JTG: Almost Athlete




MILES 76

Athlete… I must read that word at least 10 times a day.  On Facebook, work out magazines, race websites… The world is full of athletes… yet they make up a very small population.  I admit, they fascinate me…. their habits….lifestyles…..their fitness and overall life regime… I admire them.  I would have loved to have been an athlete….I am not under valuing "amateur distance runner that tries really really hard".  But there is a difference.  The difference is what puts me at one part of the race…. and them…. miles ahead of me…. And what is that difference…. they are…..starts with A ends with E…. yep…… they are Athletes.  That magical, powerful, mysterious word that embodies strength, perseverance, discipline, talent, and desire….. they are very few….. but I am sure you know one…. and if you are anything like me…. you envy them….

I have a few people on face book that I am always looking at…. One, is this girl in her 20s that runs 6 minute miles in half marathons.  She came in 2nd place overall in a race we did….(WE….OMG WE ran a race….ME and this ATHLETE).  She was a high school and college track star… she is amazing! I know it's probably weird that I follow her…. but I am always curious…. what is SHE doing that maybe I can do that will ultimately make me better….. as if by following the habits of real athletes… I may transform into a half breed…. a humathlete…. or a womathlete…. some kind of morphed half breed of regular human girl/athlete super hero…. like a JR athlete…. A HALFLETE Hi I'm shannon halflete reporting to the start line….. Ill just go right here…. next to the athletes…. I am a halflete… so it's just fine….. I fit in about 50%…. which is more than I can say for everyone else…..BACK there….BEHIND me….they are just regular humans.  I however am a HALFLETE…. I do everything Athletes do… I am just not a fullblood….you see I morphed….. I didn't start out this way… I don't really have their ability or talent…. but I do stuff similar to what I see them doing on the internet…so…….. so…. I'll just hang out here in coral…. B-…. with the other HALFLETES… we are special too! In fact there may be even less of us…. I mean there are about 50 elite runners in most major races and oh 5-40,000 of everybody else….. yeah ok maybe there are more halfletes…. but hey… on the ultra down low…. I didn't want to say anything…but I might be a 3/4lete….I know….ultra rare….keep it hush hush!

I have officially committed to a spring of ONLY half marathons….. that means that like last year I will try to kick major A$$ in the spring and take that with me into a fall marathon… hoping to not rip my hamstring during the race…. but just in case…. we know I can run through it….so it's all good!

I am excited and panicked all at the same time……

Last year was a great year for me and running.  But, it was not without a lot of stress and toll on my body.  As I started running more miles and feeling the pressure of meeting my goals…. my nutrition, sleep, and general mental well being became jumbled…. I was eating before my races… but not really in the off time in between….. I was stressed, I was a mess….I lost about 15 pounds in a really short time and I wasn't in a good place… It should have been the happiest time of my running life…. but I was so grief stricken with thoughts of failing…. and it is silly because running is something I love…. but as most runner's know….. running is intense….. runners are intense…. you can pretend you're not…. but if you are a runner….chances are you have control issues…ocd issues….type A….need to win…. want to be on top….. and you over think… it's kind of what we do….. I mean what in the world else do you do when running all those miles! … You think and think and think and think… OF COURSE you are going to eventually over think!

And while I was SO happy with my progress….I was so hard on myself… you see the truth is… I may only be a halflete…. but this running thing…..these races….are VERY important to me…. they are a huge part of who I am…. they are why I strength train and cross train and eat clean and stay hydrated and …. blog about it all…. I keep a crazy dedicated schedule of varied workouts….. I revolve most of my life around my running…. my family and friends revolve their lives around my running….. I have a special shelf of trophies and medals and tons of race numbers hanging on the wall….. and I read everything I can about running…. I talk to my trainer about running…. I talk to my running coach about running…. and I just want to get better……. halflete. 3/4lete, whatever…. I just want to be the best me I can be…. I believe I have so much more physical potential….. I just need to get there…… just 1/4 more to go….. I really believe that! HOLD that THOUGHT!  Will some one PLEASE remind me of this in the spring!!!


AWESOME single leg work out day
Strength/cardio/plyo
Single leg STEP UP BURST JUMPS!!!
****Single Leg Hamstring curls on swill ball**** runners MUST 
Split Lunges…..not so bad…for a lunge

****6 mile alternating run( 70-75% mile/85-90%mile….. warm up/cool down mile) 

Nutrablast
Apple
Cherry
Mango
Strawberry
2 cups coconut water

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 28, 2015 at 7:35 AM

    I am loving this blog! So glad to see your daily routine. Inspiring and motivating. I'm up to 66 miles on the year. Run Like Hell.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Shan_FitnesscoachFebruary 4, 2015 at 5:07 PM

    I just saw this! Thank you!! That means a lot! You are doing amazing!!! I can't wait to hear about your race year!!!

    ReplyDelete

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