Through fitness competitions and doing ½ marathons I have learned that it’s amazing what our bodies are capable of handling, and just how much you can actually push it without it breaking! I have also learned my limits along the way as well.
Competing is such a personal experience and what works for one person may not work for someone else. It is learning the science of your own body and that comes with the experience of doing it over and over and tweaking things here and there until you find out what works, and what doesn’t. I learned that for me after this last race that I actually did better with LESS running. This time around I did 3 functional workouts (when I say functional…I’m mean business) and I never did more than an hour of cardio and only ran 3 times a week. I made my runs extremely hard but they did the job, I made personal best and I actually feel no pain today!
Competing is a continual process of trial and, unfortunately, error, and with each race or competition you get to know your body better. It’s the amount of small efforts repeated day in and day out. When it comes to knowing your body, and how to get to the place you want your body to be just remember, there are no magic pills or short cuts. First you have to have a goal, so you know where you’re heading, then dedication and the motivation to get there. Often we experience bumps along the way; I do not believe that struggles are a sign of life falling apart, rather a sign of life falling into place. Setbacks in the journey to achieving your goals only make the success that much better.
I believe the biggest obstacle standing in the way of most people achieving their goals is their mind set. Once you believe you are capable and anything is possible, then there are no limits. That’s when life gets really exciting!! Good job to all that competed and raced this weekend, just doing a competition or race is an amazing accomplishment!