Road to Boston | The Grind
Right about this time in my training—the build phase—things start getting real. The excitement induced by signing up or qualifying for a major race and starting a race-specific training plan, wears off as the miles increase over the weeks. This is what I call “The Grind.” I was reading an article in Forbes, “Reasons Why We Don’t Achieve New Year’s Resolutions,” and the author stated that many start to fall off commitments by the second week of February. Although I do not engage in resolutions, I realized many of you who’ve committed to training programs in January could be feeling the same way I feel now . . . tired, sore and asking yourself questions about why you should or how you can continue. No worries, it’s normal.
Living in a time where you can order your groceries online and have them delivered to your door within in hour, it’s difficult to have the patience to go through the grind to see results and feel fitter than you did the first week you started. You need to hang in there to get past the grind. What I’ve learned from training continually for competitive races for the past three consecutive years, is to find or create joyful moments in the grind. Whether it’s the music in your fitness class or the soothing cool down that rewards you at the end of a workout, soak in your favorite moments during the grind. Those moments—no matter how small—will keep you going.
My long runs are full of planning and coordination. I look for opportunities to run through different neighborhoods, hoping to find a landmark that I’ve never seen before or relish in one that I truly enjoy. I took a few photos during my latest long run shown in the video below. These moments become a visually-rewarding experience during some of my toughest intervals on the run.
The grind is there to build your resolve. It makes you stronger both physically and mentally. As you adapt and see gains, you’ll be so glad you didn’t give in.
Looking forward to seeing you in March . . . on the side of the grind!
Tidbits | I’m so busy and sometimes it’s hard to fit in training. I always listen to my body and get rest when I feel I need it the most. No guilt.
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Just-an-FYI Disclaimer: Thank you for reading the Road to Boston blog series. My goal is to share my experiences, provoke thought and provide encouragement to the reader. I am neither a medical doctor, certified coach, nutritionist nor do I have any formal education in health and fitness; as such, my intent is not to treat or diagnose through my posts. 🙂
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