INSPIRATION

"I've had my moments. Days in the sun. Moments. I was second to none. Moments. When I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do." - Song "Moments" by Emerson Drive

Throughout your training, you are going to have moments where you do something you never thought you could do. Whether that be run a certain distance, run a certain pace, or just run at all. Enjoy those moments. Too often we get so caught up in our training plan and focusing on race day, that we miss the moments along the way. As we have said, we want you to enjoy your first marathon or half-marathon. That includes training for the event itself. Relish these moments. You only get to do a "first" once, so enjoy it. If this is the first time you will ever have run 10 miles, for example, enjoy it because the next time you do it, it will not be the first time you have ever done it."Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.

When you start to get tired, watch your running form. One of the habits we fall into when we are fatigued is hunching over. Our head drops down. Our shoulders sag forward. We look at the ground right in front of our feet. What happens when we do these things is we start leaning over our hips and that puts even more strain on already tired muscles. Try to remember to "run tall." (This is actually a great thing for spectators to say.) Keep your head up and look about 20 yards ahead of you. Even better, take in the scenery around you. Don't forget to take in the sights. Remember your mom always nagging you about not slouching and standing up tall? Turns out mom knew what she was talking about.