There are no short cuts in running. I can only make a measured amount of progress everyday. The only way to get better is in increments. There are apps for helping make progress, but there's no magic button to go from being able to run a 5k to a marathon. The process itself is straight forward and not necessarily hard to understand, but applying the process takes focus and stamina. Once these are achieved, it's possible for the process to become at least a little easier because there is clarity about how things get done. The internal dialogue moves from "if I run today" to "when I run today". This mental status is what endurance is built from.
And endurance builds upon itself.
When I finished my first marathon, one of the most enlighten moments came when my brain thought "if you can do that, what else is possible?!" My body changed from a physical processes, but I realized my mindset changed just as much. This empowering mindset not only works on myself, but helps me challenge others to consider, "what else is possible?!" even if they may not see it in themselves.
But...
The physical and mental changes did not happen in a day, a week, or a month. It took 10 months and 1,200 miles to finish that first marathon, and even then, as things neared the end, questions lingered if I could really do it. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't have packed all the hours into a single day or week or month.
As things start to get real with this training cycle and the rhythms of the workouts begin to become more evident, I am reminded of the need to think about the big picture and plan week to week or even day to day, but simultaneously restrain my eagerness to do more than what the day calls for. There is a need to be satisfied with just taking the next step.
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