allow it to be crushing. It’s going to be motivating.
Set Incremental Goals Along the Way.
If I don’t get into Boston 2019, Boston 2020 will be a long way away. I will need incremental goals to keep my motivated. Things like running a half and setting a PR. Placing top 3 in a race. Becoming a better swimmer. These small goals will keep me motivated as I go after the big goal. Without it, I might lose drive.
I know that not everyone likes running. Running is my drive. But all of us face disappointments. Every goal worth attaining is going to have obstacles. Making our will stronger than those obstacles’ is not easy. But hopefully, by implementing the above tips, especially when you experience a setback, will help you meet that goal and move onto your next one.
I goal into more details about all of this in my podcast www.anchor.fm/thisisgonnahurt.
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Thanks for listening. If you want to find out more about what Gordon is up to, check out his website at www.jgordonduncan.com.
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