Do you sometimes feel your not quite at the top of your game? You know what I mean, you know you're capable of running faster, but it seems like you always have a nagging ache or pain. Do you feel like you are the one always on the sideline while you watch your friends setting a new PR or winning a race award?
Are you having to miss another long run with the group because you're just recovering from an illness and you don't thing you could hang with them to run that far? Maybe you have even had to miss that marathon you just spent the last 16 weeks training for because you came down with a sinus infection the week of the race. Argh! Another $100 entry fee down the drain!
Perhaps you runs have started feeling sluggish and you wished you had more energy not just to run but to get through the day. If only you could fall asleep at night and stay asleep!
I know exactly how you feel! I have experienced everyone of those feelings and let me tell you it can really destroy your confidence and drag you down! But I've got good news! Those feelings Do Not Have to be Your Reality! Running and racing should be a fun and rewarding experience and I can show you how to Regain Your Competitive Edge!
Running has been my passion since I was a scrawny 11 year old sixth grader who ended up on my middle school cross country team by default. Before the season ended I discovered that not only did I for once in my life enjoy participating in a sport, but that I was actually good at it!
Train Hard. Run Fast. No Excuses!
In hind sight what seemed like fate and completely unintentional on my part, was God charting the course for my lifelong journey. I thrived on the discipline of the daily workouts and the thrill and excitement of racing. With running I truly enjoyed all aspects of it and for the first time in my life I found something that I was good at and actually looked forward to putting in the work required in order to improve and get faster. (No Excuses! No Procrastination!)
Desire and a Vision! Finally!
I always had a strong desire to use my ability to run to help and inspire others, but I just never had a clear vision as to what that would look like. As an adult, I have run both recreationally and competitively. It was through my failed attempt to return to competitive racing as a masters runner, that I finally saw God's plan for me to help other like minded runners. Ahh clarity! Finally!
The Comeback Struggle: the beginning of a new journey...
January 2011 and I was all in! I hired a coach and a personal trainer. I had BIG GOALS: run a sub 20 5K again, heck run a sub 19 5K! Qualify for Boston, run a 1:30 Half and a 40 minute 10K. Within 6 weeks I ran a 3 minute PR in the 15K. My confidence soared. 4 weeks later I had a sinus infection, 3 months later I nagging hip injury. And so the cycle began. A little progress followed by setbacks of injuries and illnesses over the next 2 years.
What Changed?
I am a firm believer in spiritual and personal development. I committed to getting into God's word daily and seeking His will for my life. As I did this on a regular basis, I became open to the possibility that my physical health and my failure to comeback as a strong masters competitor was not just because I was not getting enough rest or because of the stress of my chaotic life though I'm sure they played a part of it. I began to come to terms with the fact that I needed to make changes to my eating habits and my lifestyle. God put people in my life who shared how their journey to better health came as a result of dietary and lifestyle changes and not from taking a pill or using a cream or lotion.
Run to Eat or Eat to Run? The Desire to Compete!
By the end of 2013 I was sidelined yet again. My passion for running was at an all time low. It was a scary and unfamiliar feeling. In my 30+ years of running never once had I ever felt that way. It was a HUGE wake up call! As I began to make my health my main priority, I started making small changes to the way I ate and how I viewed food. The more I studied nutrition the more I understood that food was more than a reward for running hard. It was fuel so that I could run hard. Something else happened: I felt better, I had more energy, I began to sleep at night, and I realized the desire to compete was still burning deep inside.
Regain Your Competitive Edge
As runners we are always looking for that Edge to make us better, to get us through that tough workout or to keep us from hitting the wall at mile 20. But unless you make staying healthy and feeling good a priority, it doesn't matter, the Edge will only be short lived. Trust me when I tell you that you don't have to accept that having GI issues are part of being a runner. You don't have to suffer from seasonal sinus infections or bronchitis. And believe it or not what you eat and drink directly affects your body's ability to recover and avoid injuries! I know this from personal experience!
You need energy to train hard and to compete. Are you unable to go for your morning run without first drinking a cup of coffee? Do you need another shot of caffeine late in the morning or after lunch to make it through the day? While these may provide you with a temporary fix, over time they will wreak havoc on your ability to train hard and to compete.
You know that its is so important to get your rest so that your body can recover, but are you struggling to wind down at night without that glass or two of wine? Do you need a sleep aid to fall asleep and stay asleep? While you may be able to function and get through your workouts, your body is not truly getting the rest it needs to support the stress of running.
If you love to train hard and compete, if you want to optimize your training and improve your performance, then join me here and I will help you harness your desire and show you how to Regain Your Competitive Edge!
Bio
Beverly Smith is a successful entrepreneur who along with her husband has been consulting and helping business with their hiring needs for over 20 years. Her failed attempt to return to competitive running as a masters runner inspired her to enroll in the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. As a Certified Health Coach and an RRCA Certified Running Coach, she now teaches runners how to nourish their bodies and souls so that they have more energy, reduce their risk of injuries and can regain their competitive edge.