Performance and Transformation

"How do do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." General Creighton Abrams Eating Elephant Feet - The Hardest Part of Endurance Training          At the beginning of starting anything new there is excitement and energy. The same is of a race, or a marathon training cycle, there is plenty of adrenaline and energy. This is a second blog post showing how the training for a long distance event, and then actually doing the event are incredibly similar. While the first introduced how the first few miles can set you up for a great race, or how they can blow-up the day, this is about the Muddy Middle. It is a space when the new thing gets old, when a marathon turns into a test of will, and this is true of the training cycle as well.   Enthusiasm has started to run dry, and we may even begin to second-guess ourselves. This usually happens from about weeks 4-12 and then miles 4-20 of the race, motivation means nothing and yet it can mean everything. Physical discomfort becom

         Mental fatigue is a real thing. Our brains and emotions can get tired, often before our bodies give up. We will doubt our capabilities, question our preparation, curse the weather, and of course motivation will waiver. Eventually, we will think about quitting, and this all happens before we even run our goal race! Here are a few thoughts on how you can become a champ at mentally preparing yourself for a race that tests us like no other.        The old  Vietnam War General, Creighton Abrams is said to have told his men, "If you want to eat an elephant, take one bite at a time."   This is the first of 3-4 blog posts on breaking the marathon training cycle down into smaller digestible  chunks, as well as the marathon race. (The half-marathon is a relatively similar preparation and distance, so I'm sure halfers will find this equally applicable.) I have begun to see again and again that what we experience during the 16 week build-up for a marathon is incredibly s