Hello runner friends!
Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series
MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!
Now let’s get started by talking about something that has the power to motivate a person to reach the finish line like nothing else... positivity. For those of you, like my new friend Suzanne Johnson who I met on the second day of the Dogwood Challenge, who understand the power of positive thinking, this will all come as no surprise. But for those of you who haven’t tapped into the power of a positive mindset, or might not even know how to, this blog is for you.
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| Suzanne is on the left, pictured here at Dogwood Canyon |
So speaking of Suzanne... this is the message she sent me Monday that inspired today’s topic. “ Hello, hello. It was so great meeting you at Dogwood! I just completed my 1st marathon this past weekend. It was a rough one. Check out the FB post I made about it! Thanks for your inspiration, your positivity stayed in my mind and helped keep me good mentally!”
Her Facebook post following the seriously tough trail marathon she did.... I did it (only with God's strength though)! Trained all year long for this day! Full 26.2 mile marathon. The training paid off because I finished. It was definitely a race to remember! It was a gorgeous, brutal, treacherous, beautiful, "angry hill" trail race set in the bourbon hills of Shepherdsville, Kentucky. It started off very, very, physically difficult for me because I wasn't feeling well the day before, which led to gut issues race morning, and then I jacked up my foot just 1 hour before race time on our way out the door. So thankful for Christy who told me to "suck it up, let's go!" So here I am, 10 minutes to start time, sitting on the toilet taking Imodium AD, with a bandaged foot just praying for strength to finish this race I've trained so hard for. I watched one gal get carried out from an injured ankle and watched another gal go down in front of me..... so I took it slow. Started battling nausea issues from pure exhaustion about mile 20, thankful for the aid station at mile 21 that had ginger ale, pushed slowly through those last 5 miles, and made it.
So what exactly is this positivity that kept Suzanne good mentally despite all the obstacles she faced? By definition it’s the practice of being positive or optimistic in your attitude and thoughts. Did you get that practice part? Positivity stems from repeated and practiced thoughts of hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something. And guess what? Just like with running, the more you practice it the better you become at exuding it. And when positivity pours out of you, it not only benefits you but those around you. Positivity is downright contagious!
To see just how contagious, check out what Suzanne said about the positivity she received from me that helped her complete her first marathon, keeping in mind that every runner (that's you!) has the power to pass this on as well...
Here's the picture of who I am from when we met on the trail, 2nd day of Dogwood. You were with a guy, maybe John???, who I think you were coaching that weekend, or pacing, or something like that.(I'm from Wichita, KS area where it's super flat, and we don't have hills like that to practice on.) We had all run Saturday and were super sore and tired on Sunday. We kind of leap-frogged for awhile and I commented on the saying on the back of your shirt (the one in the picture). I am the gal beside you. I thought it was a lot of fun seeing my backside in someone else's profile picture for awhile, lol. I may have Facebook stalked you when I got back from the race, to learn more about you, where you were from, and this running group you told me to look up. I just remember you were so positive with that guy, and very encouraging to me as well. That 2nd day of Dogwood was 100% a mental challenge for me because I really didn't want to be there. I just wanted to be back at home in bed, resting. Not back on the trail working my already tired, sore, exhausted body from the 25K the day before. I felt just like a cartoon character with 2 little angels on my shoulder the whole time. One was saying "you're crazy, why are you doing this, go back to bed, just walk the whole thing, etc." Then the other little voice was saying, "you paid to do this, this is your training for your upcoming marathon, push through the pain, you've got this, gotta keep going, you're not a quitter, you have enough energy now jog, move that body, run the flats and downs, walk the uphills." And then there was your voice, "God's got this, use His strength, push through, we'll all finish this together, you're not alone." And then your shirt #To God Be the Glory. I am a Bible believing protestant Christian, but haven't had my focus on Him during most of my runs or training. You helped put that back into place, which I am so very thankful for. I really relied on that during this last weekend Marathon. Even though Satan was doing everything in his power to knock me down, I totally relied on God's strength to keep me in a positive mental state. Saying only the positive words through that whole marathon was enough to keep me moving. Most of the time I was praying for strength and just kept saying "one foot in front of the other, just one step at a time," and it was enough to get me to the finish line. I also kept saying all those positive things that I was saying back at Dogwood too. And there was one point in time I told myself "Girl, gosh darn it! You gave natural birth to 5 big healthy boys, you can do 26 miles, come on, pick up those feet and MOVE!!! You've got this!" Lol. And I kept reminding myself that God created those hills and I was running in His neck of the woods. He was totally there with me, I was enjoying what He created and I needed to be grateful for the scenery because I don't get to enjoy that everyday (flat Kansas girl here.)
Wow! Do you just love that or what? And I have no doubt that Suzanna passed on the positive words she received from me to others. See why it's so important to cultivate and exude this attitude? Still don't believe me? Check out a couple reasons why Trail Runner Magazine rightly called positivity a "Performance Enhancer."
- A January 2018 article in the “Psychology of Sport and Exercise” journal sought to examine the effects of smiling, frowning and relaxing while running. They had 24 trained runners do six-minute bouts on a treadmill at 70 percent of velocity at VO2 max (essentially an easy run pace). When smiling, they used less perceived effort and energy to go the same pace, translating to improved running economy of 2.2 percent over control and 2.8 percent over frowning. The study had some limitations. It was at a lower intensity than many race scenarios, for one. Also, the effect was more pronounced in male study participants versus female participants. But it generally demonstrated a principle that applies beyond your running life: if given a choice between being the person that is quick with a smile and being the person that withholds enthusiasm, choose the smile.
- A 2012 study in the “Journal of Sports Sciences” found that runners that were given compliments had better running economy. It doesn’t have to come from the outside, either. This 2014 study on cyclists in the “Medical Science Sports Exercise” journal found that positive and motivational self talk improved performance. A 2011 meta-analysis in the journal “Perspectives on Psychological Science” put it all together to find that positive self talk works for both performance and learning.
So there you have it friends. From both a scientific viewpoint and that of a grateful runner, positivity really is good for all of us. But just like a smile, we shouldn't keep it to ourselves! So choose to look for the good in everything. Choose to speak words of affirmation and encouragement to those around you. Choose to laugh when your situation is less than perfect. And choose to sing with abandon when the race gets hard. Choose all of these things and you will have chosen positivity... a choice you will never ever regret.
Happy Running!!!
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