Does Liquid Paper even exist anymore? After my last blog and mostly due to the last sentence of it, I caught some heat over being too hard on myself. I was actually told to CHANGE THAT LAST SENTENCE. You know who you are. So here goes:
I’m removing the last sentence of my last blog.
“You always learn something when you race. Yeah, I learned how not to be a dumbass.” This is now stricken from the last blog, and by stricken, I mean I’m striking it here in this one. The thing is, I don’t think I’m a dumbass. I actually consider myself to be quite intelligent. Intelligent people can do dumbass things. Teenage years and early twenties are a prime example of smart people doing dumb things. I didn’t dwell on it (for once) like I normally do. I made a critical error, and by realizing the error, it made me feel better. While part of me wanted to do this:
I knew I had to do this:
The way I see it is that it had to happen. I had to learn my lesson from this huge mistake. The lesson was learned, however dumbass it was, and I moved on. I have regrouped. So here’s the deal, I’m fixing my ponytail, and I’m trying again. As much as I wanted to quit for that five minutes, I don’t want to give up. Ever.
By the way, congrats to everyone who made it through the great “snowmageddon” out there. It was a doozy, even here in coastal North Carolina. Everyone rushed outside at the same time to take a picture or video of the two snowflakes that fell, so it created a rush of warm air that in fact, melted the snowflakes they were trying to photograph.
This is what happens in the south, but for reals, the roads are scary as SH%$ when it snows here.
We survived. 🙂
Anyway, because I shifted my goals, I had to shift my races. I was supposed to do a fun 50k on Saturday, but it is now a 5 miler. Instead of doing whatever I wanted the next few months, I will be running, doing speed work, tempo, strength, PRACTICING HYDRATING, all in prep for my 10th marathon in March. Yes, I am trying this BQ thing again on March 20th. Who knows what will happen, but the thing is, I won’t know if I don’t try. And I feel good, have had a strong training cycle, and I got coach’s permission to keep going. So I’m regrouping, recovering the last few weeks, and next week, I’m back at it. Wrightsville Beach Marathon, you totaled me last year (probably because I didn’t drink enough), but I’m coming for you!
In the meantime, my Epic Running Company youth running groups have opened registration and I’m studying for the AFAA Personal Trainer Certification. And for someone who has a Business Finance degree and not a Biology degree? Yeah.
The tensor fasciae latae what?
So anyway, I’ve been keeping busy, having a good few weeks break, but I’m ready to get back at it. All with a good attitude and understanding that I am not a dumbass. 😉
Let’s hear it – have you made any HUGE multiple mistakes in your races? Did you finally learn from them?
Running Boston And Beyond 
The biggest race mistake I made was doing a race when I felt “off”. It resulted in a hip issue that set me back a bit. I have done some stupid things in races which involved bad pacing, fueling, or over racing. But in the end the biggest mistake and way to make a dumb@$$ when racing is to do something that puts yourself at risk. I really try not to have any running regrets because in the end it is what makes us happy and not our job or way of life.
Not having regrets is a great way to be! And I’m glad you’re letting yourself recover after your race, no matter what other people are doing! 🙂 The best thing we can do is listen to ourselves and do what we do because we love it, not because we have to!
That’s so exciting that you are going for it again. Hopefully it will be the perfect weather for you and your hydration will be on point. I’ll be rooting for you!
Thank you 🙂 Of course I will worry and obsess about the weather, but I know I will have to deal with whatever is handed to us on race day. The main goal is to work on the weaknesses I have and see if it makes the difference. Hopefully it’ll be cold and hydration won’t be AS MUCH of an issue. Dare to dream 🙂
I did make the hyponatremia mistake twice during Ironman racing, but have not figured out a solution yet…I’m still working on it and not going to give up on it! It is funny that such a small amount of snow in the south causes such mayhem! We are looking at 12+ inches one week from now (although that has the potential to change a lot between now and then) and the students are hoping for a snow day, but realize that it takes a LOT for that to truly happen here. 😉
I would think that not taking in additional salt, what is beyond your hydration, could be part of it? Hence, the Base, but I know once I started taking in extra salt, it made a big difference in how I felt during and after training. I learned that from the Boston mistake.
And I used to make fun of the reaction of the “scary snow” when I moved here from Indiana after growing up in Iowa. When we almost slid off the snowy (maybe an inch) road in town because they didn’t treat the roads because there’s like, one snow plow per one million of population, I learned it is just very different. Then when it iced here two years ago, everything was shut down for a week and almost everyone lost power because they never treated the roads and it was actually too cold for the ice to melt. It probably would have been a late start in Iowa 😉
I’m looking forward to trying the Base salt.
Yay…huge difference between treated and untreated roads. Hoping for a snow day next week, but not holding out too much hope 😉
Snow days are always fun! Just not a week because then you have to make it up….
My biggest mistakes were a) too worried about getting a PR, or making the podium or putting some other undue pressure on myself -and- b) worrying more about beating Jack during a race than anything else. My best races were ones that I did “for fun”, and did not place any undue pressure on myself. Funny thing is — those were the races that I DID get a PR or make the podium (I even beat Jack – once).
I just wrote a post calling myself a moron, so…
When I lived in NC, we had a joke that if someone threw an ice cube on the roads, they closed school.
You’re awesome for going for a personal trainer cert. I’m too intimidated by all the jargon. My trainer tosses off terms like nothing, and I just give him a blank look until he laughs at me.