Leadman: The Leadville Marathon
The first race of the Leadman/Leadwoman series, the Leadville Marathon has come and gone like a blast of wind coming down from the mountains.
While marathons in general don’t pull punches, this one in particular can be pretty sharp. The race starts in downtown Leadville and goes up to 13000’ at Mosquito Pass, turns around and goes up and down a few more times before a long steep downhill back into town. It is one that gets uncomfortable fast especially if you haven’t been acclimatized to the altitude. That being said one of the number one lessons as an endurance athlete - Embrace and Prepare for Discomfort.
There are no mixing words. No amount of positivity and optimism can prepare you for the reality.
This is uncomfortable. And that’s NORMAL. Our bodies have sensors that don’t like when we’re not getting an ingredient for survival. It screams I NEED TO BREATH! Your head may hurt and stomach will churn, you may feel dizzy and stumble a bit. This is discomfort. Embrace it. Know what is, recognize and name it. Then take action. Move towards what you can control - your hands, legs, mouth (for the most part) and keep moving forward.
The biggest mistake we can make as endurance athletes is not prepare for the reality of a race. The more we mentally prepare for it - and importantly, how we’re going to handle it, is going to pay dividends at any race!
Here’s some quick tools I used:
Learn to recognize and name what’s uncomfortable. Naming it has a power of defusing. It doesn’t have control of us.
Use self-talk tools. Motivators like ‘You’ve got this.’ Mantra’s like ‘you’re strong and powerful’ and Instructional ‘stand tall and fast feet’ ALL can help (and are proven too!s)
Focus on the external - redirect your focus on what’s ahead of you - the runner in front, the tree, the ridge, something outside of yourself imagine it pulling you forward!
Be PRESENT. Ground yourself in the moment, notice the wind, the smells around you, the voices and footsteps of other runners. Notice the views, The flowers. I have heard some well known coaches advise against this in ultra’s and here’s my argument for doing this. By being present you are able to focus on what you can control. If you are hooked on your emotions, sensations, negative self-talk, you can’t refocus and work on the things that will get you to the finish.
Above all -remember your why. Why are doing this in the first place? What is your number one motivator? I have many - one is the challenge, I LOVE seeing what’s on the other side. Second - Camaraderie. I immersed myself in the people around me. Sharing miles with other runners was awesome, I love hearing their stories and I loved seeing other Leadman/Leadwomen out there on the course, some I’ve connected with over the years. I also love encouraging others to push on!
And then one of the most powerful was family- my daughter was waiting a half mile from the finish line and I was able to hold her hand and finish that last bit together.
On to the next race - the 50mile run in three weeks!