“People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success.”
-Norman Vincent Peale
After a month of training, I hope you have learned that training for a marathon requires mental training along with physical training. 26.2 miles is a long way to run, but with the right mentality, no challenge is too daunting.
There are thousands of people training for marathons each day. Adrenaline begins to rush at the thought of taking on this challenge, but come race day, many people aren’t able to finish. They put in hours of time training their bodies, but they just couldn’t make it. Why?
Outside of some type of injury, I’d say most people don’t finish because they don’t honestly think they can do it. They say they are going to do, but it ends up being like a soft new year’s resolution that is abandoned once the challenge begins to become difficult.
Of course, things are going to become difficult, and that’s why it is so important to mentally prepare yourself for the moment your body hits this stage in the race. If you want to accomplish something, you’ve got to honestly believe you can and will do it! What’s the use of devoting so much time to a cause if, in the end, you really don’t think you can do it?
You may be questioning your ability right now, and although we still have several months left to train, your attitude today is still an integral component of your overall success. Have you ever heard of “muscle memory”? Just as you can strengthen your muscles by repetition of exercises, so too can you strengthen your will to succeed by repetitiously telling yourself YOU CAN DO IT!
Make a note and put it by your bed, so that when you wake up each day, the first words you see are “I CAN DO IT!” Or maybe write down a quote that inspires you. This may sound a little silly, but what’s the harm in trying it out?
I believe in you, but the most important question is, “Do you believe in yourself?”
TODAY’S WORKOUT:
Bench Press- 4 sets
Curls- 3 sets
Military Press- 3 sets
Pullups- 3 sets
Tricep Pulldown - 3 sets
Abs
2 comments:
MM, you are a wise sole for a young age. I found your blog while searching for Matthew Kelly (His work is great and amazingly simple. More people should read him). Your blog is great. It is giving me the inspiration to get back into running(ex H.S. 1- & 2-miler).
I love the quotes and poems given to you by your dad. What a great guy and what a great tradition. I'd love if one day my kids wrote about me the way you write about him. I am saving some of these to give to them (ages 11,9 & 6) as they get older.
Keep up the good work on your training (& school) and I will continue reading and cheering you on.
Chris,
I really appreciate your support! I'm glad you've enjoyed my entries. I know how wonderful it feels to be inspired (especially after reading Matthew Kelly), so I am trying my best to offer any inspiration to others. Spread the word!
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