BASS PRO MIDWEEK MOTIVATION- Lessons from Boston

Hello runner friends!

Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series

MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!

Now let's get started by talking about what you and I can learn from the 125th running of the Boston Marathon by looking at the results and highlights Runner's World Magazine posted after Monday's race. 

1. After a cancellation and postponement due to coronavirus, the Boston Marathon was finally held on October 11. 20,000 entrants took to the streets of Beantown hoping for personal bests and almost 20,000 more competed virtually, making it the largest Boston Marathon field ever. Lesson: Life isn't fair. Continue training. Stay hopeful and keep pressing on despite how bleak the future looks. 

2. Kenyan Diana Kipyokei, in her World Major Marathon debut, took down four previous Boston Marathon champions to win in 2:24:45. Kipyokei ran a big negative split after going through 13.1 miles in 1:14:11. Lesson: Always shoot for that negative split (a racing strategy that involves completing the second half of a race faster than the first half by intentionally setting off at a slower initial pace, followed by a gradual or sudden increase of speed towards the end of the race). Doing so has many benefits in life and in running, including:

• Negative splitting helps build discipline, subverting the natural instinct to begin running as fast as possible. It takes self-restraint to allow others to run ahead and not be pulled along. 
• Starting slow allows your body to compensate for the lactic acid production and low oxygen levels that result from exertion. Lactic acid buildup may cause a runner to slow down unintentionally. 
• Progressively increasing speed in any race allows you to focus on passing each person running directly ahead. This keeps your mind focused on the finish line rather than the pain. 

3. Benson Kipruto Outlasts the Pack. Benson Kipruto broke away from the pack in the final kilometers to take the men’s race in 2:09:51. The 30-year-old Kenyan continues a strong year of racing, as he also won the Prague Marathon on May 30. Lesson: Don't be afraid to break away from the pack or the group of friends you might be running with. Doing so will not only allow you to go at your own pace (a pace that is many times faster than the group you're running with) but to see and experience new things you wouldn't otherwise. Things like meeting new runners and interacting with the people on the sidelines who are there to cheer you on. 

4. CJ Albertson Takes a Risk, Gets Top-10 Finish. American CJ Albertson is known for his feats of distance running strength. He owns the records for fastest marathon on an indoor track and the fastest 50K on an outdoor track. Today at the Boston Marathon, he aimed to add a new item to his list of achievements—winning the Boston Marathon. He took the lead immediately after the start and held onto it for nearly three-quarters of the race. At one point, he was ahead of the pack by over 2 minutes. Although the pack caught and eventually passed him after 20 miles, Albertson managed to hang on to run 2:11:44 for a 10th place finish. Lesson: Don't be afraid to take a risk or to intentionally put yourself in a position where you might fail. At best, you will accomplish something you never thought you could. And at worst, you won’t. But guess what? Lack of success isn't the worst thing you could experience by taking a risk. If you learn from what went wrong and use that knowledge, you will be one step closer to accomplishing that thing your heart desires and you've been training so hard for. So keep taking risks!

5. Swiss Paralympian Marcel Hug took home his fifth Boston Marathon title, but the win is bittersweet as he missed breaking his own course record by just a few seconds. Focused on finishing hard, Hug missed the crucial final turn onto Boylston Street. He had to turn around, costing him valuable time and momentum, in order to correct his mistake. He ended up finishing in 1:18:11, seconds above his record set in 2017. Lesson: Be thankful for what you have. Don't let the frustration over what you weren't able to do steal your joy over what you could do. Always focus on the positive and learn to be content with whatever life throws your way. 

6. Danica Patrick and Other Notable Runners Finish Boston Strong. Danica Patrick turned from car racing to marathon racing, completing the Boston course in 4:01:21. Patrick, who retired from NASCAR in 2018, decided to sign up with her sister and their friend. Patrick ran to raise money for the Light Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Super Bowl Champion Matt Light and his wife, Susie, dedicated to helping students from underserved areas develop skills and values to help them build their futures. Always look for ways to make the most of your God-given talents and platforms. Danica was a talented racecar driver for NASCAR who took her passion for racing not only into running but into raising money for a good cause. She used the gift of running to benefit an organization that helps young adults be the best they can be. 

7. Schar Defends Her Boston Title. Manuela Schar won her second Boston Marathon in three years, after taking the victory at the last in-person event in 2019. She finished in 1:35:21, nearly 15 minutes faster than the next racer, Tatyana McFadden. Lesson: Don't sit on the successes of the past. Always strive to be better. Don't look to match what you did yesterday or at your last race, look to surpass it by consistently putting in the training.

8. Shalane Flanagan Finishes Major Marathon Number Four. After running the Chicago Marathon yesterday, Shalane Flanagan finished in 2:40:34 at Boston. It was the fourth race in her quest to complete all six marathon majors in 42 days. Lesson: Live your best life now. Don't put off until tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year the things that you want to do today. Is there a race on your bucket list that you've been putting off? Get signed up and start training to complete it. Life is short at best and certainly isn't guaranteed. 

9. Golden Retriever Survives Tumor to Once Again Cheer on Marathoners. After 2018’s Boston Marathon, an unlikely star made waves across the Internet. A golden retriever named Spencer held Boston Strong flags in his mouth to cheer on runners pushing through the cold and wet conditions. In 2019, he returned to the same spot again. But in 2020, the Boston Marathon was canceled due to COVID-19. Instead of being on the sidelines, Spencer was in surgery having a tumor removed. Despite the difficulty of the procedure, Spencer pulled through. This morning, two and a half years since his last Boston Marathon, he took his rightful place between miles two and three. Lesson: Rise up after every difficulty. This goes without saying but there will come a time in every runner's life (if they are consistent and stick with it long enough), when they will be sidelined by injury, work/family commitments, life struggles or illness. There's just no getting around it. Determine that you will be that runner who gets up every time you are knocked down though. And then, no matter how long it takes or how hard it is, get back up!

10. Last but not least, this was not published by Runner's World but posted by my friend, Robin Chevalier, who was one of those 20,000 runners who completed the 125th running of the Boston Marathon virtually. In the early morning hours on Friday, I ran my 6th marathon - The Boston Marathon Virtual! Powered by prayer and encouragement! Last spring, the Boston Marathon opened up their race to virtual participants. Knowing I will never time qualify for the actual Boston Marathon (maybe when I'm 90), I saw this as a great opportunity to participate in their event. Training proved to be challenging with asthma issues, a possible foot injury, and ongoing responsibilities. My longest run was 17.5 miles and essentially, I was rarely getting my weekly runs in, but always the long run on the weekend. The long and short....I was the most under-trained I had ever been for a race this distance. Picking the coolest temperature day of the three allotted days, I set out to Get'er Done! I knew it would be challenging, but I reached my goal of finishing! My time was slower than I had hoped, now sporting a couple of blisters, but so MANY things to be thankful for - Friendships, Prayers, Opportunity, Goal Completion, and Encouragement from other running friends!  Lesson: You may be down but you're never out when you keep a positive attitude. Robin acknowledged the things that were not working in her favor (lack of training, physical ailments, work deadlines, and family obligations) but chose to focus on the things that were in her favor... cool temps, a chance to participate in an iconic race that she most likely would never be able to run without a virtual option, and friends to encourage her along the way. This positive attitude helped her reach her goal and get'er done! Do you just love that or what? 

So there you have it friends... there's a lot to be learned from the marathon, whether it's the Boston Marathon or the Bass Pro Marathon (or half). But one of the greatest lessons learned from racing (especially long-distance racing) is this... you are capable of much more than you think. But you will never know how much until you take a risk and step up to the start line. It's there that the excitement begins and you begin to discover new things about yourself! So get out there and get to training. You have a race coming up!

Happy Running!!!