And today's words of wisdom and inspiration from Coach C...
At long last, my good friends, it's showtime. The big day that was once a distant speck on the calendric horizon is now at hand. After all your intensive work, this is your moment to shine, that rare opportunity to accomplish something so extraordinary that you will savor it for a lifetime. By this Thursday at approximately 1:00 PM, you will be positively glowing with well-deserved pride. Note that most of you will finish well before then but it will probably take that long until you start glowing because you'll likely be a bit pale until then. When you cross that finish line outside the Golden Tulip Hotel, regardless of your finishing time, you will be a hero. You will have had the courage and tenacity to undertake a journey that less than 1/2 of 1% of people ever take in a lifetime. More than you know, you will be a source of inspiration to your friends and neighbors because you will have gone beyond what man was comfortably designed to do. If you can conquer this, you can redefine the scope of the possible in any other arena of your life.
The primary focus for the next four days is to stay healthy, loose and positive. The small amount of running that we will be doing is secondary to the psychological work we will be doing, preparing ourselves to succeed spectacularly in an event that we are eminently well-prepared for.
Most importantly, make sure you rest as much as possible. Stretch often and stay off your feet as much as you can. Make every effort to get a good night of sleep, especially on Tuesday night. Sleep on Tuesday night is even more important than on Wednesday night because it takes approximately 24 hours for your body to register the effects of a good night's sleep. Continue to visualize yourself gliding smoothly across the marathon course and think of the celebration afterwards.
It is often said that in those final grueling miles when both your mind and body are screaming in rebellion against the task at hand, that you discover who you really are. I emphatically diagree with this. "Who we are" is not something handed down to us arbitrarily, leaving us helpless to do anything about our shortcomings. On the contrary, those final grueling miles are an exquisite opportunity to define ourselves, even to reinvent ourselves. It's not that you will passively discover who you are. Rather, you will actively decide who you are by your conduct in those fateful moments. Looking forward to celebrating with every one of you at the finish line.
This Week's Schedule:
Sat: 10k easy
Sun: Rest
Monday: 8k (4 at marathon pace)
Tuesday: 5k (2k at marathon pace)
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: The Big Day
Friday: 24 km recovery (just kidding)
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