Skip to main content

The mental game: Why?!

Its 2 weeks to Addo... my second 100 miler, and first in the bush.

The bush is beautiful, the mountains are "home". I know what it takes for me to have done 100 miles before... #Washie100.

Image result for to thine own self be trueIts mental... crazy, yes; more in the head than in the body. Its tough, fulfilling, crazy... all of that. Some dude that lived a long time ago said that its important to know yourself. And on a long road, you have no choice: oh yeah, you can ignore yourself, too. But its important to pay attention.

Ubuntu... I am because we are ~ African philosophy

Animals, plants, rocks (yip, even them), and humans... we are because we all are. And so I also run for others... after all, I wouldn't be me if it weren't for you reading this!

BUT! What happens when it gets tough? And in 100 miles there are going to be a tough moment or two. There are tricks that a lot of people have shared with me over the years. The best advice is to "stay in the moment"; not to think about the other stuff.

At the Washie 100 it was "easy" to stay in the moment. There were a group of Unicorns (pictured right) who kept me chatting and my mind in the game when my body broke down. At Addo, that's not going to happen (hopefully I won't break... and there definitely won't be a support team).

Africa's Wildest Ultra takes place in a remote part of the Addo Elephant National Park. Its a logistical masterpiece that we can run there at all... and an impossibility for support teams.

So what AM I going to do to keep myself in the moment... well, that's where YOU come in! I'm going to #RazeABar ;) You're going to donate. I'm going to have divided the run into 4 marathons and 10km sections in each of those marathons. When it gets tough, I'm going to remember: PERSPECTIVE. There are 4 charities that would be less because we don't care... The first 10km I'll think of Rainbows and Smiles, the 2nd 10km One Land Love It, the 3rd Community Veterinary Clinics, and 4th The Herald Christmas Cheer Fund!

SO DONATE... preferably now, please :)

Even then, I may occasionally tend toward thinking 50km more is "too far"... but I know that I can go another hill... or another parkrun. I know I can. I know, more importantly, I WILL.

Expectations are made to be broken, limitations to be removed... fun to be had.

So get in my mental game. Please. And TYIA.

DONATE HERE: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/razeabar2019-upiufd 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Truth of the Trail: Karkloof 100

I said to Andrew & Deon, "On the long trail, either you are truthful, or you are dead. And perhaps this is why we are a close community of people who know and believe in each other. We root for each other's success because we relate so honestly."

Friday night at 8pm, the gun was worked into the theme tune to the Greatest Showman. We Karkloof 100 milers were off, not quite like prey in front of lion... but the atmosphere was just as charged! An amazing show to send us on our way. It had been hot all Friday. Dry heat. It was due to get as hot on Saturday.

AMUK update: I had aced Addo. UTD and me... let's call it a tie (although I might flatter myself here). And Mac Mac bit my bullet... I finished, but it took everything I had. 14 weeks later, I'd recovered mostly, but not been able to maintain 100 mile fitness. I was as ready as I could be...

Rene & Frikkie (official and unofficial AMUK wayfinders) were prepped and looking good. There was no hope for me to …
5 comments
Read more

Addo 100 - Race Report #RunAMUK for #RazeABar

A week after completing the Washie 100 miler I started training for my 2nd miler... I couldn't walk, but in my head it started. It was a kind of running “I am because we are” (loose translation of an African philosophical idea labeled “uBuntu”). Truth be told, it probably started when I ran my first official 5km run or parkrun many moons before that!
uBuntu philosophy leads to other African proverbs like, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go with friends”. Race medals need friends, too, right? From a road 100 miler I needed to add a bush 100… and of course there are many around the world as one of the faster growing sports. The more 100 milers the better, right…? And of course me going far at Washie meant a great team of unicorn support on that road, and many miles training with mates leading up to Addo! Go together…
There were a lot of lessons I needed to learn at Washie. Teamwork, nutrition, hydration, training the right amount (not too much is as damaging…
2 comments
Read more

Mac Mac Ultra 100: Ear worms and elevators!

What are the effects you can expect from doing 100 miles on foot? Hunger. Tiredness. Hallucinations. Blisters. Bruises. Toenail funerals. Sleep monsters. And others... Nobody mentions EARWORMS... [definition: a catchy song or tune that runs continually through a person's mind. I might amend that...]

Legends are made from stories. Sometimes they are true. Sometimes they have music.
Make sure you pick a good tune if you choose an earworm as a pet. The Cranberries version of "Zombie" is a good tune. For the first 15 hours. Thereafter... you're the zombie! But, I'm ahead of myself. There were three sections to my Mac Mac adventure: the first part where I felt good: 11 miles. The second part where I wondered if I'd make it: 70 miles. The last part that I'll just call "Zombie": 19 miles.
Ideal race preparation goes "smoothly" and is "stress free". A few niggles that hampered recovery and training in the 2 weeks leading up to the r…
4 comments
Read more