Mantra

Distance: 15.33 miles   Time: 2:27:07   Avg Pace: 9:35

Yesterday I got up early for my first early-morning long run of the fall season, and it was near freezing and pitch dark outside. As much as I will miss my soft, breezy summer morning runs, I am ready for flannel pajama/electric blanket weather. (Not that I restrict my adoration of flannel and electric blankets to any particular season, but I find they are slightly less enjoyable in 90 degree heat.)

This run capped off a good week for me. I was able to work out 6 of the past 7 days, and run more than I usually do. My daughter and I had a great week together, I felt healthy and strong (!), we had our first community group meeting of the season, and I cooked some freaking amazing dinners for our family. On top of that, I found out one of my dear friends is pregnant, and our church is getting ready to offer a position to a new pastoral candidate!

Usually my runs are my much-needed therapy/stress relief from a busy week, but I entered this run with such a state of mental peace already going that I honestly can't remember thinking much of anything while I ran. Maybe some fleeting thoughts and prayers for our church and my friends/family, and some pangs of regret about not registering for the Portland marathon (which was today). But mostly these were quiet, restorative miles.

Around mile 12 or 13, though, I started to feel a little pang in my calf/ankle that's not normal for me. Thinking it was just fatigue/cramp, I pushed through it and finished the last miles a little slower. After a warm shower and some breakfast, I noticed some minor swelling/bruising in the back of my ankle, right along my achilles tendon. Lame! I think it is just a minor strain and that RICE (Rest/Ice/Compression/Elevation) will do the trick.

It had me thinking, though. As I ran the last couple of miles, tired and in mild pain, I reminded myself that any great goal will require some pain. And if I ever want to run a marathon, I need to figure out how to embrace that pain.

I have read and heard from other runners that it is helpful to come up with a mantra to chant when you're struggling on a run, something to keep you going. So I started to think of all the times I'd been in worse pain and survived. For example, childbirth. Or pregnancy, for that matter. But the absolute worst pain I've ever had in my life? Migraines. I've had so many migraines in my life, and more than a few times I've thought to myself that I might die because of the pain I'm in (on a scale of one to ten, they're like a nine point five.)

So that's what I chanted, over and over, as I finished up my run. Migraine. Which is basically my way of reminding myself that if I can handle that, I can handle whatever a long run will throw my way.

Do any of you have a mantra that you "chant" while you run or work out?